The Nation of Islam Versus the Jackson Family

This is a partial transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor "

Fox News/February 9, 2004

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the Unresolved Problem segment tonight, no surprise, there's a brawl going on between the Jackson family and the Nation of Islam. Fox News senior correspondent Rita Cosby is here to tell us the inside stuff.

All right. So this is really inside stuff, right?

RITA COSBY, FOX NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Very much inside stuff. And stuff that nobody really wants to come out. This is obviously nasty stuff, but I will tell you it's extremely serious. The family is absolutely livid.

And imagine this. I mean, you can't get access to your own kid. The parent cannot get access. The mother, who has always had a very good relationship with Michael Jackson personally, has not been able to get access to her own son because the Nation of Islam is blocking the doors, allowing -- you know, deciding who's going to come in, who's going to come out.

I'm told the only family member at this point that is able to have that access to Michael Jackson is Randy Jackson, because I've learned he is actually the one who brought the Nation of Islam in. We always thought it was Jermaine, because Jermaine is a Muslim and has always been very sympathetic to the Nation of Islam, but I'm finding out that now, it was actually Randy Jackson.

O'REILLY: All right, so Michael Jackson is in Beverly Hills someplace, right?

COSBY: Beverly Hills at this very extravagant home -- we've seen pictures of it -- you know, costing $70,000 to $100,000 a month. This enormous mansion.

O'REILLY: He's renting the home?

COSBY: He's renting the home at this point.

O'REILLY: All right. And the Nation of Islam being paid to provide security for Mr. Jackson?

COSBY: On the surface. We know that for sure they are being paid for security reasons. We know they're being paid, apparently, a very hefty sum.

Apparently, Leonard Muhammad, the right-hand guy to Louis Farrakhan, the security chief for Louis Farrakhan, who you always see right next to Michael Jackson -- when he walked into court last time, he was standing right behind him. He was behind, also, Mark Geragos when he was doing a press conference recently.

He is also staying in a bungalow not too far from Michael Jackson, and I'm told from sources that it's costing several thousand dollars a night. He's driving around in antique...

O'REILLY: Several thousand dollars a night?

COSBY: Yes, this a very expensive place.

O'REILLY: Wow.

COSBY: And this is from Michael Jackson's money. No wonder he's having financial problems.

O'REILLY: Yes, OK.

COSBY: The guy's not bringing in cash, and he's paying...

O'REILLY: Probably the Beverly Hills Hotel or the Bel Air Hotel or one of those places.

COSBY: ... an exorbitant amount of money.

O'REILLY: All right. Now there was some fistfight between Jermaine Jackson, your pal, your buddy...

COSBY: Yes. Well, Jermaine Jackson -- also, Tito Jackson and Jackie Jackson -- actually said we are so frustrated, we want to go talk to Michael.

They showed up at Neverland when Michael was there. He's going back and forth between these two locations. Showed up at Neverland and said we want to talk to him. Nation of Islam guards said you can't have access to him, we don't want to let you in.

They literally -- you know, imagine...

O'REILLY: The brawl.

COSBY: Literally it was a fist brawl.

O'REILLY: Excellent.

COSBY: And get this: Michael Jackson broke it up. He heard the...

O'REILLY: Michael Jackson broke it up?

COSBY: Yes. He said stop fighting, stop fighting.

But what's scary is -- and the family, I will tell you, is truly scared -- apparently, Tito was threatened, apparently, Jermaine was threatened by these guards. They're saying we could really hurt you, we're going to try to get dirt on you, and saying some pretty nasty things, so...

O'REILLY: OK. Now where is Geragos in all this? He's the head ringmaster, the attorney for...

COSBY: Well, Geragos is the attorney, but, you know, clearly, Michael Jackson -- nobody seems to have control of this man, and that's what's concerning the family. The family doesn't have any access to him. They're worried. They feel like he's deeply depressed. They don't know who is running the show.

I mean look at the last time that he showed up for the arraignment. You know, he danced on top of the car. He did all these things. Mark Geragos didn't want that to happen, nor did Ben Brafman, the new attorney, as well.

This is a loose cannon guy who needs to have people that care about him and needs to have people who can control him, and, unfortunately, right now, he doesn't have any of that. He just has the Nation of Islam guarding him and running his show.

O'REILLY: All right. Now what happens next? Jackson has to -- when does this whole thing get under way because, you know, Geragos has got the Peterson thing, right?

COSBY: Geragos has the Peterson thing. In fact, it came out...

O'REILLY: And Peterson's up in San Mateo County.

COSBY: It came out today that the Peterson case will actually start on Wednesday of this week. It's just going to be motions, but there's a good chance he's going to ask for a change of venue and try to get that...

O'REILLY: Again?

COSBY: Yes. Which would...

O'REILLY: Get it down to Neverland, right?

COSBY: He's going to try to get it out to Neverland or Los Angeles, which could be the same, if you look, depending if you've been in Los Angeles. But...

O'REILLY: Well, I'm going out -- I'm going out to L.A. next week. Did you know that?

COSBY: Well, then you may run into everybody.

O'REILLY: Yes, I'm going to straighten everything out. I'm...

COSBY: But -- but Michael...

O'REILLY: I'm going to straighten the Nation of Islam out. I'm going to straighten Michael Jackson out.

COSBY: Well, that's a pretty tough task, Bill, to do all of that.

O'REILLY: Oh, I can do it.

COSBY: But in terms of -- in terms of Michael's case, there will be a hearing this Friday. He has waived the right to appear. He's not going to appear from what I'm told. There will be a lot of procedure, a lot of motions. We may find out some more details on the case in terms of the essence of the evidence. They're...

O'REILLY: All right. So this Friday, Jackson.

COSBY: ... getting documents, getting a lot of things.

O'REILLY: And this Wednesday, Peterson.

COSBY: Is Peterson. Motions. So I'll be back. And I can promise you Nation of Islam isn't going away anytime soon. That's what they say...

O'REILLY: Doesn't this all give you a big headache?

COSBY: ... publicly or privately.

O'REILLY: It gives me a throbbing headache right here.

COSBY: Well, it keeps life certainly interesting.

O'REILLY: Yes.

COSBY: You know what's funny? What's going on behind the scenes is sometimes more bizarre than what's going on in the case itself.

O'REILLY: All right. Rita Cosby. There she is, ladies and gentlemen.

COSBY: Thank you.

O'REILLY: She knows the inside stuff. Thank you, Rita.

COSBY: Thank you.