Jacko 'enjoys sharing bed'

Feb 4 2003 By Anita Singh, The Journal

Pop oddball Michael Jackson has revealed he still invites young children into his bed despite the child-sex allegations which nearly destroyed him.

The singer has formed a close friendship with a 12-year-old boy who regularly stays over at his Neverland mansion.

And Jackson, 44, said there was nothing strange about the arrangement, claiming: "It's very loving. What's wrong with sharing a love?"

The disturbing admissions were made in an interview with Martin Bashir screened last night on ITV1.

Elsewhere the star made a series of extraordinary revelations about his life, his appearance and his three children - son Prince Michael I, five, daughter Paris, four, and his new baby boy. Jackson revealed for the first time how the baby - whom he calls Blanket - was conceived by a surrogate mother he has never met.

He claimed the mother of his first two children, his former nurse Debbie Rowe, had given them to him "as a present". He told how he snatched Paris from hospital seconds after her birth and fled. He insisted there was nothing wrong with dangling "Blanket" over a balcony, claiming the baby had enjoyed it.

And he vehemently denied his face had been remoulded through plastic surgery - claiming he has undergone only two operations on his nose "to help me hit higher notes".

Bashir spent eight months with the singer to make the ITV1 documentary Living With Michael Jackson.

The journalist, who previously interviewed Princess Diana and Michael Barrymore, said he was "astonished" to discover Jackson still enjoyed close relationships with young boys.

Once the undisputed King of Pop, Jackson's reputation has never recovered from the scandal which shocked the world in 1994. He was accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordy Chandler and paid his parents £18m to drop a civil case against him, although he has always denied the accusations.

His new friend is a 12-year-old called Gavin, who was suffering from cancer when he met Jackson and believes his relationship has helped cure him.

Jackson claimed he always slept on the floor when Gavin was there. Asked if they ever shared a bed, he replied: "No. But I have slept in a bed with many children."

They include former child actor Macauley Culkin.

The star said it was always the children's choice to sleep in his bedroom and he was happy to oblige.

He said: "It's not sexual. We're going to sleep. I tuck them in and I put a little music on and when it's story time I read a book. I give them hot milk and cookies. It's very charming and very sweet."

When told many people would think it inappropriate for a 44-year-old man to share a bed with a young boy, Jackson dismissed them as "ignorant" and "wacky".

"Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone," he said.

Jackson also claimed he would be happy for his own children to share a bed with his male friends - naming Bee Gee Barry Gibb as an example.

He became visibly upset when asked about the Chandler case and said he had only paid the family off to avoid "a long, drawn-out thing on TV like OJ".

The self-styled Peter Pan said children were his inspiration.

"If there were no children on this earth, if someone announced all kids were dead, I would jump off the balcony immediately," he said.