Evan Chandler, the dentist father of the boy who accused Michael Jackson of child molestation in the early ’90s, is dead.
Reports from various sources say that Chandler, 65, committed suicide at his luxury condo in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 800 square foot rental apartment in Liberty Towers was a far cry from Chandler’s pre-Jackson scandal world in Beverly Hills where he was a dentist to the stars and an aspiring screenwriter.
Sources also say that Chandler, whose real last name was Charmatz, had been on the outs with his son, Jordan, since an incident involving the police in 2006. According to public records, Evan Chandler still owed his public defender in that case $95.00.
Jordy Chandler accused Michael Jackson of molestation in 1993. The result was a settlement in which Jackson paid the Chandlers more than $20 million. The case never went to trial, but it forever tarnished Jackson. It did cause a rift between Jordy and his mother, June, from whom he was estranged until recently.
As part of the deal with Jackson, Chandler, his ex wife, and her then husband each received $1.5 million of their own.
In 1996, Mary Fischer, a journalist for GQ magazine, published a story refuting many of the child molestation claims. Fisher gathered evidence that Evan Chandler and Jordy’s stepfather conspired to shake Jackson down by drugging the boy and suggesting answers to him.
In 2005, Ray Chandler (nee Charmatz) self published a book detailing his account of witnessing his brother Evan finding out about Jordy’s relationship with Michael Jackson, and how he proceeded from there. The book, “All That Glitters,” caused a stir, but its veracity could never be proved.
Still another book, also published in 2005, by Jackson’s long time press aide Bob Jones — since deceased — questioned the closeness of Jackson in 1993 to the 12-year-old boy. Jones — who was angry with Jackson for firing him without notice or a word after almost three decades — said he observed inappropriate behavior between Jackson and Jordy.
Right after Michael Jackson died, the Internet was overwhelmed with rumors that Jordy Chandler had recanted his story. Alas, it was just an urban myth. To this day, Jordy Chandler has never commented on the case. His mother, June Chandler, testified at the 2005 trial — in which Jackson was accused of molesting Gavin Arvizo– that she believed Jackson was guilty of harming her son. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153158,00.html
Evan Chandler always had a basic problem in his story about Michael Jackson. His first instinct upon hearing that his son had been allegedly in a sexual affair with Jackson was not to beat the tar out of the singer. His basic reaction was to try and get money and a movie deal out of Jackson. The money proved to be his undoing. For many years, Chandler oversaw Jordy’s finances. They even bought a house in the Hamptons. But in later years he lost that control. By 2005 it was said that father and son weren’t speaking, and that Evan was ill. Now he’s dead, just five months after Michael Jackson. And the only person who really knows the truth of what happened in 1993 is Jordy Chandler.
“Captain EO” is coming back.
Rob Thomas (left), who leads superstar rock band matchbox twenty, isn’t considered edgy because he’s been married for ten years, doesn’t get into the tabloids, is a sober, eminently likeable, dedicated musician and gifted songwriter. He hasn’t sniffed up a relative’s ashes, or fallen out of a tree, or run off with a girl half his age. What can you do?