Transcript: Good Morning America/ Cynthia McFadden Report
Host: Cynthia McFadden
Date aired: April 12 2004
Guest: Joe Tacopina, the attorney for Frank Tyson and Vincent Amen
CYNTHIA MCFADDEN (voiceover): Vinne Amen and Frank Tyson worked for Michael Jackson; spending many hours with the accuser and his family. Sources say the family now claims that at Jackson’s direction, the two tried to intimidate them. And there is even the stunning allegation of a death threat. Joseph Tacopina is the attorney for Amen and Tyson.
MCFADDEN: What are the allegations? What role did your clients play in this?
TACOPINA The allegations against Frank: basically that he threatened the brother of the accuser; that he would have him and his family killed if they revealed anything regarding Michael sharing alcohol with them.
MCFADDEN: True?
TACOPINA Oh god, absolutely not. Frank Tyson’s one of the most passive individuals you’ve ever come across. I don’t think he could get those words out, number one. And number two, he has no, absolutely no knowledge of Michael giving alcohol to any minor at all. And he would know.
MCFADDEN (voiceover): According to Tacopina, Tyson, just 15 years old when he met Jackson, later became his assistant. Entertainment producer Vinne Amen met Jackson through Tyson, and also worked closely with Jackson.
MCFADDEN: They were working for Michael Jackson in the time he was friends with this young man and his family. The family lived at Neverland at various points. What did they observe?
TACOPINA Nothing out of the ordinary.
MCFADDEN: So they were never suspicious that Michael Jackson had a sexual relationship of any type with this child.
TACOPINA No. I think they would have been out of that place a lot earlier than when they got out.
MCFADDEN (voiceover): Following the broadcast of this documentary, sources tell ABC that the mother of the accuser claims her family was, at first, held hostage by Jackson at Neverland Ranch. And that he, then, tried to force them to leave the country; instructing Amen to procure passports for them. Tacopina says that’s ridiculous.
TACOPINA No. Did they assist her in going down to the passport office? Yes. Did they take her in there by a leash, pull her up to the counter and make her sign documents? No. Here’s a woman who, after this documentary hit the air, was ridiculed by her friends; was mocked, was called a bad mother. She wanted to get out of her community. She turned to Michael Jackson for help and his generosity, and you know, played on it.
MCFADDEN: So, the general assertion that your clients were in some way asked by Michael Jackson to intimidate…
TACOPINA No.
MCFADDEN:…this young man and his family, you say?
TACOPINA That absolutely never happened.
[end of taped interview]
MCFADDEN: He says they were never asked by Jackson and wouldn’t have done so if they had been, Diane.
DIANE SAWYER: So are they gonna testify?
MCFADDEN: Well, ABC News has learned, Diane, that the grand jury is very eager to hear from Mr. Tacopina’s clients because they were offered immunity after they initially declined the prosecution’s invitation to testify. Now as to what motivated the charges against Jackson by his clients [sic], Mr. Tacopina suggests that perhaps the mother of the accuser is using her children.
End.
Transcribed by whisper for MJEOL.
Excuse any typos.
You can watch VIDEO of this interview here:
http://site.mjeol.com/modules/mydownloa ... 15&lid=119
Host: Cynthia McFadden
Date aired: April 12 2004
Guest: Joe Tacopina, the attorney for Frank Tyson and Vincent Amen
CYNTHIA MCFADDEN (voiceover): Vinne Amen and Frank Tyson worked for Michael Jackson; spending many hours with the accuser and his family. Sources say the family now claims that at Jackson’s direction, the two tried to intimidate them. And there is even the stunning allegation of a death threat. Joseph Tacopina is the attorney for Amen and Tyson.
MCFADDEN: What are the allegations? What role did your clients play in this?
TACOPINA The allegations against Frank: basically that he threatened the brother of the accuser; that he would have him and his family killed if they revealed anything regarding Michael sharing alcohol with them.
MCFADDEN: True?
TACOPINA Oh god, absolutely not. Frank Tyson’s one of the most passive individuals you’ve ever come across. I don’t think he could get those words out, number one. And number two, he has no, absolutely no knowledge of Michael giving alcohol to any minor at all. And he would know.
MCFADDEN (voiceover): According to Tacopina, Tyson, just 15 years old when he met Jackson, later became his assistant. Entertainment producer Vinne Amen met Jackson through Tyson, and also worked closely with Jackson.
MCFADDEN: They were working for Michael Jackson in the time he was friends with this young man and his family. The family lived at Neverland at various points. What did they observe?
TACOPINA Nothing out of the ordinary.
MCFADDEN: So they were never suspicious that Michael Jackson had a sexual relationship of any type with this child.
TACOPINA No. I think they would have been out of that place a lot earlier than when they got out.
MCFADDEN (voiceover): Following the broadcast of this documentary, sources tell ABC that the mother of the accuser claims her family was, at first, held hostage by Jackson at Neverland Ranch. And that he, then, tried to force them to leave the country; instructing Amen to procure passports for them. Tacopina says that’s ridiculous.
TACOPINA No. Did they assist her in going down to the passport office? Yes. Did they take her in there by a leash, pull her up to the counter and make her sign documents? No. Here’s a woman who, after this documentary hit the air, was ridiculed by her friends; was mocked, was called a bad mother. She wanted to get out of her community. She turned to Michael Jackson for help and his generosity, and you know, played on it.
MCFADDEN: So, the general assertion that your clients were in some way asked by Michael Jackson to intimidate…
TACOPINA No.
MCFADDEN:…this young man and his family, you say?
TACOPINA That absolutely never happened.
[end of taped interview]
MCFADDEN: He says they were never asked by Jackson and wouldn’t have done so if they had been, Diane.
DIANE SAWYER: So are they gonna testify?
MCFADDEN: Well, ABC News has learned, Diane, that the grand jury is very eager to hear from Mr. Tacopina’s clients because they were offered immunity after they initially declined the prosecution’s invitation to testify. Now as to what motivated the charges against Jackson by his clients [sic], Mr. Tacopina suggests that perhaps the mother of the accuser is using her children.
End.
Transcribed by whisper for MJEOL.
Excuse any typos.
You can watch VIDEO of this interview here:
http://site.mjeol.com/modules/mydownloa ... 15&lid=119