Mumps outbreak confirmed at ICE detention facility in Houston
Article via ABC
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Health Department confirmed seven mumps cases at an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Houston Saturday afternoon.
Officials said that all seven people were adults who were detained during the time they became sick.
“Since these individuals were isolated inside the facility during the period they were infectious, we do not anticipate these cases posing a threat to the community,” said Dr. David Persse, Houston’s local health authority and EMS medical director.”
The health department says they are working with the facility on infection control methods and will conduct an on-site visit soon.
Mumps is a vaccine-preventable contagious disease caused by a virus. It typically starts with a few days of fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite, followed by swollen salivary glands.
Those experiencing symptoms of mumps or any highly contagious disease should immediately contact their doctor. Most people recover from mumps without serious complications.
Mumps can be prevented with two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Children should receive the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Two doses of the vaccine are 97 percent effective.
“Properly vaccinating your children isn’t just about protecting your child, it’s about protecting your entire family and your community,” Dr. Persse continued.
While rare, mumps outbreaks have previously occurred in Texas and Houston.
Jussie Smollett To Be “Held Accountable” For Potential False Report, Police Claims
Article via HotNewHipHop
The Chicago Police Department is casting doubt on the actor’s story.
An investigation was launched after Jussie Smollett reported an attack. The Chicago Police department initially announced that the case would be treated with care as a potential hate crime. After running into issues with gaps in video footage and other setbacks, legal authorities have decided to specify that Jussie Smollett will be held accountable if his report proved to be false.
Rafer Weigel of Fox News referred to the force’s superintendent to tweet: “#ChicagoPolice Supt Eddie Johnson says #JussieSmollett is still being treated as the victim in this case but if the investigation does reveal he made a false report he will be held accountable.”
The idea of punishment for filing a false report is definitely nothing new. In recent years, the Black community has asked for this concept to apply to scenarios in which apparently racist individuals call the police for absurd “reasons.” In this context, Johnson’s statement is questionable. The investigation is still ongoing, as he specified, so projecting the current victim into the future as a defendant is unusual.
This decision may come to the fact that many factions of the public have expressed skepticism in relation to Jussie’s testimony. Ironically, Johnson has poked holes in the”innocent until proven guilty” motto by adding to the speculations by mentioning the possibility of a false report, a hypothetical scenario that is always at play. Why mention it?
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Watch Tekashi 6ix9ine star in ad for New York sex shop that doubles as PSA against violence towards women
Daniel Hernandez, aka Tekashi 6ix9ine, has been recently seen in a Valentine’s Day ad for a NYC based sex store called Romantic Depot. This ad which has a special, program called ” dignity and respect,” prevents violence against women.
R. Kelly to visit Ghana
Article via GhanaWeb
Information available to BEATWAVES indicates that American superstar Robert Sylvester Kelly, known on the international music scene as R. Kelly, will host a major musical concert Ghana this year.
The American singer, songwriter and record producer will headline and share the stage together with some selected Ghanaian home-grown performing artistes.
The American singer is among many celebrities from the diaspora who will be coming to Ghana for the ‘Year of Return’ celebration this year to connect with their ancestry.
‘The Year of Return’ marks 400 years since some Black Africans and Ghanaians, for that matter, were shipped as slaves to foreign lands.
Kelly’s presence and live performance in Ghana will definitely rock the entire Ghanaian music scene.
The organisers have confirmed that they have “signed and sealed” a deal to have the R. Kelly perform in Ghana this year.
According to them, they will soon hold press launch of the concert to announce the full list of both local and international artistes who will be performing alongside R. Kelly at the concert, as well the venue and date.
Kelly is known for several hit songs including ‘Bump N’ Grind’, ‘Your Body’s Callin’, ‘I Believe I Can Fly’, ‘Gotham City’, ‘Ignition (Remix)’, ‘If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time’, ‘The World’s Greatest’, ‘I’m a Flirt’ (Remix), among others.
In 1996, he was nominated for a Grammy for writing Michael Jackson’s song ‘You Are Not Alone’.
In 2002 and 2004, Kelly released collaboration albums with rapper Jay-Z and has been a guest vocalist for other hip-hop artistes like Nas, Sean Combs and Notorious B.I.G.
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Southern Baptist Leaders Promise ‘Change’ After Report Uncovers Rampant Sexual Abuse
Article via HuffingtonPost
Almost 400 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998, according to a damning report.
Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the second-largest faith group in the U.S., have vowed real “change” in the aftermath of a damning investigative report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News that uncovered decades of sexual abuse by hundreds of church leaders and volunteers.
According to the three-part investigation, the first installment of which was published on Sunday, about 380 Southern Baptist pastors, ministers, youth pastors, Sunday school teachers, deacons and church volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998. More than 200 of them have been convicted or took plea deals, the newspapers reported, and nearly 100 are currently in prisons across the nation.
The victims of the accused number more than 700, the report said. They include teenagers and children, some as young as 3, who were “molested or raped inside pastors’ studies and Sunday school classrooms.”
Many victims said their stories of abuse were ignored or silenced by church leaders. One victim, who alleged she was raped and impregnated by her pastor when she was a teen, said her church leaders had urged her to get an abortion. When she refused, they threatened her and her child, she said.
Dozens of pastors, employees and volunteers were reportedly allowed to return to work in Southern Baptist churches despite being dogged by sexual abuse allegations.
In the aftermath of the Chronicle’s and Express-News’ report, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have promised to crack down on abuses in the church and to provide a safe space for victims to come forward.
In a multipart tweet on Sunday, J.D. Greear, SBC’s president, said he was “broken” by news of the rampant sexual abuse and vowed to “pursue every possible avenue” to “stopping predators in our midst.”
“We — leaders in the SBC — should have listened to the warnings of those who tried to call attention to this,” Greear wrote, though he did not indicate whether he had been approached personally by victims. “I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure we never make these mistakes again.”
“As a denomination, now is a time to mourn and repent,” Greear added. “Changes are coming. They must. We cannot just promise to ‘do better’ and expect that to be enough. But today, change begins with feeling the full weight of the problem.”
Russell Moore, president of SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said in a blog post on his website that “no church should be frustrated” by the newspapers’ reporting but should instead “thank God for it.”
“The report is alarming and scandalous, the courage and grace of these survivors is contrasted with the horrific depravity of those who would use the name of Jesus to prey on them,” Moore wrote.
Michael Criner, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Bellville, Texas, tweeted that he was “grieved” by the report and called for change in the convention. Hance Dilbeck, the executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said in a statement that he welcomed the investigation’s findings.
“Jesus teaches us to be more critical of ourselves than we are of others. In as far as this article helps us to deal more honestly and clearly with sexual abuse in our churches, and more redemptively with survivors, I welcome it. We need strong voices from within our fellowship and from the outside pushing us to strive to do better,” Dilbeck said.
The SBC, which was also shaken last year by a series of sexual abuse allegations, is a fellowship of more than 47,500 autonomous Baptist churches. With 15 million members across the United States, it’s the country’s second-largest faith group after the Roman Catholic Church, The Washington Post reported.
In his blog post, Moore insisted that “church autonomy is no excuse for a lack of accountability.”
“Yes, in a Baptist ecclesiology each congregation governs its own affairs, and is not accountable to anyone ‘higher up’ in a church system. And yet, the decisions a church makes autonomously determine whether that church is in good fellowship with others. A church that excuses, say, sexual immorality or that opposes missions is deemed out of fellowship with other churches. The same must be true of churches that cover up rape or sexual abuse,” he wrote.
Justin Bieber says he had ‘legitimate problem with sex,’ saved himself for marriage with Hailey Baldwin
Article via FOXNewshttps://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-says-he-had-legitimate-problem-with-sex-saved-himself-for-marriage-with-hailey-baldwin
Justin Bieber revealed he had a “legitimate problem with sex” and explained why he and Hailey Baldwin saved themselves for marriage after rekindling their romance in June.
Bieber, 24, said in a Vogue interview published Thursday that he had been celibate for more than a year when he ran into Baldwin at a conference in Miami. The “Sorry” singer opened up about his sex addiction, saying abstaining from sex helped him feel closer to God.
“He [God] doesn’t ask us not to have sex for him because he wants rules and stuff,” Bieber told Vogue. “He’s like, ‘I’m trying to protect you from hurt and pain.’ I think sex can cause a lot of pain. Sometimes people have sex because they don’t feel good enough. Because they lack self-worth. Women do that, and guys do that.”
“I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behavior,” Bieber added.
The singer said running into his now-wife in June made him realized how much he loved Baldwin despite their previous rough breakup.
“When I saw her last June, I just forgot how much I loved her and how much I missed her and how much of a positive impact she made on my life,” Bieber recalled. “I was like, ‘Holy cow, this is what I’ve been looking for.’”
Bieber and Baldwin, who said they saved themselves for their wedding day, tied the knot in a New York City courthouse in September after 12 weeks of dating. Bieber admitted that sex was one reason for the quick marriage, but the couple is still planning their wedding party.
Baldwin, 22, said the “common denominator” between she and Bieber was “always church.” She admitted she was lonely the first few weeks after becoming the singer’s wife because of the nasty comments about her relationship being posted on social media.
“I prayed to feel peace about the decision [to get married], and that’s where I landed,” she said. “I love him very much. I have loved him for a long time.”
Baldwin said she’s committed to her marriage with Bieber.
“We’re really young, and that’s a scary aspect. We’re going to change a lot. But we’re committed to growing together and supporting each other in those changes,” the model said. “That’s how I look at it. At the end of the day, too, he’s my best friend. I never get sick of him.”
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Where’s my paycheck? Wells Fargo customers say direct deposits not showing up after outage
Article via USAToday
Social media users said Friday they were having trouble seeing paychecks and direct deposits in their Wells Fargo online and mobile banking accounts a day after the bank suffered a major outage.
Widespread technical difficulties hit Wells Fargo’s online banking and mobile app Thursday following a power shutdown caused after smoke was detected at a data center in Shoreview, Minn. The outage was “not due to any cybersecurity event,” the bank said.
By late Thursday, Wells Fargo said in a statement that ATM services had been restored and mobile and online banking were “operational” with the exception of some features, like consumer credit card and mortgage balances.
Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the issues Friday.
However, some customers reported direct deposit paychecks were not appearing in their accounts early Friday.
“My check is not in my account #WellsFargo,” Twitter user @_MinaDan wrote.
“Wait did i not get my direct deposit bc Wells Fargo is garbage,” Twitter user @unfortunvteF wrote.
Some Twitter users said calling 1 (800) 869-3557 provided a correct, updated balance. However, others reported they had trouble getting through to Wells Fargo customer service.
“Alright @WellsFargo once your ‘contained issue’ is resolved I will be moving every account I have at Wells Fargo elsewhere. A mason jar in the backyard seems like a much better option at this time. #DontFWithMyMoney,” Twitter user @ILoveMyRicky10 wrote.
FDA: Breast implants cancer warning
Article via Fortune
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement on Wednesday about the seriousness of the known link between breast implants and a rare cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). At least 457 women in the U.S. have been diagnosed with breast implant-associated lymphoma, also referred to as BIA-ALCL, and nine of those women have died. The FDA is basing these numbers on medical device reports related to ALCL that it has received since 2010.
Officials at the FDA wrote, “We hope that this information prompts providers and patients to have important, informed conversations about breast implants and the risk of BIA-ALCL.” Despite being associated with implants, ALCL is not breast cancer. It is a rare blood cancer, a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and can spread throughout the body. As a supplement to its Wednesday statement, the FDA also published a letter asking health care providers to continue to report possible cases of breast cancer-related ALCL to the agency.
The FDA first sounded the alarm on BIA-ALCL back in 2011. The World Health Organization has noted that since the link was identified two decades ago, ALCL has been linked with both implants saline- and silicone-filled implants.
Additionally, implants are linked to a heightened risk of developing ALCL regardless of whether they are smooth or textured. In November, a renewed investigation into the link between textured breast implants and the rare lymphoma forced several companies that manufacture textured implants, including Allergen and Mentor, to state that despite risks, they would not cease production. The companies urged physicians to continue to inform patients of potential risks associated with the implants.
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Lauryn Hill disappoints on Australian tour: ‘She should have cancelled her show’
Article via The Guardian
Clearly unwell, the groundbreaking artist arrived more than an hour late to an anticipated Sydney show many are demanding refunds for
Lauryn Hill’s solo debut was a defining album for people of my generation, and the artist’s Australian tour promised us pure, indulgent nostalgia: Hill would be playing the record in its entirety, to commemorate its 20th year.
Unfortunately on Thursday night in Sydney it was mainly the fans doing the singing – often at Hill’s request, when she couldn’t reach the notes.
What we mainly heard was noise, over a croaky, failing voice.
No stranger to tardiness, Hill’s tour has already drawn criticism in Europe for her late arrivals. This time, she arrived almost 90 minutes late; she was “feeling under the weather,” warned the DJ tiding us over. That turned out to be a euphemism: at times Hill looked close to fainting.
This Sydney show followed less than favourable reviews from the tour opener in Perth, where the Australianreported that her show was “plagued with production problems” and she “complained via hand gestures that her in-ear monitors were failing”.
In Sydney, many are demanding refunds. “She was clearly super sick and should have cancelled her show FULL STOP,” wrote one audience member on the event’s Facebook page. “If I wanted to see back up singers and hear musical coverage over a husky sick voice, I would have gone to the local pub.”
Sydney’s show also seemed to struggle with its production, with Hill wildly gesticulating to sound people throughout. But the big issue was her illness: she seemed to grow physically sicker on stage too, apologising repeatedly and vowing to return to Sydney and “sing like a bird” when her voice was better. “I don’t think I can do the next song,” she said at one point – but gave it her best shot. Calling in sick to work must feel almost impossible when you’ve got a packed out arena that might not be available for a postponed slot.
In one of the album’s uplifting singles Everything is Everything, Hill urges, “Now hear this mixture where hip hops meets scripture”, but live its mellifluous melody was sacrificed for shouty rap. Hill bridged so many gaps in her career: a woman in a rap world dominated by men, bringing a gospel flavour to a hip hop sound, bringing a welcome melody and emotional depth to rap, clearly influenced by Motown and doo wop. But the gap between what appeared to be laryngitis and singing was a bridge too far.
Hill had almost almost lost her voice completely by the time she croaked her way through Doo Wop (That Thing), but this was the moment some of the energy came back too – and we finally saw the Lauryn Hill we were hoping for. She gave it her all, but her throat was clearly in need of respite.
Hill is due on stage in Brisbane on Sunday, before two shows in Melbourne next week. Sending good vibes to her throat between now and then.
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‘He WAS a pedophile.’ Michael Jackson’s former maid claims she fished little boy’s underwear from his Jacuzzi, found Vaseline throughout rooms at Neverland and he stashed VHS tapes of sex acts with children in secret library
Article via DailyMail
- Adrian McManus worked as Michael Jackson’s personal maid for four years at his Neverland ranch and said she has no doubt the singer was a pedophile
- In an interview with DailyMailTV, McManus claims Jackson brought young boys into his bedroom and said she saw troubling things while cleaning up after him
- The 56-year-old says she fished Jackson’s and children’s underwear from a Jacuzzi at the home, and witnessed kids walking around barely clothed
- She says she found Vaseline and tampons next to Jackson’s bed and around the house and recalls the singer having a strange obsession with photos of children
- McManus said: ‘I didn’t question it, because he was my boss and you just do what you’re supposed to do, but I would wonder’
- But most disturbing was a large collection of VHS cassettes McManus believes contained ‘intimate’ footage the star filmed with children in the 1990s
- She says that as details emerged that Jackson could face criminal charges when former child companion Jordan Chandler alleged abuse, the tapes were hidden
- McManus said she was scared to come forward because she ‘was told by Michael’s bodyguards that they could hire a hit man to take me out’
Michael Jackson was a predatory pedophile who sexually abused ‘dozens’ of children, filmed his sick encounters and kept the footage in a secret library hidden at his Neverland ranch.
That’s the shocking claim made by the star’s former housekeeper who says she witnessed first hand his disturbing interactions with young children and saw the King of Pop’s stash of ‘sex tapes.’
In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV Jackson’s former personal maid Adrian McManus has lifted the lid on the sick behavior she allegedly witnessed during the four years she worked at the Neverland ranch and is in no doubt her former employer was a ‘pedophile’.
She claims the star – who has been accused of serious sexual abuse in a shocking new documentary – brought a long line of young boys into his bedroom and that she saw many troubling things while cleaning up after him.
Watch the maids interview: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6673973/Michael-Jacksons-former-maid-says-pedophile-boys-underwear-Jacuzzi.html#v-8273471457035109188
She says she found Vaseline and tampons next to Jackson’s bed and scattered around the house and recalls the singer having a strange obsession with photos of children.
‘There was a lot of Vaseline around Neverland, a lot in Michael’s bedroom,’ she recalls.
‘I didn’t question it, because he was my boss and you just do what you’re supposed to do, but I would wonder.
‘And they had it all over in the main house, there was a rose room, it was up there. They had it in train room, which was kind of like an attic; they had that up there. It was in every room, the soldier room.
‘It was in drawers. Sometimes it was on counters. Sometimes they would find it on the golf carts that Michael would take out to drive around.’
McManus would often have to clean up after Jackson had boys over for long weekends.
‘I found underwear that were in the back of Michael’s main room and one of the closets and it was in the back of the filing cabinets,’ she recalls.
‘They were very hard, and crunchy, and yellow, but I didn’t know who they belonged to.
‘When I would go in to pick up Mr Jackson’s bedroom, many times when there were his special guests there, little boys, they were taking baths with him in his Jacuzzi. He had a Jacuzzi in the bedroom and I used to have to let the water out of the Jacuzzi, so I had to put hangers together in order to get to the middle of the Jacuzzi to let the water out.
‘But Michael would have his underwear floating in the water and the little boys’ underwear floating in the water together. If they weren’t floating in the water, they were outside on the floor around the Jacuzzi. So I would find stuff like that.’
She added: ‘With all the little boys he would hold their hands and kiss them. And they would fight for Michael’s love. It was a strange environment to watch.’
The maid claims she also saw books on masturbation in the bedroom and one time Jackson asked her to laminate photos of naked babies and have them put in his room for decoration.
But most disturbing was a large collection of VHS cassettes McManus believes contained ‘intimate’ footage the star filmed with children in the 1990s.
The maid believes the singer – who died a decade ago from drug abuse – hid the ‘damaging’ material from police by storing it in a movie projection theater away from the main house on the sprawling Neverland ranch.
Asked about the videos, she said: ‘I think they were of Michael with boys doing inappropriate things that had to be hidden, or they would have put him in jail. I think they were sex tapes.’
While McManus admits she never actually saw the contents of the tapes, she says Jackson’s behavior and the shroud of secrecy placed on the tapes has left her convinced of their more sinister nature.
‘After watching Michael with the boys and dealing with the way he was and what I saw and then hearing what I heard, I believe it to be true,’ she says.
McManus also points to the fact Jackson was obsessed with capturing everything on camera at Neverland and had a walk-in closet filled with expensive camera equipment and battery chargers.
‘He had a lot of batteries charging, the chargers always charging and cameras, a closet full of cameras and battery chargers, so they were always ready for him to use,’ she recalls.
‘And when that one died, next, but he always had a camera on him taking pictures of the boys, kids. It was always the boys. That’s all that’s really there.’
Her claims come in the wake of the release of Leaving Neverland – an HBO documentary detailing Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck’s allegations of long term abuse by Jackson.
Producers for the show also claimed they were made aware of potential tapes, but never found them.
A 2003 criminal case spurred by 13-year-old cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo’s accusations led to Jackson’s arrest, trial and 2005 acquittal. Pictured: Jackson arriving for an evidentiary hearing in his child molestation case on August 16, 2004
From 1990, McManus spent four years as Jackson’s personal maid – one of just a few staff to have access to the star’s bedroom, bathroom and secret chambers.
She says that as details emerged that Jackson could face criminal charges when former child companion Jordan Chandler alleged abuse, the tapes were hidden.
‘I don’t know where they went, but I did hear that one of the nephews of the man who ran the theater had got a hold of a lot of the videos and hid them,’ she recalls.
‘The rumor was the projectionist said that they were very damaging to Michael.
‘I had heard that the man who ran the theater, he had mentioned that his nephew had come over there once in a while. His nephew would run the theater when the older man wouldn’t. And rumors were that he packed them up in the trunk and took them off the ranch.’
In 1993, 13-year-old Jordan Chandler brought charges of sexual abuse against Jackson that ended in a reported $20 million cash settlement.
And a 2003 criminal case spurred by 13-year-old cancer survivor Gavin Arvizo’s accusations led to Jackson’s arrest, trial and 2005 acquittal.
McManus’ claims of the existence of videos were in part supported by Leaving Neverland producer Dan Reed, who says Safechuck was aware of ‘sexual’ videos Jackson had filmed.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, British award winning creative Reed said: ‘James mentioned to me at one point, “You know, Michael had a video camera and he recorded a sexual act.” But he didn’t go into detail. And then Jackson was like, “Oh, what did I do?” and taped over it.
‘I have all the evidence that I need. And there was no video recording that exists of Michael having sex with [these] children.
‘There was no flagrante delicto with these guys. We don’t have the tapes.’
McManus, like Reed, is in no doubt that the superstar singer was a child molester – a claim which is yet to be proven.
These days she works as a carer in Nipomo, California, and says she ‘is at peace’ with branding her former boss a sex abuser, despite still suffering with anxiety and panic attacks as a result of the experience.
She adds that she was not shocked at the claims made by Robson and Safechuck, who were regular private guests in Jackson’s bedroom during her years working for him
‘I’m not shocked. I already know what he is. I live with it. I know the truth. It wouldn’t shock me. It is kind of what it is, what it was. I think it would be devastating to his fans, who are blindfolded by the reality. That’s what would hurt.’
She has previously claimed that she recalls Jackson accuser Safechuck being cajoled into playing dress-up with the King of Pop.
She says she always wondered about Jackson’s relationship with Safechuck in early 1990s.
‘Michael would be obsessed with Jimmy,’ she said. ‘They would go into the bedroom and play dress-up. Jimmy would take his clothes off, and Michael would let him wear his personal shirts, pajamas and famous black fedora hat.’
She said Safechuck was a regular guest at Neverland and his relationship with Jackson ‘didn’t feel right.’
She recalled how Jackson would get Jimmy alone and ‘lock him away’ for days at a time.
‘He was always cuddling him, holding his hand or being amorous towards him more like a girlfriend than a friend,’ she said.
McManus tried and failed to sue Jackson along with other employees in 1994 for their treatment during their employment.
Melanie Bagnall, Kassim Abdool, Ralph Chacon, McManus and Sandy Domz said they were harassed and threatened by security guards and fired or forced to quit in 1994.
In their depositions McManus and Chacon spoke about the singer’s alleged sexual abuse of minors.
McManus was also called as a prosecution witness in his 2005 criminal trial.
The former maid says Jackson got away with the abuse for so many years because of the regime of fear and intimidation he ran.
She claims Jackson’s private security team would issue death threats and intimidate staff and children to stay silent about what they saw in Neverland during the early 90s.
And the King Of Pop himself issued threats to staff who questioned his behavior.
‘I knew Michael very, very well, and I was told that what I know you just don’t say it, and that really concerned me.
‘I was threatened by Michael when I took over his bedroom, so I was already scared with that and I was afraid for my family.
‘At that point, I was thinking of my life and my family’s life; something could happen to me.
‘I was told by Michael’s bodyguards that they could hire a hit man to take me out, that they could have somebody slice my neck and you’d never find my body. So yeah, I was very concerned and it’s my life and I cared about my life.’
She continued: ‘Nobody knew what these bodyguards were, and everybody was afraid of them. They carried guns and they would tell you little things and pet their guns. These guys were wicked and scary.’
McManus recalls how Jackson himself used intimidation tactics, calling her at home on Mother’s Day in 1993, just as the pressure mounted around the Jordan Chandler case.
‘He called me at home and he said he wanted to ask me something and I said “yeah, go ahead.”
‘And he asked me continuously “what do you know?” “What do you mean?’, I said. “Michael I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”
‘I think he knew that I was on to him, and he wanted to see if I was stupid enough to say that.
‘He was concerned about what he was doing because after that the allegations popped up. He wanted to see how loyal I was to him.
‘Michael was a manipulator and I was scared of him. I was programmed not to ask questions.’
McManus believes the star’s staggering wealth – at the time an estimated $250million – meant the Bad singer felt untouchable.
Jackson spent millions of dollars on high profile lawyers and even employed notorious private detective Anthony Pellicano to protect his image – and muddy the names of any detractors.
McManus said: ‘I think anybody who came into contact with him (Jackson) has been destroyed, and they suffered, because there was something not right with him. He was a pedophile.’
She added: ‘I am happy the world is now questioning Michael, but there will still be unbelievers.
‘I hope people take off their blinders and realize that he was a man. People have urges. I wish more people would have spoken up, because maybe today Michael would have been alive if they put him in prison. Maybe things could have gone different.’
McManus said she was scared to come forward because she ‘was told by Michael’s bodyguards that they could hire a hit man to take me out’