Lisa Marie - Open and Honest

The Oprah Winfrey interview with Lisa Marie Presley on her relationship with Michael Jackson just ended.  I had planned to take notes to give a detailed account of what transpired but as a fan who still gets emotional when his untimely passing is the subject, I decided to just listen.

Of course, you will be able to view the episode on the NBC website and video clips on Oprah's website. I'll hit the highlights here. 

Lisa Marie confirmed that their marriage was real  and legitimate in every sense.  She had divorced her husband and married Michael twenty days later because they were in love.  She described being with him as "the highest high" she had ever felt.  Being around her father was the only other time she had felt such a sensation.

Although she knew that Michael would be on lots of pain medicine after leaving a certain dermatologist's office, she was told that it was necessary due to certain painful procedures regarding the vitiligo and perhaps other issues. Towards the end of the marriage she realized that he had a drug addiction. His decision to choose the people who were taking advantage of him over Lisa Marie because she was trying to get him away from them so that he could get the help he needed with the addiction led to the breakup of their marriage.  She admitted that the parallels between her father's demise and her then husband's decent were too much to handle.  It was incredulous when Oprah pointed out that the home where Michael collapsed was "just a stone's throw away" across the street from Elvis' home where he died. It is not believed that Michael even knew that about the house.

The two continued to see each other off and on for an additional four years after the divorce until she finally had to end it for good for her own sake.  Oprah asked her how she felt that within months of the divorce, Debbie Rowe was pregnant.  Surprisingly, Lisa Marie said that Michael often told her that Debbie was standing by to have the baby if Lisa Marie did not change her mind about not wanting to bring a child into their union because it had become rocky.  As one could imagine, she said that the situation was very hurtful to her.

She had a lot of regret for not reaching out to Michael prior to his death, especially since he had "thrown a line out" to her that she rejected. He had asked if she still loved him.  "I'm indifferent," was her reply.  It made him cry.  After his death, she wished that she had tried to save him though she has no idea if that would have been possible.  Michael had no problems shutting out those who dared to say no to him or who tried to make him see that the drugs and the people who supplied them were detrimental to him, including  his family who also tried to intervene. "He would just ice you out," Presley said.

Oprah asked Presley if she had ever witnessed Michael behaving inappropriately toward children and if she believed the allegations lodged against him.  The answer to both questions was a resounding "no." She added that no one really knew what happened except for Michael and his accusers so it would be unfair of her to declare that the allegations were untrue. However, she readily denied any belief of their validity.  During the "last coherent" conversation that she had with Michael, he told her that certain people were trying to kill him to gain control of his music catalog.  She declined to repeat those names.

The interview ended with Presley stating that she appreciated her husband for being so understanding and supportive over the years as she worked through the pain (and anger that she has since let go) she carried because of her love for Michael.  She also said that she will never grant another interview regarding Michael Jackson.

It seems that she is finally in a decent place where her relationship with Michael is concerned. Her depiction of him made him seem less larger than life and more closely the magnanimous, electrifying soul that drew people in like a magnet. Now that the anger is gone and the pain is manageable, she can allow her love for him to just be what it is... genuine and timeless. Trust me, Lisa Marie, his fans will always love him, too.