No Rock And Roll Fun

YES, MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO GO TO COURT THEN, MICKEY: Apparently having realised that giving millions of dollars to anyone who turned up at the door suggesting he might have put his hand down their pants could look a little bad, Michael Jackson has made his defence lawyer read out a long, rambling explanation of why it shouldn't be inferred from that that he's a dirty kiddie fiddler:

The lawyer said Jackson had been pressured to make payments by his advisers and by a music industry that "did not want negative publicity from these lawsuits interfering with their profits."
"Many years ago, he did pay money rather than litigate two false allegations that he had harmed children. ... Mr. Jackson now regrets making these payments. ... Mr. Jackson never admitted any wrongdoing. Mr. Jackson always denied doing anything wrong. Mr. Jackson had hoped to buy peace in the process. ... He should have fought these actions to the bitter end and vindicated himself."

We're sure this will be backed up by calling those advisers to testify, of course. Won't it?