Stuart Backerman Interview

On December 18, former Michael spokesperson Stuart Backerman conducted an interview with a Canadian magazine. This interview is truly disappointing. It seems Backerman may have forgotten his warm and enjoyable relationship with many Michael fans. That is why reading this text is not very straightforward. The long interview refers to topics we would expect to read about in the book written by Backerman and Mark Schafel.

Backerman begins the interview by describing how he joined the Michael Jackson team. He entered the team at the same time as the special program “Living with Michael Jackson,” to give new life to Michael Jackson’s career. He collaborated with Michael on the production of the second part of this program.

Some time later, Neverland was raided by the police, and Michael was accused of sexually abusing a young boy.

Now it was Backerman’s job to “control the situation.” And very quickly, he transformed into a familiar face on television. Backerman enjoyed being welcomed to Neverland as if he were always a ceremonial guest. “I felt like I was dead and had gone to heaven.” He brought his family to Neverland, and he enjoyed the close relationship they had with Michael. Only a limited number of people got that chance. Like anyone else who entered Neverland through its doors, Backerman signed confidential agreements. But he never signed the official employment confidentiality form. And that was a big mistake. Now he is free to say and write whatever he wants.

And he did. He called Michael “a kid and raw,” and with whatever judgment he could muster—however unfair—he said, “He doesn’t do his homework and basically listens to the words of whoever speaks last.” Backerman calmly says, “A part of me still likes Michael and is sensitive to him.” He continues, “But his feelings about things are not acceptable. You know, it’s like walking on eggshells because Michael likes good things. ‘Give me good news’ is a phrase Michael usually says during phone calls with his executive managers. He doesn’t want to hear bad things.”

“My feeling is that he doesn’t properly know what’s happening. And why he got himself involved in so many problems. Because he keeps himself so separate from everyone else, and therefore—at least as much as he should—he doesn’t have the awareness and cleverness needed regarding issues that are going on outside.”

Many paragraphs of this interview are devoted to introducing the real personality of Stuart Backerman. And that is something that no longer matters to Michael fans. It doesn’t matter anymore who he is or what he does.

And Stuart Backerman cites the reason for his separation from the Michael team as his relationship with the Nation Of Islam and its leader, Louis Farrakhan.

He says that as soon as Farrakhan entered Neverland, the team’s advisors were immediately forbidden from intervening. Backerman claims that during a phone conversation, one of the members of this Islamic group was present there and he heard him say, “We have to get these Jews out of there.” He says that this statement also includes “Debbie Rowe,” Michael’s former wife and the mother of his two children. In Backerman’s view, “Michael doesn’t have control over his own life.” … When he was asked whether there was any behavior by Michael that upset him, he answered:

“Yes, but there were also things about Michael that I liked. His good manners, and the fact that he understood other people’s feelings and cared about them. And I saw in him the intention to do good things. On the other hand, there were things that upset me about Michael. He gets influenced by his emotions very quickly. Sometimes he didn’t pay attention to me as if he didn’t even know who I was. Sometimes there was a real coldness between us, and other times our relationship was warm. There was a real moodiness in him that upset me. I was worried that maybe more negative aspects that had been said about Michael’s personality were true. But I pushed those thoughts away because I worked for him and I was loyal, and I didn’t let those thoughts enter my mind. I saw it. I understood that it was possible—sometimes I even felt it. But I pushed it away so I could do the job I was paid to do. Like a loyal spokesperson. I had no evidence that Michael Jackson had a sexual relationship with a child, so as far as I’m concerned, he deserves fair treatment. And I sincerely hope that the accusations are false.”

Continuing the interview, Backerman said what would happen to Jackson, “alone and disgusted with himself”: “He can create himself in another way. But only if he is found innocent—and more importantly, if he takes responsibility and learns to love himself again.”

What’s interesting is that during this interview, Stuart Backerman didn’t mention the smallest thing about Michael Jackson’s fans. He exploited his relationship with fans the same way he exploited his friendship with Michael. But Michael Jackson’s fans are very powerful, something Backerman surely should have understood.

And when his book lands on bookstore shelves, Michael Jackson fans won’t be among the buyers.

Source: Vancouver Sun Magazine