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Michael Jackson feels deeply “betrayed” by the recent special television documentary about his life that aired on British TV Monday. ITV’s Martin Bashir, who spent eight months with the singer and was privy to Jackson‘s lifestyle, conducted the in-depth interview, which includes the revelation that Jackson still believes sharing his bed with children is perfectly normal. “Today I feel more betrayed than perhaps ever before, that someone who had got to know my children, my staff and me, whom I let into my heart and told the truth, could then sacrifice the trust I placed in him and produce this terrible and unfair program,” Jackson, 44, said in a statement released in London, Reuters reports. Granada Television, who produced the special, stood by Bashir. “It’s not surprising that a film about [Jackson], which is so open and revealing, draws some hostile reaction and comment about him. It’s regrettable that Michael should feel devastated as a result of that, but perhaps inevitable,” the company said in a statement. The documentary will air in the U.S. Thursday on a special edition of ABC’s magazine program 20/20.
Celebs
Rapper Ice-T was ordered by a judge Tuesday to pay $4,000 a month in temporary child support after he admitted to fathering a 15-month-old son. Initially denying he ever had sex with the child’s mother, Linda Marie Sanchez, Reuters reports the star of NBC’s Law and Order: Special Victims Unit waived his rights to a paternity trial when DNA testing proved he was the boy’s father.
Dustin Hoffman was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the British Empire Film Awards Wednesday, based on votes by British moviegoers. Other winners included best actor Hugh Grant for About A Boy and best actress Samantha Morton for Minority Report.
Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson had her second child with partner Arpad Busson Tuesday. Aurelius Cy Andrea was born in a London hospital, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces. The couple has a 5-year-old son, Flynn.
The AP reports actor Wesley Snipes and record mogul Suge Knight are being sued by separate banking organizations for failure to pay. Chase Manhattan Mortage Corporation has filed suit against Snipes for allegedly failing to pay the mortgage on his mansion in Isleworth, Fla., while City National Bank is suing Knight for neglecting payments on his yacht moored in the Los Angeles area. Pay up, boys!
Movies
Director Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields) plans to make The Invaders, a $40 million epic on the first Anglo-Indian war, starring Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, Variety reports. The film will focus on the first battle between English troops and the Maratha dynasty in western India during the late 18th century.
Variety reports Steven Soderbergh and pal George Clooney are gearing up to remake the Argentine thriller Nine Queens through their production company, Section Eight Productions. The film follows the day in the life of two con artists and was released in the U.S. last spring.
Tube
NBC will cover the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, on a 24-hour a day basis across its networks NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo and Telemundo. This nearly doubles the coverage for the 2000 Sydney games, as NBC did not own Bravo or Telemundo at that time.
Music
According to the AP, the Recording Industry Association of America numbers show the Dixie Chicks’ latest album, Home, has reached the quadruple-platinum mark, having shipped four million copies. Tim McGraw’s Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors also went double platinum.
