The fallout for Martin Bashir continues as the family of Michael Jackson threatens a lawsuit against the former BBC journalist, claiming that he “manipulated footage and [practiced] unethical journalism” in his 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson. According to TMZ, Jackson’s nephew, Taj, and brother, Tito, are considering legal action according to Jackson’s former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes.
“Bashir’s manipulated footage and unethically journalism is one of the main reasons my uncle Michael is not here today,” Taj claimed on Twitter. “That 2005 trial broke him. Shame on those who provided cover for Bashir. Shame on those who rewarded him. My family deserves an investigation & apology too.”
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Bashir recently issued an apology for his interview with Princess Diana, although he did defend himself against some of the allegations leveled against him. Bashir said in an interview with The Sunday Times that he was “deeply sorry” and “never wanted to harm” the late princess. “I never wanted to harm Diana in any way and I don’t believe we did,” he claimed in the interview. “Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents… My family and I loved her.”
Regarding Princess Diana’s family, Bashir said “I can’t imagine what their family must feel each day.” However, he did deny using falsified documents that lead Diana to think that she was being bugged by the secret services. “Even in the early 1990s, there were stories and secretly recorded phone calls. I wasn’t the source of any of that,” he said. “I don’t feel I can be held responsible for many of the other things that were going on in her life, and the complex issues surrounding those decisions.” Bashir had previously told the BBC that the fake bank documents “had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview” and referred to a handwritten note from Princess Diana in the investigation. “Martin Bashir did not show me any documents, nor give me any information that I was not previously aware of,” the note reads. Bashir said he is still “immensely proud” of the interview, but still admits that there was a “serious error” in how it affected Diana’s life. “I hope that people will allow me the opportunity to show that I am properly repentant of what happened,” Bashir concluded.
In his controversial interview with Michael Jackson, Bashir specifically focused on the “Beat It” singer’s relationships with young boys and the sexual assault allegations made against him. When Bashir asked about the fact that 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo was sleeping in Jackson’s bed, Jackson replied, “Why can’t you share your bed? That’s the most loving thing to do, to share your bed with someone.”
