No more boys in Jackson's bed, says lawyer

Superstar Michael Jackson will no longer open himself up to child abuse allegations by sharing his bed with young boys, his lawyer said tonight.

“He’s not going to do that any more,” Tom Mesereau told US network NBC.

“He’s not going to make himself vulnerable to this any more.” Jackson has remained silent at his Neverland ranch since being dramatically cleared of all 10 counts relating to the alleged abuse of 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.

While his website compared the acquittal to historic events such as the fall of the Berlin wall and Nelson Mandela walking out of prison a free man, the singer himself was said to be bedridden, exhausted from the ordeal.

“He’s going to take it one day at a time. It’s been a terrible, terrible process for him,” Mr Mesereau said.

He said Jackson intended to spend time with his family as he tried to recover.

“He is very relieved and he also is very exhausted,” he added. “He feels wonderful about his family not having to undergo more of this.

“But it will be a period of recovery for him. Physically, he deteriorated, he wasn’t sleeping, he wasn’t eating well. It was a terrible ordeal for him.”

After the verdict was read out at Santa Maria court, California, Jackson and his family immediately returned to his Neverland ranch, followed by hundreds of euphoric fans.

“We basically had a very relaxed time. We said some prayers, it was a very light, nice gathering,” Mr Mesereau told ABC News.

“It was not overly jubilant, it was not artificial, it was a real gathering of family members all of whom are grateful to God for the result.”

As dawn broke, fans gradually began to return to the ranch, all planning to carry on the party and hoping for a glimpse of their idol.

Jackson’s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, who testified for the prosecution, said she was “overjoyed” at his acquittal.

“Debbie is overjoyed that the justice system really works, regardless of which side called her to testify at the trial,” her lawyer said in a statement.

Pundits soon began to speculate about Jackson’s future and whether he is capable of reviving his career. His image took a severe battering in the courtroom, despite being cleared, and his financial woes are only just beginning, according to some.

The singer was branded a serial child molester who used his Peter Pan image to lure young boys into Neverland, which was portrayed as a predator’s lair, filled with alcohol and pornography.

Jurors revealed they had not ruled out that Jackson had abused boys in the past but said there was just not enough evidence relating to Arvizo’s case.

Raymond Hultman, 62, told CNN: “I feel that Michael Jackson probably has molested boys.

“I cannot believe that ... this man could sleep in the same bedroom for 365 straight days and not do something more than just watch television and eat popcorn.

“I mean, that doesn’t make sense to me.

“But that doesn’t make him guilty of the charges that were presented in this case and that’s where we had to make our decision.”

Commentators had mixed opinions about whether Jackson, who has sold more than 300 million albums, was capable of bouncing back.

Publicist Max Clifford said: “Let’s face it, he has not had a lot of success in recent years. It certainly gives him a platform, provided he is capable of producing the music that people really like.

“But I would still say that the last few months have been very damaging for Michael Jackson, even though he has been found innocent.”

Antonio Reid, chairman of Island Def Jam records, claimed Jackson could still have success.

“I would say that he has to just make great music and concentrate on nothing else but making great music and making great live performances,” he said.

Mr Mesereau described the Thriller star as a “kind-hearted, child-like person.”

He said he was confident Jackson had an unlimited future and would go on to do very well, but acknowledged that the trial had hit him hard.

“He lost a lot of weight, he could not sleep, we would talk sometimes at three in the morning, four in the morning,” he said.

The case was triggered by the 2003 broadcast of British journalist Martin Bashir’s bombshell documentary, Living With Michael Jackson, in which the singer admitted sharing his bedroom with young boys.

Bashir could now face a multi-million pound lawsuit from Jackson, who was incensed by the film and said he felt “utterly betrayed” by the journalist.

The Jackson camp began legal moves almost immediately after the film was shown but a High Court action was shelved when Jackson was arrested in November 2003. His acquittal now paves the way for the legal campaign against Bashir to be stepped up.