Jackson's Passport Problem
Michael Jackson, facing child molestation charges, was told to surrender his passport unless he supplies "documented confirmation" that he plans on going to Britain to promote his new CD.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon made the demand Monday to Jackson's attorney, Mark Geragos, in a faxed letter.
Sneddon said in a statement that he sought confirmation of the planned trip after hearing reports that the singer had canceled it.
Jackson, 45, turned himself into authorities last month. He was charged Thursday with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent. He remains free on $3 million bail.
Sneddon agreed to return Jackson's passport last week after Geragos said the entertainer needed to fulfill contractual obligations related to his new CD, "Number Ones."
London's Sun newspaper reported Sunday that Jackson had pulled out of a planned Christmas tour.
But Jackson's spokesman, Stuart Backerman, said Monday that he believed the trip was still on. Jackson was originally scheduled to travel to Britain on Dec. 20 and stay until Jan. 6.
"I'm not aware of any cancellation," Backerman said. "He still is planning to go as far as I know."
The passport was returned to Jackson as part of an agreement delaying his arraignment from Jan. 9 to Jan. 16 so he could make the overseas trip.
The row over Jackson's passport is just the latest to pit the pop star against the district attorney.
Sneddon first tried to prosecute Jackson on molestation charges ten years ago and failed, and intends to try the current case himself — likely one of his last before his planned retirement.
Jackson, for his part, once wrote a song that appeared to mock Sneddon as a "cold man."
Friends and relatives of Jackson descended on his Neverland Ranch on Saturday to show their support for the entertainer. More than 150 cars entered the ranch's main gate, and uninvited supporters staking out the entrance ran up to one black Mercedes carrying two people who appeared to be Jackson's parents.
One sign pasted on a fan's car read: "Michael is innocent! Leave him alone!"
With legal proceedings on hold, legal experts said the pop star should try to fade out of the headlines.
His new album is doing better in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States. But Mark Beaumont, a staff writer at British music magazine NME, said the allegations against Jackson have even split his UK fans.
"There are people devoted to Michael Jackson who put their fingers in their ears and refuse to listen to the allegations and then there are people who like his music but think he's becoming increasingly suspicious," he said.
Beaumont doesn't expect a rapturous welcome for Jackson if he goes ahead with his visit to England.
"There will always be the hardcore fans but that is a relatively small group now and people are becoming more suspicious," he said. "I think this is going to be the final nail in the coffin."