Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case [Paperback]

Diane Dimond (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 28, 2009

The explosive definitive account of the Michael Jackson saga, chronicling the King of Pop's battles against child molestation charges from 1993 to 2005, from award-winning journalist

Diane Dimond, who broke the story first, over twelve years ago

Michael Jackson has long captured the world's attention, first as the dynamic lead singer of the Jackson Five, then during his highly successful breakout solo career. But somewhere along the line Jackson transformed himself into something hardly recognizable and was investigated -- not once, but twice -- for crimes we could hardly imagine.

Even now, after his unexpected acquittal on multiple charges of child molestation, there is a sense that the real truth behind the allegations is not known. The character of Michael Jackson -- from his humble beginnings to his rich career and the birth of Neverland Ranch -- is destined for great debate among fans, journalists, historians, and psychiatrists for years to come. In the meantime, there is Diane Dimond, the journalist of record on the Jackson case.

In November 2003, when the Santa Barbara county sheriff's department conducted another raid on Neverland Ranch, Diane Dimond and her camera crews were the only ones there to capture the moment and report the news to the world. Now, for the first time, Dimond recounts the multifaceted details of the Jackson case, utilizing her extensive notes and sources. What she tells us is a shocking story.

Be Careful Who You Love will take you behind the scenes and into the courtroom of one of the most controversial cases of the decade, while giving readers a dramatic glimpse of one reporter's vigilance and unending quest to uncover the truth.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diane Dimond served as chief executive investigative editor and on-air correspondent and anchor for Court TV's investigative unit. Prior to joining Court TV, Dimond was involved in Fox News Channel's continuing live coverage of the war on terrorism and also worked at MSNBC, where she anchored news hours and covered the 2000 presidential campaign and recount. She has also worked for National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., and WCBS-TV in New York, and has cohosted a nightly news program on CNBC. In 1990, Dimond became the investigative reporter for the syndicated program Hard Copy, and in 1993 she broke the Michael Jackson story. Time magazine cited her continuing coverage of the case among "The Best TV of '93." Diane lives in New York with her husband.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books; Reissue edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743270924
• ISBN-13: 978-0743270922
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( J ) > Jackson, Michael

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

194 of 207 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Paid $[...] for the book and it might have been too much... June 24, 2009

By Sara J. Miller

Format:Paperback

First, I am a fan of Michael Jackson's music and have been since I was a kid. Also, I was too young to really remember much about the 1993 settlement and in 2005 I was busy in college and didn't follow the case much. Aside from a few random stories on TV news and in newspapers and watching a little bit of the Bashir doc, this book is really the only info I have on the case.

That said, Diane Dimond's bias shown like an impossible-to-ignore glare off a TV screen. It was hard to focus on anything she was saying because her choice of language and the things she seemed to gloss over were so distracting.

1. Language: Repeatedly using terms like "OSS Agents" and "Jackson Operatives" both dehumanize Michael and make it appear that he has formed his own literal army. Diane Dimond would have us believe that a specialized group of men are at Jackson's disposal to harrass, threaten, and even attempt to kill accusers.

Supporters of Michael Jackson (not fans, but employees, friends, and family) are all labeled as "Jackson loyalists" in a weak attempt to discredit them. Anything Jackson's managers and lawyers did is repeatedly referred to as "attacks" on the accusers rather than as defense of the accused.

2. Glossed over facts:
After being portrayed as victims who were harrassed and threatened and either wrongfully fired or forced to quit, it is mentioned only in a single sentance that two of the former employees lodging complaints against Michael and his "agents" were found guilty of stealing from Neverland and selling the goods for thousands of dollars. Diane trys to discredit the idea that these employees were money-hungry and disgruntled, but it appears some were just pissy that their flow of free cash was cut off.

Dimond tries to portray the accusing kids as far too young and innocent to ever make up such sexually graphic charges while at the same time giving Jordie Chandler some praise for helping his dad and another screenwriter write the script for "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." Dimond totally ignores the obvious: 13 and 14 year old boys often know about sex, usually more than their parents give them credit for, and for a 13 year old boy who is also a budding writer, Jordie was certainly capable of making up lurid tales. (This is not to say it was made up, but that an unbiased reporter could certainly see the possibility, but Diane didn't).

When a kid denied that Jackson ever touched him, Dimond points out that the language the kid used sounded too adult, so perhaps it was coached. But later, when Jordie gives his accounts, the language is even more sophisticated. Dimond totally ignored that Jordie used language like "it then graduated to tongue-kissing" and "Michael Jackson had sexual contact with me on several occasions". Either Dimond didn't mention that these statements were prepared by adults and not in Jordie's own words or she decided not to draw too much attention to his writing abilities. It seems odd either way that one kid would be called out for sounding too grown up while another is totally ignored.

3. Editing: Nothing makes a book harder to believe than poor editing. Dimond loves to repeat herself, sometimes mentioning the same stupid fact several times in the same page (like mentioning that Adrian McManus was Jackson's personal chambermaid three times in less than 2 pages after already mentioning her previously in the book). There are random spots with misspelled words or improper grammar that make it hard to take Diane Dimond seriously as a reporter or author.

I did laugh when it became clear how much Diane loves herself. No sentence was written with such clear delight as "On November 18, 2003, at exactly 9:21 A.M., I was on the air, on location--live--to break the news of the raid." Perhaps she was just over excited at finally having a fact that could be backed up.

Over all, the book is interesting, but don't expect to take it seriously or to get any answers. Instead be prepared to hear a woman rave for over 300 pages about Michael Jackson being an evil super-villain complete with a fake voice, evil henchmen, and psychotic fans ready to go to battle for their star.

100 of 107 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars This book is cheap and I am ashamed I read it. May 1, 2008

By C. Clough

Format:Hardcover

But if you are a tabloid Junkie---this is the book for you. Though Dimond trys to sound un-biased she de-humanizes Mr. Jackson by using the term "Jackson team" and believes every person she interveiws even after stating their financial intentions.She gives Jackson very little sympathy and believes him to be a molester based on interviews with poeple that were mysteriously fired or supoosedly quit or they really didn't even know Michael at all.
Lets face it we are going to believe what we want to believe, and Ms. Dimond wants to believe he is evil.
So I'll say it again...
This book is cheap and I am ashamed I read it.

83 of 88 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Really pathetic. July 17, 2009

By Ivy Gordon

Format:Hardcover

During the trial, Dimond was all over the place. Larry King, CourtTV, just everywhere. Everywhere with the same slant: Jackson is guilty. Dimond achieved fame and fortune over her sensational accusations and dramatized "first-hand" court experiences. Were Jackson to be convicted, Dimond would have probably been offered a prestigious position on one of the big news shows and respect among the journalism community and the general public.

This did not happen. In fact, the opposite. CourtTV ripped the magic carpet right out from under her. I mean, you have to be pretty awful to not reach CourtTV's standards. Without a job or any stich of credibility, Dimond composed "Be Careful Who You Love," despaerate effort to salvage her image and career. Sad.

Today she writes for a site called "True Slant." Oh, oh, the irony. My suggestion, for those interested in Jackson's child molestation charges, is to go directly to the primary sources. Court transcripts are available online. There you will find a word by word account of the three ring circus that California tax payers paid $2.7 million dollars for.

I'm a fan of open-mindedness and honor. Unfortunately, these are concepts Dimond seems totally unaware of.