“From Movie Stars To Us Ordinary Folks, Everyone Is At Risk From Those Without Conscience”-Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
Over the next week or so, I’m going to be looking at some very special, and disturbing, cases. I am going to be taking a close-up look at some well known and not so well known Michael Jackson stalkers. For the purpose of this series, I am not so much concerned with those (sometimes funny; sometimes scary) stories of crazy, obsessed stalker fans-something that pretty much goes with the territory of all celebrities. Rather, I am focusing exclusively on a few individuals whose psychopathic stalking and/or obsession with Michael Jackson went above and beyond the pale, to actually causing him duress, the necessity for an FBI investigation, and in some cases such as the one I am looking at today, fabricated child molestation allegations that could have gone so far as helping to convict him in 2005, had certain individuals succeeded in their evil schemes! We all know, of course, that two of the most famous examples of mentally disturbed persons who were allowed access into Michael Jackson’s life resulted in the most damaging allegations made against him-Evan Chandler and Janet Arvizo.
But dealing with disturbed individuals and psychopaths had been a part of Michael’s life from the time he was a small child singing in The Jackson 5. At the group’s height of popularity in the early 70’s, death threats became just a part of the routine. Imagine being as young as Michael was when he sang for The Jackson 5, and having to be scared to go onstage because you never know when some crazy nutjob just might make good on his threat to off you onstage! Whether the threats came from jealous boyfriends, or deranged girls who imagined they had been spurned, or even from mafia figures, this was all part of the life Michael grew up with! By middle age, he had spent roughly 45 years as a person who had been constantly stalked, harassed, and threatened in every way imaginable (trust me, we as fans only know a portion-a small slice-of what he actually endured from some of these people!). If he was “paranoid” by middle age, as some have said, then certainly he had every right to be! Very few of us, after all, have lived the life that Michael Jackson lived. What’s more, very few child stars make the transition into a mega successful adult superstardom the way that he did. All factors combined, that meant Michael spent an incredible 45 years living from within a fish bowl, always under the protective wing of security, never really enjoying the freedom that most of us take for granted. A life spent in show business, as the most successful entertainer in the world, has its perks.
But along with those perks comes a lot of sacrifice. For starters, there is no sense of normalcy. Secondly, you become vulnerable. Third, especially if you are Michael Jackson, you become a target. And after settling the Chandler case in 1994, a whole new can of worms was opened. From that time forward, Michael Jackson would become an easy target for fabricated stories of sexual molestation against children (but almost always concocted and masterminded by adults; not the children themselves. This makes sense; after all, it is the adults who know that any money awarded to their children will be entrusted to them until the children are of legal age). We all know that one such case eventually ended up as a criminal trial, for which Michael was acquitted on all 14 counts. But the Arvizo case was by no means the only one. That case, too, would lead to some very-ahem-“interesting” phantom cases and equally bizarre phantom victims.
Some of these phony cases have already been well exposed and written about, such as the accusations masterminded by Rodney Allen, for which Diane Dimond went on a Canadian goose chase at Hard Copy’s expense in 1995 (and which I’ll write more about later), Daniel Kapon, Terry George, and others, all of which I will be looking at in due course.
But there is one phantom case that has received very little exposure, at least until now. Yet it was a case that went so far as a declaration and a court subpoena in 2005 for its perpetrator, Alexander Montagu, 13th Duke of Manchester. Perhaps this bogus allegation wouldn’t be nearly so bizarre, except for who it happened to involve-a distant cousin of Princess Diana, who, as it turns out (royal title aside)has a very long history of psychopathic behavior!
I had vaguely heard of the name Lord Alexander Montagu in connection with the 2005 trial. Many may recall him as the witness who went on MSNBC to proclaim that he had been “threatened” not to testify.
Jackson witness says he’s been threatened
Montagu claims caller has told him to stay away from trial
By Mike Taibbi
NBC Newsupdated 3/25/2005 12:02:32 PM ETEXCLUSIVELOS ANGELES — A member of the British aristocracy who has been subpoenaed to testify for the prosecution in the Michael Jackson child molestation case told NBC News’ Mike Taibbi that he has received threats telling him to stay away from the trial.
Lord Alex Montagu, who is listed in Burkes Peerage as Viscount Mandeville Baron Montagu Alexander Charles David Drogo Montagu and as the Duke of Manchester on his passport, spoke exclusively with NBC News, in violation of Judge Rodney Melville’s gag order, because he says he has received telephone threats.
According to Montagu, the caller told him “to leave the country and don’t come back until after the hearing.
“I’ve had the front of my house vandalized, I’ve had my car tires slashed,” Montagu said. He doesn’t know who’s responsible for the threats and vandalism.
Montagu has been subpoenaed to testify because of his and his son Alexander’s experiences with Michael Jackson at the singer’s Neverland Ranch in the late ’90s.
Melville is expected to rule on Monday whether testimony about prior accusations of molestation against the singer can be used in evidence in this trial. If Melville does allow such testimony, Montagu could be a very important witness for District Attorney Thomas Sneddon. According to NBC News, his testimony would complement other available stories about Jackson referring to wine as “Jesus juice” and about the singer and his friendships with young boys.
Montagu says Jackson met his son at a memorial service for Princess Diana, and then started calling the boy, frequently. He said the singer and his son became fast friends.
“[My son] was sworn to secrecy to Michael,” Montagu said. “I don’t really to any total degree know what happened. I asked my son, he didn’t tell me. And my son’s very fond of Michael but he’s got his secrets.”Montagu knows of nothing improper that Jackson did with his son during two visits to Neverland, but because of the gag order he wouldn’t give details about those visits.
Montagu said he decided to speak with NBC News because of his family’s fear, and the ordeal of just waiting.
“If I have to testify, [I ask] that it be done as soon as possible, because I just want to get this over and done with and get on with my life,” Montagu said.
And what does the Duke of Manchester think now of the King of Pop?
“If Mr. Jackson’s guilty of something he should be prosecuted,” Montagu said. “If he’s not guilty of something then he should be let go with an apology.”
In 2007, CNN even listed his “story” as among the “most intriguing details” that the jury never got to hear!
Diana’s cousin, the duke
Michael Jackson’s hide-and-seek games with the 5-year-old son of a duke did not come in when the judge denied testimony from Alexander Charles David Francis George Edward William Kimble Drogo Montagu, who also goes by Alexander Montagu Manchester — the 13th Duke of Manchester and cousin of Princess Diana. The duke claims that after a family visit to Neverland, Jackson would call his Newport Beach, Calif., home at all hours, crying and asking to see his “hide and seek” partner.http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/12/17/court.archive.jackson10/index.html
By the way, it is worth noting that although Montagu “claims” to be a second cousin to Princess Diana, his actual relationship, according to Pillsbury-Foster, is much more distant than that. Born and raised in Australia, he is actually a distant cousin several times removed, and at least according to this bizarre article, merely 56th in line to the throne (and also, it seems, quite willing to sell his title when in a pinch!):
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910923&slug=1307000
But I didn’t know much about Montagu personally, or the specific details of the story-cough “scheme” cough- he had concocted against Michael Jackson until I ran across this article from Melinda Pillsbury-Foster. Pillsbury-Foster, an author whose avid interest in psychopathy has led her to an extensive case study of Alexander Montagu and a book on the subject, published this article on her own blog and on the Freedom’s Phoenix website (links to both will be provided at end of the article). I was immediatly interested in Ms. Pillsbury-Foster’s account of Montagu’s scheme, for two reasons. First of all, she struck me as being someone who was not so much a fan of Michael Jackson, but rather, an objective journalist whose primary goal has been, as she put it, to get the truth out regarding this story and to help others to understand how psychopathic personalities operate. Secondly, as I was to learn later, much of the information contained here comes directly from Wendy Montagu herself, the second wife of Alexander and mother of Alex Montagu, Jr (the couple’s son who was unwittingly put into the middle of this scheme, despite the fact that Alex, Jr himself only has happy memories of the brief time that he spent in the company of Michael Jackson!). Wendy Montagu, who was herself often a victim of her husband’s manipulation and abuse (not the least being the fact that Alexander never revealed to her that he had been previously married and never divorced!) was not only a first-hand witness to her husband’s scheme, but helped undo his plans by refusing to support his story in 2005. With Wendy’s lack of cooperation, Montagu knew there was no way his story could hold up under close scrutiny, let alone cross examination!
After reading this article, I was so blown away and yet saddened and disgusted by this little-known story that I contacted Melinda Pillsbury-Foster immediatly and asked permission to reprint her article. I was surprised when my phone rang barely ten minutes after submitting the email! As it turned out, Ms. Pillsbury-Foster was thrilled to learn that someone else was as equally passionate as herself about getting this story “out there” so that more will know just how many lives have been affected by this person’s actions. Of course, my interest in Alexander Montagu stems solely from what he did-or attempted to do-to Michael Jackson. But for Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, it has been an even more personal battle-a battle to support a victimized friend. Through my phone conversations with Ms. Pillsbury-Foster, I was able to gain some insight into what life has been like for her friend Wendy Montagu and now 18-year-old Alex, Jr, both of whom have not only stood up for the truth in regards to the false allegations made against Michael Jackson by their ex husband and father, respectively, but have also paid a heavy price with the emotional, physical, and mental toll that psychopathy has exacted on their own lives. For those of you familiar with the Chandler case (and I’m assuming that is most of you who read this blog on a regular basis) you may find a lot of what Wendy and Alex, Jr have endured to be hauntingly familiar to that of June and Jordan Chandler, who likewise were in many ways victimized by Evan Chandler-the only difference being that young Alex, Jr refused to go along with his father’s scheme, and to this day has staunchly denied any wrongdoing on Michael Jackson’s part.
Without further ado, here is Melinda Pillsbury-Foster’s article in its entirety. Note: passages that are underlined are Melinda Pillsbury-Foster’s emphasis; boldfaced passages are my emphasis. The original article also contains quite a few embedded links, which are worth checking out for anyone seriously interested in following up on this story. I cannot embed them here, but will provide the actual links where appropriate.
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012
Michael Jackson – Stalked by a psychopath
Protecting the public from psychopaths.From movie stars to us ordinary folk, everyone is at risk from those without conscience.by Melinda Pillsbury-FosterMichael Jackson stood trial for a crime. He was found to be innocent, but the cost exacted on Jackson’s career and on him emotionally, financially, and physically, was enormous. Jackson was an unusual man, uniquely talented, whose art changed the world. He was victimized by those without conscience who saw his vulnerabilities and were determined to victimize him. As bad as it was, it could have been worse.You have heard about the Arvizo family. But another man Jackson trusted, and invited into his home, also lied without conscience. If the Duke of Manchester had had just a little more credibility Michael Jackson might not have avoided being unjustly convicted of a crime he did not commit.It is time all of us take steps to reduce the risk presented by psychopaths. We have the tools. We just need to use them.On one level, Alexander Montagu is a hereditary peer of the realm holding multiple titles, the highest being Duke of Manchester. On another, he is a man whose life has focused him on victimizing others.The Duke of Manchester, has been identified as, “having psychopathic tendencies,” since 1984, when Dr. Williamson of Pine Lodge Clinic, conveyed this opinion to Montagu’s solicitor, Mr. Voltan Varszenghy, who repeated this assessment to Judge Lisink, during a hearing held September 6, 1984, this appearing in the transcript from the hearing.Montagu had inherited the title of Viscount of Mandeville, given to the ducal heir in June, 1985 at the death of his uncle, the previous Duke. His father, Angus, had succeeded to the title, becoming the 12th Duke. Alex’s reaction was recorded in this article, published in Australia,June 5th, titled, “Mary and Alexander: It’s a title fight.”Two months later Alexander was standing in the dock, facing conviction on multiple criminal charges. The Age, an Australian paper, published this article, titled, “Duke’s jailed heir weeps in dock.” Included is a quote from Judge Byrne, who heard the case. The paper summarized Byrne’s remarks as, “Montagu’s pathetic state and gross personality disorder were largely responsible for his crimes, but he (the judge) said that the offenses had been,“carried out with a degree of cunning.” The direct quote is telling.The Manchester estates were even then were seriously depleted in status due to the excesses of previous holders.Splendour and Squalor, the book by Marcus Scriven, includes the shocking excesses of the 12th duke, barely touching on the 13th, Alex. This will most likely change as Scriven has not given up following the ducal antics and is very aware of the problems presented by psychopaths.In 1985 Alex had not yet developed a reliance on using his title to gain continuing access to credulous potential victims. His methods had been more direct.This changed. After being released from prison in Australia in 1985 Montagu began traveling, eventually ending up again arrested for lying upon entry to Canada in September, 1991, as reported by the Sun Journal from a release credited to AP. The article, titled,Diana’s Cousin Selling Title appeared September 21, 1991. His techniques began to focus on the use of his title.A spate of articles, published between 1986 and 1991 follow, all are shocking and filled with direct quotes from the Viscount. Then, a calm fell on his life. Although he had neglected to get a divorce from his first wife, Marion Stoner, Alex had, again, married.Unknown to the bride, the marriage was bigamous. Alex then faced a serious need to avoid deportation from the United States. He signed the marriage license as ‘never married,’ and failed to mention even Stoner’s name to Wendy Buford, who soon afterward gave birth to their son, Alexander, Jr., according to Buford Montagu.Over the next 15 years the couple was evicted 11 times, according to Wendy, each time because Alexander spent the money for rent or the mortgage elsewhere. Psychopaths court chaos because it keeps their victims off balance and under control.Wendy was never permitted to know anything about their finances. Asking if the rent was paid was pointless. Alexander would always lie, Wendy said.When evicted for non-payment of rent or mortgage, Alex focused anger on the landlord, routinely destroying the property. This has included pouring cement down the toilets. according to his present wife Laura. With Montagu the barrage of such behavior was constant and consistent, according to Wendy.Alexander’s mother, Lady Mary, evidently realizing the potential for a public relations disaster, carried the paperwork for the Stoner divorce in 1996, asking Alexander only to sign and return papers. This was accomplished and the divorce secured. However, Montagu and his mother, Lady Mary Montagu, still failed to mention the issue to the wife and daughter-in-law who was enduring continual chaos, trying to do the right thing in her lights.Alex did not legitimize their union even though another child was born in 1999.This was the status quo when Diana, Princess of Wales, died in 1997. As people around the world reeled in disbelief, many looked for the opportunity to say ‘goodby’ to a woman who had touched them deeply.Michael Jackson was, also, an ardent admirer of Princess Diana. Jackson was moved to pay his respects to Britain’s Princess but was unwelcome in London. Instead, he attended the private memorial service taking place in Los Angeles, September 13, 1997, at St. James Episcopal Church as a guest of the Manchesters, returing with them to their hotel afterward for refreshments.An AP photo of the group leaving the service appears here:The woman at the right ofJackson is Wendy Buford Montagu. Once at the hotel, Jackson made the acquaintance of Alexander, Jr.. Charming movies were taken of the 4 year old lad playing hide-and-go-seek with the megastar, oblivious to the identity of his new friend, but delighted to find someone willing to take time to play.Jackson invited the family to Neverland on Martin Luther King Day in 1998, where young Alex again delighted in spending time with his mother and her friend and child, with Jackson on the rides at Neverland.While young Alex never saw Jackson again, according to both him and his mother, Wendy Buford Montagu, these moments remained very much alive for him, bright points in a life otherwise often frightening because of his manipulative father.Jackson had settled a law suit filed for sexual abuse by Jordan Chandler and his parents on January 25, 1994 for $15331250. This occurred three years before Alexander, Duke of Manchester, asked Jackson back to his hotel and introduced him to his young son.FROM THE WIKI: On July 2, 1993, in a private telephone conversation, Chandler was tape-recorded as saying,There was no reason why he (Jackson) had to stop calling me … I picked the nastiest son of a bitch I could find [Evan Chandler’s lawyer, Barry Rothman], all he wants to do is get this out in the public as fast as he can, as big as he can and humiliate as many people as he can. He’s nasty, he’s mean, he’s smart and he’s hungry for publicity. Everything’s going to a certain plan that isn’t just mine. Once I make that phone call, this guy is going to destroy everybody in sight in any devious, nasty, cruel way that he can do it. I’ve given him full authority to do that. Jackson is an evil guy, he is worse than that and I have the evidence to prove it. If I go through with this, I win big-time. There’s no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever … Michael’s career will be over.[14]
—Evan Chandler”
In the same recording Chandler dismisses all concern for his son.
In 2003 Jackson was, again, targeted, and again it appears financial gain might have been the motivating factor. Before filing a criminal complaint the potential litigant contacted Barry Rothman, the attorney who had handled the 1993 case, according to this article onWikipedia. Although people who had signed into the register at the Jackson estate in Santa Ynez had been contacted, no credible victims of possible sexual assault were eventually included with the case of Gavin Arvizo.People v. Jackson was a media circus, costing tax-payers millions. Jackson was found innocent after exhaustive efforts by Los Angeles DA Tom Sneddon.As a Jackson trial became likely, news of the previous multi-million dollar settlement rippled through the media.The subject was discussed by Wendy Montagu and her husband, the Duke. During this time Wendy received a call from Montagu telling her he had been subpoenaed. Wendy was unaware Alexander had provided a Declaration for the court. The Declaration was entered into the court record on April 20th, 2005.Alexander Montagu’s Declaration:According to Wendy Montagu, and her son, Alexander, Jr., now an adult, the declaration is a fabric of lies with only the faintest relationship to the truth.Wendy stated, for publication, to her knowledge her husband had never met Jackson before the morning of the Princess Diana Memorial on September 13, 1997. She recalls the introduction took place through a quasi-business acquaintance of Montagu’s who owned a car refurbishing business in Beverly Hills. Montagu, an obsessive name-dropper, according to Wendy, occasionally mentioned having met Janet Jackson, never Michael.The agreement with Jackson was for him to attend the service as their guest and then accompany them to their hotel to meet their son. Room service was ordered for a simple snack. Jackson played hide-and-Seek with then four year old Alex. Wendy said she was sure Jackson was there less than two hours, not the twelve hours mentioned in the Declaration.Afterward, Michael called young Alex a few times and spoke briefly to him. There were less than five phone calls, as Wendy recalls. Jackson allowed young Alex and his father to spend the night at Neverland, in his absence on December 31, 1997. Father and son occupied a guest house with twin beds, never seeing Jackson.Wendy, a friend, and their two children, along with Alex, the Duke, spent the day at Neverland on Martin Luther King Day in February, 1998. Jackson joined them later in the day, allowing filming of the inside of his home and himself as he, young Alex, and the rest of the party, enjoyed the rides at Neverland. Wendy said she sensed Jackson felt uncomfortable with this unexpected invasion of his private space.Although they never saw Michael again Alex attempted to arrange the sale of a plane to the star, for which he hoped to get a commission.Wendy Montagu found out about Alex’s involvement and the Declaration when she began receiving calls from her friends on March 25th, telling her about Alex’s interview on MSNBC. She was stunned to hear her husband’s claims their home and car had been vandalized. Nothing of the kind had taken place.Not only did Alex fail to mention it at the time, he and Wendy had carried on occasional chats about the pleasant time they had enjoyed with Jackson. The only sour note Wendy remembered was the non-purchase by Jackson of the plane, on which Alex hoped to make a commission.Alex may have finally understood he would not be one of a larger number of complaining parties. His testimony would not stand up under scrutiny because Wendy, and the family friend who had also visited Neverland, would contradict his statements in every instance. It is impossible to know what was going through his mind at having made such an outrageous charge.But this is not atypical of psychopaths. Psychopaths lie. Less intelligent ones, like the Duke, fail to think out the consequences, being used to carrying off lies by using threats, character assassination, and bluffing.Psychopaths change the story without reference to reality.In 2006 the Duke, never legally married to Wendy, attempted to force her to pay alimony and child support through a plan which included a perjured account of violence against himself and nine months of stalled attempts to keep the children from seeing their mother. Ultimately, the court awarded physical custody to Wendy. The Duke left the area, abandoning the children and never paying support.Two years later he informed the Trust, who had been paying support, his children were illegitimate. On July 19, 2011, the Trusts managed to reverse the restriction on providing support to the abandoned children. Telegraph July 20, 2011, Duke of Manchester’s illegitmate children have claim to estate, judge rulesPsychopaths are a danger to everyone of us. They use the system for their own ends. There are no limits to their lies or to their desire to either use, or destroy, those around them, costing us in countless ways, they work to kill our trust in each other because in the resulting chaos they are find power and so benefit.Young Alex has survived. Michael Jackson is dead. It is impossible to assess the impact Alexander Montagu had, individually, on Jackson’s health and well being. We will never know. The predator does not always bring down its prey. But we should remember and be warned.As humanity moves toward understanding the impact psychopathy has had on every part of our world we face a multitude of choices, together and as individuals. A young man, Alexander Montagu, Jr., chooses to remember wonderful moments spent with a world-famous icon, a kind and aware man who could participate in the small delights of childhood. Young Alex did not know Michael Jackson was a global icon. He knew him as a friend who listened and cared. Alex Jr., now 18, is narrating the videos of himself and Jackson so you, too, can see a side of Jackson captured in time.“Always find the good and hold on to it. Good is more powerful than evil, bringing with it the power to heal the deepest wounds.”- Moments of Happiness, My Time with Michael Jackson narrated by Alex Montagu, Jr.http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Article/110302-2012-04-22-michael-jackson-stalked-by-a-psychopath.htm
Yesterday I spoke with Pillsbury-Foster again, as there were some points in her article that I wished to further clarify. One big question I had was why Wendy Montagu had said that Michael wasn’t “welcomed” in London at Princess Diana’s memorial. This was, after all, the opportunity that presented Alexander Montagu the open crack he needed to get a foothold into Michael’s life, by inviting him to the Los Angeles memorial as the Montagus’ guest.
Alexander Montagu Manchester had known Michael Jackson since the 1980′s. He resides in Newport Beach, California and supplements his income by arranging sales and leases of excutive jet aircraft. He had been asked by defendent to arrange the purchase of an executive jet.Defendent called Mr. Manchester after the death of Mr. Manchester’s cousin Princess Diana. Defendent asked if he could attend Diana’s funeral in England. Mr. Manchester told defendent he could not attend the funeral but invited him to attend the memorial service for Princess Diana in Los Angeles in September 1997. Michael Jackson visited Mr. Manchester, his wife, and son in a hotel in Los Angeles for 12 hours. During that time he played “hide and seek” with Manchester’s five-year-old son, Alex.
Now, as to whether Montagu actually had a conscious plan in place at the time, or if he was simply motivated in hindsight years later due to the publicity generated by the Arvizo trial, is hard to say. Montagu certainly, however, would have been well aware of the Chandler settlement that had taken place only three years before. In any event, it’s interesting that he went out of his way to not only ensure Michael spent time with his son, but that every moment of that time was diligently recorded, including their hide and seek game and their day spent on the rides at Neverland. Remember Wendy’s statement in Pillsbury-Foster’s article-which I highlighted-about how “uncomfortable” Michael seemed to her about having his “privacy invaded” in this manner? Sure, he went along with it because he was gracious enough to not be rude (and besides, a parent wanting a videotape of their child’s day at Neverland probably did not seem like an unusually odd request, at least not enough so to make a huge stink of it). Still, he may have been sensing a rat. Contrary to popular opinion, Michael did not continue to just willy-nilly exhibit the same vulnerable behavior that had gotten him into trouble with the Chandler situation. As has been confirmed by Frank Cascio and several others who knew him, Michael was much more alert to potential compromising situations and dangerous people after 1993, but nevertheless, his huge heart and generosity still got the better of him. But my guess here is that he was already having second thoughts about Montagu’s intentions.
- Also, the 12 hours mentioned in the declaration was a blatant exaggeration, according to Wendy, who as mentioned in the article, stated that Michael’s visit with them at the hotel was, at most, two hours.
It does not appear Alex, then Viscount Mandeville, was involved in any charitable work. He seems to have attended as the date of Lia Belli and not because he was involved in any substantial way with the event, which took place April 8, 1988, not 1984, as stated by Laura Montagu.Four years can make an enormous difference in any life.On April 8, 1984 Alex had been married to former Marion Stoner for around three weeks. He was living with her in Australia. Multiple legal filings document his location and activities for the year of 1984.March 17, 1984 – Marion and Alex are married from her mother’s home, the wedding taking place in their garden.Marion Stoner was a model, aged 32, when in November of 1983, she met Alexander Montagu.Stoner had been in a relationship and had two children, but never married.Due to violence and abuse by Alexander Marion Montagu left Alexander on May 21, 1984 and filed for legal separation.
In closing, what lessons can we learn from the fabrications of Alexander Montagu and other so-called “phantom” accusers of Michael Jackson? The reason it is so vitally important to shed light on these cases is because, whether we like it or not, once these stories have been made public (regardless of how truthful) they are “out there,” no doubt to be picked up by present and future doubters, haters, cynics, or even just curious but neutral researchers who happen to stumble across them. Alexander Montagu’s “story” and the details of his 2005 declaration-for better or worse-are out there to further muddy the waters and cloud the minds of everyone who is already prone to believe the worst about Michael Jackson. The sheer number of such stories is what gives credence to those who stubbornly insist on the adage, “Where there’s smoke, there must be fire.” If one person can have THIS many stories circulating about his suspicious behavior with young boys, doesn’t it stand to reason that there must, then, be some truth to the stories? At least some of them?
I sincerely hope that one day soon we will be privileged to see those videos. But even if that never comes to pass, that is not really what’s important here. Those are, after all, private memories. What is important is that Michael managed to sincerely touch this young man’s life. What’s more, it is a reminder that beautiful things can nevertheless come out of even the most ugly and sordid circumstances.
UPDATE: The video footage, as it turns out, had already been leaked over a year ago (see comments below). Since the footage has already been made available on Youtube, I will go ahead and post it here for those who wish to see it.
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCdz2wGxh7w[/tube]
Very interesting, Raven. Thank you for this. Stunning what Michael had to deal with and the sickos who lined up to harm him. Have to digest this a bit.
Thanks, Lauren. I just think it’s very important to let people know how often Michael was targeted and set up in this way. During the trial, especially, there were all these crazy stories coming out left and right, and people didn’t know what to believe or what not to believe. And, of course, we always got only the prosecution side of the case-and only the most salacious stories. No one seemed to care if they were even true or not.
I never doubted Michael!!! I pray that soon these MONSTERS PAY!!!!
“Boy, talk about that old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” One has to ask, why was none of this even mentioned in Montagu’s court declaration, which in 2005 would have been well after the fact? ”
I believe it’s because the Thornson story involved his father not him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_Montagu,_12th_Duke_of_Manchester
Ah, that may explain it! In a way, though, it still reveals a lot about the nature of this family and the company they keep.
Well, I will allow the correction to stand here for now because I really cannot go back in at this time and add or delete anything else from this post. I have been doing that all evening, and every time I go back in to make an edit it completely messes the format up! Articles that feature excessive multiple links, in addition to multi-media, seem to be especially problematic when I have to do too many edits. I have finally said enough is enough for now, lol. Any further additions or corrections will have to be made here in the comments section.
Speaking of which, it looks like the hyperlinks in Pillsbury-Foster’s article ARE working, after all. I didn’t think they would-sometimes with cut and pasted articles, they do not- which is why I included the actual links. But I am leaving everything as is for now, as I don’t want to risk screwing up the format yet again. At least not tonight, lol.
Her blog is very interesting. The guy is on trial next month. Some people will never change.
Her Jackson tape story is very telling.
Hi Raven;
That is so disturbing on so many levels. I’m thinking that after Michael’s acquittal, there were probably a good many mentally disturbed people who likely would have threatened him and wanted him dead as well as his family and probably it continues today, although they don’t publicize it. I always have concerns for his children, as I believe these false allegations are always going to be shadowing his children, and you never know what deranged mind might decide to do. It seems if a story is in the media, in particular a well-known celebrity, it attracts unhealthy minds to attach themselves to the story in any way possible. Raven, I would imagine you have heard about the Diane Dimond piece she just wrote comparing Michael to Sandusky. She is so despicable, she makes my blood boil. He’s been gone 3 years and she will not let up. His children will constantly have to be confronted with this hate – I just find it so horrendous and upsetting. I truly think she wants to hurt his children – I really do. Why else is she doing this? Oh, I know she wants to get attention to the piece and she knows anything MJ will attract eyeballs. But really, at what cost. Besides continually assassinating Michael’s name, she has to know his children are going to read this stuff. She can’t possibly believe her own lies – I mean she’s not stupid – and anyone who followed the trial can see how Michael was set up by those scammers. She knows what she is doing and she wants to hurt as many people as possible and I really think she wants to particularly hurt Prince, Paris and Blanket. Would she say what she wrote to their faces? I don’t know – she may very well want to, so she does the next best thing.
One more thing, and I apologize for getting a little off your topic, if anything compares to Sandusky, it’s the Catholic priests – with multiple boys being molested and the Church knowing and covering it up. I am Catholic and I find it disgusting how they protected the priests and moved them from parish to parish, where the abuse continued. It is so obvious that Michael was 100% innocent and how he suffered because those lies. I know that Maureen Orth is Catholic and I always thought perhaps that was one reason why she went after Michael – a lot of projection on to Michael instead of the priests – I never saw her say or write anything at all about the priests. Diane Dimond is just a hateful, mean person and I don’t know what her faith is – she may be Catholic too. Whatever she is, she has no soul – to continuously go after a man who was proved innocent, who has been gone 3 years, and who has family and friends who are heartsick everytime she tries to re-write Michael’s history. There needs to be a law to protect the innocent deceased from this slander.
@Susan, regarding Diane Dimond, after posting comments on nearly every article from her over the past several years, I have concluded that paying as little attention to her as possible will serve the greatest good. Her current article at the Creators’ site received only two (2) comments for a good stretch of time until Michael’s supporters weighed in close to 90 common sense refutations of her heinous comments. I have come to conclude that this witch will never ever admit her mistakes and she will continue attaching Michael’s name to every fabricated (or factual)case of pedofilia that comes to her attention. Best to ignore her (to the extent possible) and put our efforts into continuing Michael’s humanitarian legacy.
Raven, thank you for the continued positive energy you give us all with your enlightening posts.
Hi June;
You know I do agree with what you are saying regarding Dimond. I think she does feed off the attention we give her, but I sort of had to vent as she is so vile and she absolutely refuses to engage in a civilized conversation where Michael is concerned. She blocks anyone who provides evidence of Michael’s innocence, which just proves what her intentions are. I am concerned for Michael’s children constantly having to hear these lies and also people thinking that she is an “MJ expert”. I am going to try harder to ignore her as she is definitely not worth it – I just wish she would give it up – she is toxic.
Raven, again I am sorry for this, you do such terrific work, thank you!
Raven thank you for your research on the story behind this scam.
Its good for people like Melinda Pilsbury who have inside information and whatever her motives, bring it in the open. Wish she had done so when Michael was alive .
I will read the article again.I have some questions that may have been answered in the article that I missed.
I always wondered what the footage of the hide and seek game was about and immediately thought there was something forced about it and that Michael looked very uncomfortable. The woman sitting by the table watching Michael entertain her son while he had his own children to take care of. Like he was led into doing something he didnt want and they try to make it look sinister.
Knowing the story behind this footage its mindboggling how easy it was to get near Michael even for a diagnosed psychopath. Why werent people screened by his security after what happened in 1993.
Sometimes I get angry at Michael for being so trusting of people he slightly knew, even after the Chandler drama, making himself such an easy target.
I read somewhere that he could not handle confronting people and would rather go against his gut feelings. Especially when children were involved.
What hurts is that he was not welcome in London. Even if the story was fabricated, the fact that he didnt get an invitation for the funeral and had to ask for one while Elton John was invited to perform is quite sad.
Also disturbing is that many of Michaels detractors knew each other what imo makes the conspiracy theory not so far fetched.
So many questions go through my mind reading this umpteenth extortion attempt. What it shows is that Michael was not meant for this world. There was no way he could have survived the evil.
Sina
Quick question: Where did you happen to see this footage? I was under the impression it had not been released.
As stated, Wendy Montagu observed that Michael seemed to feel very uncomfortable, as if his personal space was being invaded. Of course, Michael seemed to enjoy making home movies; hence, all of the footage we got for Private Home Movies and the Cascio’s home movies, etc. But these were all people he had known a lot longer-and a lot more intimately-than the Montagus.
Raven here is the footage of the hide and seek in a hotel and at Neverland .Michael is even filmed in his private room.
Oh ok! I wrote my previous reply before I saw this. Thanks!
It looks as though either Wendy or Alex must have already posted these on YT. If I had known that, I would have posted them in the article, but like I said, I was under the impression these had never been released. Perhaps I will still add it, although I am a little leery about making new edits after having had so many problems with the format yesterday evening.
It will still be very interesting to hear Alex’s narrated version which he is said to be working on.
The footage has been out for quite some time,I saw it at least a year ago.
It will be interesting to hear Alexs narration. But to be honest I have my doubts if one can recollect something that happened at the age of 3 that well to give an authentic narration of it.
I dont like the intrusivenes of the camera following Michael in his private rooms and with what we know now, imo this footage should not even have been out in public.
Dimond never changed her abject stance about Michael and never will. She is so predictable its pathetic.
But I think we shouldnt give her importance. Its actually the fans who take the time to comment on het blog. No one else does.
Sometimes silence has more impact.
@Susan and June
That latest article from Diane Dimond frankly just made me so tired that my bones ached. I don’t know any other way to describe it. In the past, it had seemed she was starting to at least make an APPEARANCE of being more objective when discussing the Jackson allegations (when Diane Dimond can at least acknowledge that she doesn’t KNOW if Michael was guilty or not, that is a big step up for her!). But with this latest, she seems to have gone right back to sqaure one. I suppose the temptation to her of having an excuse to mention Michael and Sandusky in the same breath was just too much to resist.
I was willing to give Sandusky the benefit of the doubt, but with everything that has come out with his victims’ testimonies and his conviction, it is pretty obvious that there is really only a very flimsy basis of comparison with the two cases, and that is the simple fact that both men are public figures. That is where it begins and ends.
Diane Dimond is not interested in the facts of the Michael Jackson cases. How much effort has been expended through the years, of sending her information, documents, links, book recommendations, etc., etc., all of which she has, and continues, to ignore? Of course she is not interested in these facts; she is best buds with Sneddon and Ron Zonene, what need does she feel she has to read court transcripts or anything else?
She has been known for blocking fans from her Facebook page and from making comments on her articles. Why? Because she doesn’t want to hear the truth, and is threatened by the idea that others might investigate the information that is being provided-and realize what a liar she is! (Actually, I would be embarrassed, too! I would be very embarrassed!).
When I saw this latest from her, I really just threw up my hands. I don’t know what more that can be done. I am happy that people are continuing to comment on that article and to post information and links where readers can go to learn the actual facts. It is no longer about her, because we can’t flog this sturrborn dead horse anymore than we already have. Where we have to focus our efforts now are on those for whom there is still hope.
Wow what great investigative reporting! The posts you come up with are always so interesting and creative and quite indepth. I know Michael would have loved you for doing all that you have done. You know, I too had seen those videos quite some time ago. Probably at least a year ago, in just searching for video of Michael. I had no idea the story behind the videos. I too felt that Michael looked uncomfortable. I can’t tell if it was just shyness and feeling uncomfortable being filmed or just sheer discomfort. As for Diane Dimond, she just manipulates all the testimony in Michael’s trial for what she hopes will grab her ratings. She obviously wasn’t listening to the testimony when she attended court! I too gave Sandusky the benefit of the doubt at first, but the testimony was so damaging I had to come to the same conclusion as the jury. Because of what happened to Michael, I don’t believe most of what is reported on the news. I do my own research on stories I want more detailed information on. Thanks for all you do. I know that it is a lot of work, but we appreciate it!!!
From what I understand, Alexander, Sr. was the one doing the filming, and this looks to be the case since the Neverland shots show Alex, Jr and Wendy, but not Alexander. I can’t help but wonder about the motivation of some of the shots he got. Perhaps he was just curious and a bit starstruck at being inside Michael Jackson’s house, but why the necessity, for example, of the shot of the messy bathroom? To me, that smacks of the same sort of invasion that we saw in Conrad Murray’s documentary, and obviously the intent there was to paint Michael in a bad light-Oh, look at the state of this bathroom, etc!
It’s small wonder that Michael was feeling uncomfortable.
Just want to thank you for this post. It is very, very interesting and important. I wonder what more disturbing cases you will be looking at. There seemed to have been an ocean of scams around Michael, which needs to be known to the world.
I’ll try to look at as many as I can. I am sure there are still many that I don’t even know about, that are waiting to be uncovered. This one was interesting to me simply because it’s a case I don’t think too many fans are aware of, unless they have done a lot of in-depth research on the 2005 trial and the potential witnesses that Sneddon wanted to call forth. The fact that this even went so far as a court declaration and subpoenae is very scary.
I started the site, thedukeanddoxieofmanchester.info, for several reasons. Their behavior was outrageous toward myself and Raye Allan, who had also helped them, making loans when they did not have money to eat. But when I began talking to Wendy these issues paled.
What Wendy and the two children of her marriage to Montagu went through is unthinkable. As she and I talked I realized Alex was a psychopath. Soon after this I found the court transcript from Australia which provides the comment from Dr. Williamson which confirms this impression. That transcript dates from 1984.
Psychopathy is an enormous problem. How to awaken people to the danger which can destroy them from people without conscience resulted in the Duke and Doxie site. The two principles employed are accountability and transparency. We provide the documentation so people can see the truth.
Our other site relevant to this subject is now in the final stages of development. That will be psychobusters.com.
I first met the Duke and Laura last August 25th, by phone. I’ve never seen them in person. They contacted me to write a book, a biography for Alex. He represented himself as an intimate of Michael Jackson, who he then vilified as having been sexually inappropriate with his young son. Alex also told me Michael had him roughed up to keep him from testifying. I was, naturally, shocked.
I never saw the videos until viewing them online, where they were evidently published at least two years ago.
While working with the Montagus I had been asked to write the promotional material for the sale of videos, which included the footage which has, evidently, been online for over two years. He told me the video was unpublished. The duke expected to obtain millions of dollars from the sale of rights to the videos and may have, after we were no longer working together, have sold those rights to an unwitting party.
Provenance for these videos, along with actual ownership, is complicated by the Duke’s criminal behavior toward his former wife, Wendy.
I believe the videos are actually the property of his former wife, Wendy Buford Montagu, who received them, along with other videos of her children, including those of their births, as her only anniversary gift from Alex in 2003.
Alex stole all of Wendy’s property,including all existing copies of the videos, during their divorce.
In 2009 Montagu admitted he had never been married to Wendy, having fraudulently entered into marriage knowing, full well, he was still married to his first wife, Marion Stoner, who he married in 1984. His intention in informing the Manchester Trustees of his bigamy was to leave his children without support, and for two years they received nothing from him or the trusts.
The Trustees litigated on this issue and support for the children was restored last year.
Only Alex had access to the videos so if they are up online now he either put them up or allowed someone else to do so.
This makes his representations, for the purpose of sale, very problematical. I’m not an attorney, but his list of lies increases daily.
He will be facing pretrial on July 18th in Las Vegas – but he has yet to face any substantial justice.
Thanks for clarifying that, Melinda. And also for all your hard work and dedication in exposing the truth.