MICHAEL JACKSON'S BODYGUARDS SPEAK OUT

Wednesday, March 10 2010 07:41

Three former Michael Jackson bodyguards, who spent the last two years of the singer's life guarding him and his children, appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday (March 9th) to share their impressions of the King Of Pop. Mike Garcia, Javon Beard, and Bill Whitfield agreed that the Jackson they knew was a loving father of three smart, polite children, and an avid reader who longed to do such simple things as shop at a Wal-Mart or order a beer at a bar without being mobbed. They described a lonely man whose existence was often full of "stress, paranoia and pain." When asked if they believed Jackson was a pedophile, all three men emphatically said "no."

Whitfield replied, "Being a man -- men know men -- and we were around him long enough to know . . . h e was a man." Garcia added that Jackson had "desires of women like we do. He had lovers."

They noted that while they were initially hired as security, they quickly became more than that. "We were with Michael Jackson the person, not the entertainer," Garcia said.

The three say they are planning to publish a book about their experiences with Jackson, saying that it will put to rest many rumors about the man who may have been "different, not weird."

Part Two of their interview with GMA reporter Ashleigh Banfield airs this morning (Wednesday, March 10th).