Michael’s Mother Gets the Reward Money
After Frank Dileo’s firing, Katherine Jackson’s campaign to get Michael Jackson to go to Korea with his brothers continued, but Michael could not be swayed.
Now that Frank was out of the picture, Jerome Howard telephoned Michael’s accountant, Marshall Gelfand, to ask for help in getting Michael to commit to the Korean venture. ‘By all means,’ Marshall told Jerome. ‘We’re always looking for ways to make extra money for Michael. Call John Branca, tell him I told you to call, and
he’ll
convince Michael. Michael
loves
to work, so sure, he’ll go.’
‘At this time, the Koreans said, “But what if he won’t go?” They were panicking,’ Jerome recalled. ‘“Fine, then offer him
ten
million to come,” they said. That’s ten million
above
the seven point five million the brothers would get and split among themselves. And they said they were going to give him an airplane from Korean Airlines to travel in, and another plane for the brothers. This way, Michael wouldn’t have to even see his brothers, except onstage. I faxed all of this to John Branca, who got back to me right away and said, “No, Michael doesn’t want to go.” So, then the Koreans sent a gold bust statue of Michael over to him to try to convince him. Still, Michael wouldn’t budge. He didn’t want to go, but no one was listening to the guy.
‘Then the Koreans offered
me
a gift, a car, because they thought I might have some influence on Michael, which I did not have,’ Jerome continued. ‘I already had three cars; I didn’t need another. But they wanted to buy me a seventy-thousand-dollar Mercedes. I told Katherine and Joseph, and Joseph said, “They’re not gonna buy you no car.” Well, the Jacksons weren’t paying me any more, soI accepted the Mercedes. When I drove that Mercedes on to the Jacksons’ property, Katherine was happy for me. I told her I was going to sell the car and use the money to cover my expenses until she and Joseph could pay me again. She said, “No, you need that car for business. They gave you that car. You keep it and don’t you ever sell it.” But Joseph was pissed off, because they gave me a car but didn’t give him one. “Those are
our
kids, Katherine. Why should Jerome get a car, but we get no car?” he wanted to know. From that time on, Joseph’s attitude about me began to change. I began to feel I was about to get cut out of the deal.’
The Koreans still felt that if anyone could talk Michael into going on this tour, Katherine could. Therefore, they upped the ante and actually gave her the million-dollar bounty – on condition that she get her son’s signature on the contract within fourteen days. Jerome Howard handed Katherine the two $500,000 cashier’s cheques.
‘I don’t want that money, Jerome,’ Katherine insisted. ‘Don’t give it to me.’
‘If I don’t give it to you, then I have to give it to Joseph,’ Jerome warned her. Katherine took the money.
‘Do you think you can convince Michael?’ he asked.
‘Well, I can only try,’ Katherine said. ‘Michael has a mind of his own, you know.’ She shook her head in disbelief. ‘A million dollars, I guess we
have
come a long way.’
Joseph never imagined that Katherine had a million dollars stashed away somewhere in Hayvenhurst. Jerome Howard feared that if Joseph knew about it, he would have cashed the cheques immediately, signature or no signature from his son. Katherine apparently agreed, because she did not tell him she was in possession of the reward money. If she got Michael’s signature on the contract, she said, she fully intended to give Joseph half of the reward.
In the last year, Michael had made over sixty-five million dollars. According to
Forbes
magazine, he had been one the highest-paid entertainers in the world in 1988. He could be generous when he wanted to be, but when it came to his family, he had reservations. However, his family needed his help and believed that Michael should come to their rescue.
It’s true that the brothers did feel that Michael owed them. ‘Michael is very popular right now,’ Jermaine said at the time, ‘and I feel I’ve contributed a major part to it. Not just me, but my brothers too. What’s happened to Michael has
a lot
to do with what we
all
did as The Jackson 5.’
In March 1989, Jerome Howard and Kenneth Choi were at the Jacksons’ estate in Encino with Katherine, Joseph and Jermaine, discussing the problem at hand. ‘I think the best thing would be for him to get closer to his family,’ Jermaine said. ‘Once you make so much money, it’s just another dollar. At some point, you have to start looking at the important things, like love, family and health.’
As they were talking, the phone rang. Katherine took the call upstairs. Joseph followed.
A few minutes later, Katherine came running down the stairs, huffing and puffing and saying, ‘Michael’s on the phone. Michael’s on the phone! Joseph’s talking to him right now.’ Jerome Howard recalled, ‘She was very worked up about it.’
Jermaine ran to the staircase where Katherine was standing and, in a very excited tone, said to her, ‘Mother, let Kenneth talk to Michael. Let Kenneth try to convince him. After all, he convinced you and Joseph in the first place.
He
should talk to Michael.’
Katherine was sceptical. ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea,’ she said as she ran back up the stairs. It was all so… frantic. ‘But pick up the phone and try,’ she hollered back at them. ‘It can’t hurt.’
According to Jerome, Jermaine ran back over to Kenneth. ‘Look, man, you gotta persuade Michael.’
‘But… how?’ Kenneth asked, helplessly. ‘How doI do this?’ He looked bewildered.
‘Man, I don’t know,’ Jermaine answered. His brow was furrowed; it looked like he was trying to think of something, quickly. ‘But you gotta do it. Cry on the phone to him if you have to,’ he said, facetiously. ‘Whatever. Just do it, man. Do it.’
Kenneth Choi picked up the telephone.
‘Michael, please, my country wants you to come and perform,’ he said in broken English.
There was a pause. Apparently, Michael was explaining why he didn’t want to do the tour.
‘But, please, Michael, I beg of you…’
Another pause.
Suddenly, Kenneth began to weep. ‘But, Michael, if you don’t come to my country to perform, I have no choice but to
kill
myself,’ he said, his tone theatrical. ‘I mean it. I’ll do it.’ In moments, Kenneth was sobbing, uncontrollably.
Jermaine took one look at him and fell to his knees, laughing. He had to hold his hand over his mouth to stifle the sound. Then, Jerome fell to the floor, as well, laughing hysterically.
Kenneth ignored them both. ‘You see, this is my mission,’ he continued on the phone, tears cascading down his cheeks. ‘My mission is to bring you, the great Michael Jackson, to Korea to perform for all of the people there. I must see you. Please, I beg of you. Michael, please.
Please
.’
Finally, Michael agreed to meet with Kenneth Choi. He never could resist a crying man.
According to Jerome, when Kenneth got off the phone, his demeanour immediately changed and he began dancing around the room, merrily. ‘My God, I can’t believe it,’ he whooped. ‘
I talked to Michael Jackson on the phone
. Oh my God!’
Meanwhile, since the two weeks Katherine had to convince Michael to sign the contract had passed, she had no choice but to return the million-dollar reward money. Joseph was upset with her when he found out she had the money, and even angrier when he heard she had given it back. ‘We coulda’ used that money, Katie,’ he said, angrily. ‘Oh my God. The world is going crazy when my own wife has a million dollars and doesn’t tell me about it.’
Soon after that, Jerome Howard quit working for Katherine and Joseph Jackson. ‘I discovered that Kenneth Choi was meeting with Joseph and Katherine behind my back, cutting a side deal. When I saw this happening, I quit.’
It had been twenty years since the Jacksons moved from Gary to Los Angeles in search of fame and wealth. All of them had come to enjoy a privileged lifestyle. However, somewhere in the process, they seemed to lose all perspective on reality. It seemed that none of them knew when to stop; they wanted more, always more. When the Koreans figured out how to appeal to this acquisitive streak, a new, Moonie-induced decadence spread like a cancer throughout the family.
The Moonies gave Joseph a Rolls-Royce Corniche; later he would get more than fifty thousand dollars because, after all, he was Michael Jackson’s father and, it was thought, he must have
some
influence on him.
Then, Katherine got thirty-five thousand dollars, because she was Michael’s mother.
Then, Jermaine got a Range Rover, because he was the brother who, it was felt, had the most power over Michael. (He gave the automobile to Hazel, as part of their divorce settlement.)
Then, Michael got sixty thousand dollars and expensive artwork, because he was, after all, the man of the hour. That wasn’t enough, however, so the Koreans sent over a white Rolls-Royce Corniche, which Michael happily accepted. Why not? If they were dumb enough to give it to him, he figured, he was smart enough to take it. He wasn’t even sure where it came from, he said. ‘Who are these people, and why are they giving me a car?’ he asked John Branca.
Other people were getting many thousands of dollars just because they knew Michael and, it was hoped, had some sway over him. Jerome Howard said. ‘To the Moonies, this was just so-called seed money, funds they had to spend in order to get close to Michael.’ Even Michael’s bodyguard, Bill Bray, got half a million and, today, no one even remembers why or how he got it.
Everyone was greedy enough to accept what they could before the Koreans finally realized that the chance of Michael Jackson ever doing those concerts was nil. The nadir of the debacle was reached when one of Bill Bray’s girlfriends went to Kenneth Choi and said, ‘Listen up, you. My boyfriend controls Michael Jackson, and
I
control my boyfriend. So, if you want this concert to take place in Korea, then you’d better give
me
something.’
‘Well, what do you want?’ Kenneth asked, hopefully. Maybe
she
could do the job no one else was able to do. She mulled it over. ‘How about that 560 SEL Mercedes-Benz you have parked in your driveway?’
‘It’s yours,’ Choi said. He handed her the keys.
Finally, Kenneth Choi got the meeting with Michael Jackson he had so desired. Katherine brought him along with her to the
Soul Train
Awards where Michael was an honouree. When Katherine introduced him to her son, he dropped to his knees and kissed Michael’s hand. ‘My people need you,’ he told Michael. ‘You must perform in Korea. After all, Japan attacked our country two times, and you performed in Japan two times. You even held a Japanese baby in your arms.’
‘Huh?’ Michael asked. He looked perplexed. ‘Who the heck are you? Mother, who is this person?’
‘Why, Michael, this is the nice man I told you about,’ Katherine said, eagerly. ‘Kenneth. You know, the man who is putting together the concerts in Korea?’
From the look on his face, Michael didn’t have the vaguest idea who his mother was talking about, or why the man in front of him was on his knees.
‘My people need to see you,’ Kenneth continued. ‘You are a hero, a saint of men.’ He then pulled out a video camera and began taping Michael. ‘No, wait!’ Michael said, putting his hands in front of his face. ‘Stop! Is this that reunion thing? Is that what this is?’
‘Yes, Michael,’ Katherine said. ‘Yes! This is him. Kenneth Choi.’ She was brimming with excitement.
‘But I don’t do business with my family,’ Michael said, turning to Kenneth. ‘And stop taping me. Stop it, I said.’
By June 1989, after almost six months of feeling pressured by everyone around him, Michael finally signed a contract to appear in Korea for four shows that would take place in August. ‘I can’t take another second of it,’ he said in explanation of his decision. ‘These people are going to drive me crazy until they get what they want. So, let’s just do the shows and get it over with.’
He would perform only four songs, however, as well as a medley with his brothers. The rest of the show would be done by the brothers, without Michael.
‘I’m doing it for Katherine,’ he said of the Korean deal.
The family was elated. Finally, Michael had committed to the Jackson – Moonie Project. No one received the reward money, however, because Michael had made up his own mind. ‘
He
should have gotten the million dollars,’ said John Branca, ‘for turning himself over to the Koreans.’ (Until the first edition of this book was published in 1991, Michael didn’t even know that there had been a reward offered to any family members who could secure his services.)
Amazingly, considering all that had occurred in the recent six months, when the deal was signed and it was time to pass the promised millions on to Michael, the Reverend Moon, who was to fund the venture, decided that the agreed-upon amount was too high a price. According to Jerome Howard, Moon wanted Michael’s payment lowered: first to $8 million, then to 7, then 5, then 4.5, and finally to $2.5 million. Finally, the deal fell apart, completely.
As a result, Michael Jackson ended up being sued by Segye Times, Inc. – which is financed by Reverend Moon. Moon wanted his money and all of the gifts to be returned. Also named in the suit were Joseph, Katherine, Jerome Howard, Jermaine Jackson and Bill Bray.
Michael, in turn, sued Segye Times, Inc. for eight million dollars saying that he was not giving back any of his gifts, and not demanding that anyone else give back theirs, either.
There is disagreement among the participants of the Jackson – Moonie Project about who is responsible for what had occurred, but most associates of Michael’s agree that none of it would ever have happened if Frank Dileo had still been Michael’s manager. After all, in the past, Frank had intercepted many deals having to do with the family before they even reached Michael.
Even John Branca could not have protected Michael from the debacle because by the time Michael went to him for advice, he had made up his mind to sign the deal. Also, it seemed to some observers that Michael, now seeming more paranoid than ever, was beginning to lose confidence in John as well.
‘I don’t even know how this whole thing happened, or how I got involved in it,’ Michael said at the time. ‘All I know is that I kept saying no, no, no,
no
. But my family would not take no for an answer. Look what happened as a result. The whole thing made me sick. Just sick.’