Jay Leno Testifies To Suspicions About Jackson’s Accuser
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SANTA MARIA, Calif. – After cracking Michael Jackson jokes for months, Jay Leno played it straight for the most part yesterday at the pop star’s child molestation trial, testifying that the boy at the center of the case sounded scripted over the telephone but never asked for money.
The defense called the “Tonight Show” comic to the stand to support its claim that the boy’s family schemed to get money from celebrities like Mr. Jackson. The boy was suffering from cancer when he telephoned Mr. Leno.
Initially serious and understated on the witness stand, Mr. Leno warmed up during his testimony, occasionally smiling, and finished with a lighthearted promo: “We have Renee Zellweger on the show tonight.”
Mr. Leno made a few other wisecracks that made members of the jury laugh.
“I’m not Batman,” he joked as he explained why he thought it odd that a boy would be calling a comedian in his mid-50s to tell him he was the youngster’s hero. Mr. Leno – who on Monday night’s show joked that a heat wave had him “sweating like a Cub Scout” at Mr. Jackson’s Neverland Ranch – said that he grew suspicious when he began receiving repeated voice mail messages from the boy in 2000.
Mr. Leno said the boy left so many messages that he finally approached comedian Louise Palanker, a friend who had become acquainted with the boy.
“I said, ‘What’s the story here? This doesn’t sound like a 12-year-old. This seems a little scripted,'” Mr. Leno testified. He said Ms. Palanker told him the boy wanted to be a comedian and writes out everything he says.
Mr. Leno testified he makes many calls to ill children, and at one point did an imitation of the mumbly way children usually speak to him – not the kind of forceful, adult presentation he said he heard from Mr. Jackson’s accuser. But Mr. Leno said the boy never asked for money and he never gave him any, though he did send “Tonight Show” memorabilia and a picture.
The defense has said Mr. Leno was so concerned about the boy’s calls that he called police, but Mr. Leno said yesterday it was police who contacted him. He said he probably did tell police he believed the family was looking for money.
