Michael Jackson may have been acquitted of child molestation charges, but Radar has uncovered evidence that the singer is guilty… of being a bad brother. Jermaine Jackson was a frequent fixture at his younger sibling’s trial, acting as the gloved one’s unofficial spokesman, and even introducing him to Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Bahrainian prince who’s been sheltering the pop pariah for the last two months.
But it wasn’t always so. In fact, there was a time when Michael wouldn’t even return Jermaine’s calls. In this eerily one-way correspondence from the early nineties, recovered from a New Jersey warehouse filled with Jackson family documents and memorabilia, Jermaine begs Michael to participate in a “Jackson Family Honors” charity event for Berry Gordy, the legendary producer who signed the Jackson 5 in 1968. The following is the first installment in an ocasional series spotlighting artifacts from the Jackson family archive:
•••
Michael,
I really need you to present the lifetime achievement award to Berry Gordy for what he has done for us from the very beginning…. Please help us out just this one day; call me back in Gstadd [sic].*
Love,
Jermaine
•••
Michael,
Please give me a call at (818) 788-XXXX. I really need to talk to you not only about the letter but also about our relationship. I’m your brother and I miss you a lot.
Love always,
Jermaine
•••
Michael,
Give me a call at (818) 788-XXXX. I really need to talk to you. As a brother, I have a lot of things to tell you. I miss you a lot.
Love always,
Jermaine
•••
Michael,
It would be great if you and I could spend some time together before we both get too busy, or even go somewhere to just talk.
Jermaine
•••
To Evvy [MJ assistant, Evelyn Tavasci],
It is very crucial that I speak to my brother.
Jermaine
•••
Michael,
I’m still waiting for you to call; we have to get together before you leave soon. The new number is (818) 788-XXXX.
Jermaine
p.s. Mother wants you to call her.
•••
*To be fair, it was a busy period for Michael, who was battling his first round of pedophilia charges after a 13-year-old boy fingered him as the wackiest ride at Neverland. Ultimately, he did perform at the February 19, 1994 concert, after it was postponed so he could treat a painkiller addiction he’d picked up during the probe.