Documentary-maker Christian Robinson, who was part of Jackson’s inner circle, claims Gavin Arvizo’s mum Janet was the ultimate opportunist and had planned to entrap the controversial King of Pop
The mother of Michael Jackson’s teenage accuser was the “ultimate opportunist” and had “planned to entrap the King of Pop”, it is claimed. Documentary-maker Christian Robinson claims Gavin Arvizo’s mum Janet was “obsessed with money”.
Robinson, who was part of Jackson’s inner circle, interviewed the Arvizo family in 2003 as part of a “rebuttal video” in the wake of Martin Bashir’s ITV documentary, which revealed how the late singer slept in the same bad as Gavin.
The explosive footage, never released at the time, is being shown as part of a new series, Michael Jackson: The Trial, that starts on Channel 4 this week.
Robinson, hired by Jacko in 2000 aged 20, spent most of his time based at the star’s Neverland home and was present amid the fall-out from Bashir’s Living with Michael Jackson programme in which the singer admitted to sharing a bed with Gavin.
The teen was seen holding his hand and resting his head on his shoulder. But Robinson says the film raised troubling questions that have haunted him to this day.
He told the Mirror: “You get a mother who has bad intentions and, ultimately, she’s the one who, in my opinion, was the instigator for the ultimate downfall.”
Robinson was tasked with helping produce a video to help combat the “nuclear bomb” that had gone off in the Jackson camp. He says: “It was the end of the world… we went into damage control immediately.”
Part of the plan was to film Gavin, his mother Janet, brother Star and sister Davellin. But Robinson said alarm bells starting ringing when Janet refused to sign release forms to allow filming to start and was stuck to her phone.
He alleges: “I assume she was on the phone to lawyers. And I pretty quickly understood there was money involved. She was the ultimate opportunist and used to take advantage of our handler team.
“They were always driving her around and shopping and doing stuff. People can see the door open to the billion-dollar world and they quickly want as much as they can take.”
The interview eventually begins and Gavin is seen saying: “When I first met Michael, all I thought was he was a loving, kind, humble man, and all he wanted to do was good… he treats me like he’s my father.” Robinson says he believed Gavin to be sincere.
But he was less than impressed by Janet, who he described as over the top. She says in the footage: “Michael is an answered prayer to my children and me. Michael is there for us, for all three of them. Every door closed on us… and Michael said, ‘All my doors are open’.”
Robinson said her performance did not ring true and he was worried. Speaking in the documentary, he says: “I had a strong feeling that I didn’t trust Janet, so I am absolutely worried that this is the type of person who might take money to say Michael Jackson molested my kid, because there’s a lot of money in that.”
Gavin told police he had allegedly been abused aged 13 and Jackson was charged with child molestation. In a 2005 trial, Jackson was acquitted of 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment. Robinson says he has theories about why Gavin changed his story.
He believes a key moment was Jackson’s introduction to the Nation Of Islam, which took over security at Neverland, California, and started running some of his business affairs. Robinson claims: “They tore him apart from that family and from his team.
“I think the family probably understood pretty quickly that things were over, so we can either just live with it being over, or we can take advantage of the situation. I would lean towards the theory it was the last opportunity to be paid.”
The series airs incredible footage depicting the closeness of the relationship between Gavin and Jackson, with them seen walking around the Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos. Jackson was also funding cancer treatment for Gavin, who survived.
Robinson says: “Gavin knew he was the luckiest kid in the world that had run into Michael Jackson and they had formed a friendship, and that Michael was helping his family so much.”
And he maintains he saw no evidence of impropriety, adding: “I don’t know the science of paedophiles but are they attracted to kids who look like aliens and weigh like 30 pounds less than than they should. Really felt like their friendship was very sincere and real.”
But the four-part series features gripping testimony from those who claim they witnessed abuse. They include Jackson’s personal maid, as well as detectives who said the case against the singer was water-tight.
The documentary also airs for the first time a pilot show that Jackson had commissioned with Gavin’s brother Star – who wanted to be a TV presenter. He is seen interviewing people around Neverland.
Robinson claims Jackson was a drug addict and in a vulnerable state when the Arvizos came into his life and insists he believes the singer is innocent.
He says: “Nothing has changed with me. I think that as I’ve become more of an adult and now I’m a father of a couple kids. I’m much more critical of people who empower substance abuse, and that train wreck continued until his death.
“I still feel pretty good in my heart that Michael Jackson was a really kind man and a good man at his core. I was only with Michael Jackson for two years.
“I don’t know what happened those years before. I don’t know what happened those years after and again, I can only speak about my experience and my relationship with the man.
“If Michael Jackson was ever guilty of committing horrific acts, I’m a God-fearing man, and I hope he’ll have to answer to that.”