Court TV Host: Comedian and activist Dick Gregory is a staunch supporter of Michael Jackson by heart, and he's gone on a forty day fast in opposition to the child abuse charges filed against the King of Pop. Mr. Gregory was just on Catherine Crier Live, and he now joins us here online. Thanks for being our guest online today!

Court TV Host: Is there anything you didn't get a chance to say on the air that you'd like to begin by discussing here?

Dick Gregory: When they were discussing the Nation of Islam, I find it kind of interesting that whenever there's violence in the black community, all the business people, the white people, they all run. The Nation of Islam comes out to quiet the ride. Nobody says that's playing the race card. Malcolm X kept calling white folks devils, but it was white folks who put Malcolm on the stamp. There wasn't one black person in the room when that decision was made.

Question from Jae: How is Michael holding up?

Dick Gregory: I don't know, because I'm not personally in contact with him. But I'm in contact with people who are in contact with him, and they seem to think that he's okay. I don't share that myself; I think he's probably suffering from sleep deprivation -- you look at that interview on 60 Minutes -- Michael is too smart to say some of the things he said on that show. I write that off to sleep deprivation, he's stressed out -- he's shooting from the hip.

Question from Andrea: After so many allegations why do you feel Michael is innocent??

Dick Gregory: Cause I know him. The Michael I know would never do anything like that. One of the things that is associated with pedophiles or fathers who have sex with their children, is alcohol. No one, his bitterest critics, has ever reported seeing Michael Jackson with a drink or with drugs, although most of those cases, 98% of them, are with alcohol, not hard drugs.

Question from everhart: Do you really think he was roughed up by the police?

Dick Gregory: That I don't know. First, the police answer to that was kind of strange -- first they said we have film, and Michael was in that jail for 63 minutes. They didn't show us 63 minutes of film -- I'm not saying that what he said happened, I'm questioning the police's reaction to it, when they said they have film of the whole time he was with them, and they didn't show us that. If you're going to show us the film that you want to show me, what happened in the parts that you didn't show me? A lot of people said, well, when he walked out of the jail, he raised his hand and waived -- I'll tell you this, my son is a doctor in DC, a chiropractor, and he told me, many years ago, that a lot of times, when there's a major accident, and the emergency vehicles show up, and they ask the victim, how do you feel? And the victim says, fine, and his leg has been cut off. It's adrenaline, and at the time they don't feel the pain of a concussion or a knee injury until it's over. On 60 Minutes, when he said my shoulder was dislocated, and he raised his hand up to scratch his forehead, that raises some questions -- no one asked about that. When the police said that that they were going to launch an investigation, and if they found out that the charges are not founded, they are going to file charges against Michael. You can't file charges against me because of what I say about a cop on TV. You file charges when I file charges -- when I file charges against the cop, and the investigation proves the cop didn't do it, then you can file charges. What they seem to be doing is what we call "trash talking" -- people say things but it won't hold up in court. And so it would have been better if this had been true, to have one of the most powerful attorneys in the country, and the whole world was watching, why didn't the lawyer say, this is what happened to my client. It would have served his cause better had those accusations been made right after he came out of jail, with the worldwide press there. Maybe that can be explained, I don't know.

Question from Arizona: Are you a personal friend of Michael Jackson? If so, how long have you known him?

Dick Gregory: I've known Michael, I guess, for close to 25 years. I don't consider myself a close personal friend. At one time, we would talk at least 3 or 4 times a week. I haven't talked to Michael in at least 5 years.

Question from jmfstl: What do you hope to accomplish with a hunger strike? I mean what good is a hunger strike -- just let the system play out.

Dick Gregory: Whenever you go on a hunger strike, you never fast to change the heart or minds of tyrants. You never fast or pray to make bad people good people. You fast to create a positive energy where other forces can come together, and that creates a light. And I felt that millions of people, his fans around the world, didn't believe it, and I felt if I could give them something to do, that would help relieve the stress and the anxiety. And so I'm saying I'm going to go 40 days without eating any solid food, and pray every day at noon, then the truth will come out. I for one do not believe what Michael has been accused of doing. For the millions of people like me, I gave them something to do -- just pray every day at noon. I didn't say that he would be found not guilty -- I was just saying the truth would come out. The prayer vigil would be for the truth to come out. And there are a lot of people like me, who don't believe Michael is guilty -- and I just gave them something to do. We can pray and meditate around the world for the truth. and I feel comfortable that the truth will come out.

Question from emcas: After MJ's behavior over the years, isn't there any part of you that thinks he is the slightest bit off, ill, demented, etc.?

Dick Gregory: I think there's a lot of things that he's done that show he's a bit weird and strange. So is Santa Claus. But that doesn't make him a pedophile. There are priests who have been arrested as pedophiles who never acted weird or strange. People were shocked when they admitted that they had violated little boys. If you lined up all the priests who have been indicted, and all the priests who have admitted to child abuse, and put them next to Michael, Michael comes out looking stranger than them. And so I'm just confident that when the truth comes out, Michael will be vindicated, and that's what I believe.

Question from dream_of_snow89: What news organizations are covering the case fairly? Are there any that are unfair covering this case?

Dick Gregory: I think all of the news media is covering him -- this is entertainment, and theater -- and theater will stop when the trial starts.

Question from Cindy: Can you explain why you as a Michael Jackson supporter hasn't talked him out of sleeping with little boys?

Dick Gregory: I don't feel that's my job. If he feels that's comfortable, I would never try to talk him out of it. I would try to talk him out of mentioning it. If he feels it's his business, and he's not doing anything wrong, why mention it? You don't tell people when you pay your bills, so there are certain things you hold as personal. You have families of children who make straight As and they tell the world, and you have other children who are flunking, and nobody mentions it.

Court TV Host: The final segment on Catherine Crier tonight was an interview with the lawyer for dirty-bomb suspect Jose Padilla -- who has been held as an enemy combatant, even though he is a US citizen -- as a civil rights activist, have you contemplated a fast or other action on his behalf?

Dick Gregory: No, I haven't. If I knew him as well as I knew Michael, or there was a group leading a protest in front of the White House or Justice Department, I'd gladly lend my name to it. There's probably ten thousand causes out here that one could be part of, but mostly you don't know they exist. Most of the time when I demonstrate, it's because someone calls me and briefs me on the situation. Do I think this government is wrong for what they're doing to him? I think yes.

Court TV Host: Any closing thoughts?

Dick Gregory: When I started the 40 day fast, my doctors had warned me that I shouldn't do it because they knew I had lymphoma cancer of the lung, spleen and lower stomach. That happened in 1999 -- about 5 days before I ended the fast, I received the results of the last test I had at Mt. Sinai in LA, and all my cancer is gone. I've never taken conventional medicine, no chemo, no radiation, no drugs -- I wouldn't suggest people follow what I did -- but I had a thorough background in nutrition and could call people from all over the world and ask them questions. So as pleased and happy as I was when I received the word that the cancer was gone, I can't say I was surprised because I know the power of prayer, the power of meditation, and the power of good nutrition. But now I can join the ranks with a new label -- I am a cancer survivor.

Court TV Host: Congratulations, and thank you for being our guest today.

Dick Gregory: Thank you.