I waited yesterday just to get a good look at Michael Jackson. When I saw him, he looked so weak, so feeble, so rundown that at times it seemed like he had trouble waving to his fans outside. It seemed almost painful for him to lift up his arm, to say hello to them.
Raymone Bain, Jackson's spokesperson, joined 'The Abrams Report’ Thursday night. Below is a transcript of our interview:
DAN ABRAMS, 'ABRAMS REPORT’ HOST: I've been out here on and off throughout this trial, but Michael Jackson looks like he's lost an enormous amount of weight, he looks very weak. He's not engaging with his lawyers the way that I had seen him doing earlier in the case. am I reading this fairly?
RAYMONE BAIN, MICHAEL JACKSON'S SPOKESPERSON: Well not really. Yes, he's tired without doubt. He is very tired. All of us are. But I don't think that that should reflect anything other than the fact of what it is, just needing some—a little bit more sleep. He is very healthy. He's not ill. The only ailment that he suffers from is his back, and maybe he just doesn't feel like waving, because he's going through a lot. This is no joke here. He's in a major trial.
We're down to the last wire. A jury of his peers are going to be deliberating his case, so he doesn't have a lot to jump around and be so cheerful about. He feels confident in his attorneys, Dan. We feel that Tom Mesereau started today with his closing arguments and has done an excellent job. He felt that way throughout. But Michael is not sick. If anything, he probably needs a little bit more rest. Let me tell you, his day starts at 4:30, he prepares for court. He says goodbye to his kids, some of whom are up when he leaves. He gets in court, and he's here all day.
He goes home. He has dinner with his children or if they need to go somewhere, watch a movie, popcorn. One day we were talking, his kids said, “Dad, we want to watch a moving movie,” So he said. “Well look, Raymone, I'll call you back. My kids want to watch a movie. I'm going to go and get some videos and come back and you know just have a good time with them.”
And then there is dinner and then there are hours of conferring with his lawyer. My goodness that is a very rigorous schedule, and he has tried to have the quality of life for his kids away from this case. I am not sure as to whether the children even know that this case is going on. That is very hard...
ABRAMS: Right. No, you've already made it clear. You say he's not sick, OK. You know look, I'm not a doctor...
BAIN: He's not sick.
ABRAMS: I'm just looking at him in court...
BAIN: He doesn't have...
ABRAMS: All right. Let me ask you this Raymone: I think that from the time I was here at the beginning of the case when people were saying it was a super long shot Michael Jackson was going to be convicted of anything, I'm talking to journalists, reporters, people watching the case, and I've got to tell you, Raymone, there are more people now saying they think that there is a possibility that Michael Jackson will actually be convicted. Are you getting that sense in the defense camp?
BAIN: No. We are feeling the same as we felt prior to coming here, and that is Michael would be acquitted of these false charges. He has had an excellent defense team, and I said here on your show a couple of days ago, he has a strong faith in God and a strong faith in the justice system.
ABRAMS: I'm not suggesting anyone knows what the outcome would be. The bottom line is anyone, including myself, who's making predictions are doing it based in part on what's being said and in part on guesswork.
'The Abrams Report' airs weeknights, 6 p.m. ET on MSNBC.