MICHAEL JACKSON TRIAL Attorney says accuser's family preyed on famous

The lawyer said the family sought money from several celebrities.
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) -- They rode in chauffeured limousines, were whisked across the country in private jets and were treated to spas at luxury resorts. Along the way, the poor family with the cancer-stricken son circulated within a constellation of celebrities -- Chris Tucker, George Lopez, Kobe Bryant among them.
But of all the stars, Michael Jackson was the brightest, and seemingly the most generous.
"We were broken and Michael fixed us," the mother of the family said on a video shown in court last week at Jackson's child molestation trial.
During the first week of a trial that is expected to last months, the prosecution described Jackson as a sexual predator who molested the boy when he was 13 and held his family against their will. Jackson's lawyer called him the victim of a celebrity-obsessed family seeking money.
"Michael Jackson continually attracts people who want to profit," defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. said in his opening statement.
Mesereau said the boy's mother also approached other celebrities, including Lopez, actor Jim Carrey, "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno and boxer Mike Tyson. Leno went to police, telling them "something was wrong" and that he suspected the family was "looking for a mark," according to Mesereau.
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