Jermaine: Michael's 'Great to Kids'

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday December 11, 2002 11:00 AM EST

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Jermaine Jackson defended his younger brother Michael's behavior on CNN's "Connie Chung Tonight" Tuesday, saying Michael was simply "caught up in the excitement" when he dangled his infant son from a Berlin hotel balcony while fans watched four stories below.

Jermaine, 48, insisted that Michael, 44, was not aiming to harm the boy.

"You judge a person by their intentions," Jermaine told Chung. "He is a wonderful father. He's a great dad. He's great to our kids, my kids."

Michael Jackson sparked worldwide outrage when he briefly hoisted his son Prince Michael II over the hotel railing last month while he was on a break from testifying in a $21-million breach-of-contract suit against him in California.

Even former friend Cher was offended, telling "Entertainment Tonight," "I don't have a nice thing to say about (Michael Jackson). Yeah, he and I were friends when he was little. I watched him grow up, but you know, you dangle a baby over a balcony, and that's it for me."

Jackson later issued a statement saying he made a mistake and would never endanger his children.

Besides Prince Michael II, Jackson has two other children, Prince Michael I, 5, and Paris, 4.

Jermaine Jackson conceded that dangling the child out the window may have been unwise, but he said the media took the matter out of context because "they never showed the 60-some-thousand fans down there being excited about his presence."