Culkin testifies singer never molested him

Employees at Neverland Ranch said they saw the King of Pop improperly touch the young actor.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- Actor Macaulay Culkin, famous for his roles in the "Home Alone" movies, said Wednesday that he was never molested by Michael Jackson.
Culkin, 24, was on the stand for less than 70 minutes as the defense and the prosecution took turns questioning the actor.
Culkin was smooth and poised, repeatedly denying that Jackson acted improperly, despite allegations from former Jackson employees.
"Did Mr. Jackson ever molest you?" asked defense attorney Thomas A. Mesereau Jr.
"Never," Culkin replied.
"Did Mr. Jackson ever improperly touch you?"
"Absolutely not."
Later, Mesereau asked Culkin what he thought of the child molestation allegations against Jackson.
"I think they are absolutely ridiculous," Culkin said.
Culkin's appearance had been eagerly awaited by the media, which has been running reports that the actor would support Jackson, alternating with predictions that Culkin's advisers would try to keep him off the stand.
In substance, Culkin's testimony was no different than two other former "special friends" of Jackson. Last week, Wade Robson and Brett C. Barnes were equally adamant that they had never been molested.
The difference was Culkin's renown and his more sophisticated style in dealing with cross-examination.
Awareness
Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen asked about the degree of awareness a child would have of any molestation.
"Your answer more accurately is that he [Jackson] never did molest you while you were awake," Zonen said.
"As far as I know he never molested me," Culkin said.
Culkin said he learned from a television news report that a former cook and a former maid at Neverland said he had been molested during the 1990s when he visited Jackson more than a dozen times.
"I couldn't believe that people were saying these things," Culkin said. "It was amazing to me that nobody ever approached me to see if the allegations were true."
Zonen asked whether Culkin was aware that the prosecutor's office had contacted his representatives in 1993 and recently as well. Culkin said he was aware of the recent contact.
During cross-examination, Culkin described how Jackson gave him a Rolex watch on a trip with family friends to Bermuda in the early 1990s. He also said that Jackson often referred to their relationship as familial -- traits the prosecution has maintained was part of the star's pattern of grooming young boys, including the current accuser.
Jackson is charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy in early 2003. The prosecution was allowed by Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville to present earlier material, even if no criminal charges were filed, to show that Jackson had a pattern of molesting children.
Alleged victims
Culkin is part of a group of five boys named by the prosecution as having been molested by Jackson.
The other two received multimillion-dollar settlements from Jackson. One of them testified for the prosecution, saying he was molested.
During the prosecution case, Phillip LeMarque, a former chef at the ranch, testified that he saw Jackson molest Culkin while the pop star was holding the boy on his lap in the early 1990s and Culkin was playing a pinball game late at night at the star's Neverland ranch.
A former maid also testified that she saw Jackson kiss Culkin and touch his buttocks.
Culkin agreed that Jackson had hugged him, but he said the action was casual, as it would be among friends. He said he had slept in Jackson's bed several times and that that, too, was innocent.
It was Jackson who initiated the relationship with a telephone call after Culkin hit it big with "Home Alone."
"He called me out of the blue," Culkin said. "Hey, I'm Michael Jackson. ... Let's get together and talk."
Their link was their past as child stars. Jackson had achieved fame as the lead singer of the Jackson Five.