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Geller 'Jackson denied abuse claims to me'

Updated on 26 June 2009

By Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Uri Geller answers questions on what Jackson told him under hypnosis about the abuse allegations, why he paid off Jody Chandler and explains why he regrets introducing Jackson to Martin Bashir.

Uri Geller

Michael Jackson's close friend, Uri Geller, has told Channel 4 News he agrees that Jackson's death may have been caused by drug use.

The illusionist said that he agreed with lawyer Brian Oxman's fears that the singer's death may have been caused by drug use.

"I agree with the lawyer," Geller said. "I have seen Michael doing things that he should not have been doing - No one told him not to do it.

"I took the liberty of actually shouting at him several times on several occasions but it really did not help."

Questioned under hypnosis

Geller went on to say that while Jackson was under hypnosis he probed the singer's relationship with children.

"When I hypnotised Jackson I asked, "Did you ever touch a child in an inappropriate manner?"

""No, I would never do that," he replied.

"I questioned him further - I asked, "Michael, why then did you pay Jody Chandler millions of dollars?" and he said to me "I couldn't take it any more, I had had enough."

"It was my own personal validation that the man was innocent," Geller said.

The illusionist spoke about his regret in introducing Jackson to journalist Martin Bashir who made a documentary about the singer in 2003. During the programme it emerged that children slept overnight at Jackson's house despite allegations of abuse - which the singer always denied.

"I made a mistake. I thought Bashir was going to make a great documentary," Geller said. "I introduced them and from then on it went out of my hands." 

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