In an interview Monday night with CNN's Larry King, Michael Jackson's father denied allegations that he'd physically abused the pop star when he was a child (though he admitted his son had barred him from his life) and that he was hoping to take Michael's three children on tour next year as the Jackson 3. Responding to the abuse claim, Joe Jackson said, "That's a bunch of bull-s….I raised him just like you would raise your kids, you know? But harm Michael, for what? I have no reason. That's my son. I loved him and I still love him." He called rumors of a Jackson 3 tour "a bunch of jive": "I'm not encouraging them to do nothing," he said. "They have to be what they are, kids at the moment." He also reiterated that he believed foul play was involved in Michael's death, noting the amount of time it took for Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician attending to Michael at the time of his passing, to come in for questioning. Murray's attorney has denied that his client was ever in hiding.
Get Ken Tucker's take: Joe Jackson's hollow denials about beating Michael on 'Larry King Live'
