Michael Jackson's lawyer slams new Netflix doc as he explains why he didn't appear in it
The lawyer who represented Michael Jackson during his 2005 trial has revealed why he didn't appear in a new documentary that delves back into the case.
Although a number of legal figures appeared in the three-part Netflix series alongside jurors and insiders close to the late King of Pop, Thomas Mesereau was not one of them.
The criminal defence attorney has now explained why he didn't take part in Michael Jackson: The Verdict and why he believes the timing of its release is 'suspicious'.
The documentary made its debut on the streaming platform last Wednesday (3 June) and those who have tuned in have been left reeling by some of the disturbing allegations it contained.
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Viewers heard from 'key players' who were around Jackson at the time that 13-year-old cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo accused him of molestation, resulting in a trial which hit headlines around the world. He was ultimately acquitted.
Journalist Martin Bashir appeared in the programme to discuss the Grammy-winner's 'bombshell' admission that he shared his bed with children, while the star's former publicist claimed that he made a damning discovery after looking inside a 'suspicious' bag.
A chef who worked at the Neverland ranch alleged he had caught Jackson with his hands down Macaulay Culkin’s pants, while it was also claimed that the 'Beat It' hitmaker coined lewd nicknames for the kids in his orbit.
The Jackson family attorney, Brian Oxman, appeared in Michael Jackson: The Verdict alongside the singer's former defence attorney Mark Geragos and prosecutor Ron Zonen.
But notably, the man who secured Jackson's freedom more than two decades ago - Thomas Mesereau - did not feature in the new documentary.
The New York-born lawyer, who has represented stars including Mike Tyson during his career, explained he considers the case to be 'closed' - and said he doesn't understand why the docuseries was green lit.
You can take a look at the trailer for Michael Jackson: The Verdict here:
During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored last week, Mesereau slammed the docuseries while pointing out that its release comes hot on the heels of Antoine Fuqua's biopic, Michael, hitting cinemas.
"This is a very joyous time for supporters and lovers of Michael Jackson," he told Piers Morgan. "The biopic is setting all kinds of records, his memorabilia is selling all over the world, his music is streaming all over the world.
"Even his book Moonwalk is flying off the shelves…This is a great time to be a supporter and lover of Michael Jackson.
"So why do we need a documentary in the middle of this that goes back 21 years in a case where he was completely exonerated?"
Mesereau repeatedly emphasised that his superstar client was cleared by the jury after they heard 'five months of testimony', before going on to say: "So why are we going through a documentary on this? What's the point?"
"I don't think we need a documentary on this, I think there's been enough," Mesereau continued. "I didn't want to participate because we don't need it.
"He was exonerated, the jury couldn't have sent a stronger message."
He then reeled off the respectable professions of some of the 12 men and women who sat in on Jackson's 2005 trial, adding that the jurors also included two people who had been victims of molestation in their own lives.
"We had a majority women," Mesereau continued. "We had no African-American. Nobody could say this was a racially biased jury or a racial verdict. They deliberated. They heard all the evidence. The case is closed.
"We don't need to revisit this again. And unfortunately, you can't do a short documentary that does justice to all the evidence and witnesses the jurors heard, saw, and thought about. You can't do it.
"The timing is suspicious...and I don't think we need another documentary on this case."
Topics: Michael Jackson, Netflix, Documentaries
Olivia Burke