An outraged Michael Jackson has signed a deal with Fox television to air his rebuttal to a controversial documentary that put his eccentric life under a critical microscope.
Fox said today it would air a two-hour special on February 20th featuring Jackson's own footage of British interviewer Martin Bashir, who is seen telling him; "Your relationship with your children is spectacular."
Jackson's attempt to turn the tables on Bashir, who he accused of betrayal, follows a new furore over the self-styled King of Pop's relationship with his own three young children, and his defence of sharing his bed with other kids.
Bashir's documentary drew huge television audiences in both Britain and the United States last week and prompted calls for Jackson, 44, to be investigated by child welfare authorities. Authorities in California have declined to comment.
The Fox special, called "Take 2; The Interview They Wouldn't Show You" includes footage from Jackson's own cameraman taken over the eight-month period that Bashir spent with Jackson at his Neverland ranch in California, in Berlin and in Las Vegas.
Bashir, in his documentary, expressed deep unease about Jackson's relations with his own children, their isolation from their mothers, and Jackson's view of himself as Peter Pan.
But Bashir is shown on Jackson's own tape saying; "It almost makes me weep when I see you with them (children) because your interaction with them is just so natural, so loving, so caring."
Jackson has repeatedly denied any sexual interest in children and accused Bashir last week of hypocrisy and betraying his trust.
The Fox special includes interviews with Debbie Rowe, Jackson's former wife and mother of two of his children, in which she defends the singer. It also features an interview with 12-year-old cancer sufferer Gavin Arvizo, who has shared Jackson's bedroom and was seen tightly clutching hands with Jackson during the original documentary.