Tom Joyner from Ebony magazine conducted an exclusive interview with Michael on the set of the Beat It video:
The ‘tudor castle’ Tom refers to is Hayvenhurst, the Encino estate Michael’s parents, Joseph and Katherine, had bought for the family to live in. In 1981, Joseph was experiencing financial trouble due to some failed business ventures. He needed some cash and so he sold Michael half the estate’s equity for $500,000. Joe and Katherine retained ownership of the other half. Eventually, Joe also sold his quarter to Michael, leaving Katherine with 25% ownership of the property.
Once he took over part ownership of the property, Michael completely demolished and re-built the house. The new house took 2 years to finish and was modeled on the tudor-style mansions he had seen in the English countryside whilst on tour a few years earlier.
There were llamas, giraffes and peacocks on the new estate as well as a replica of Disneyland’s main street, complete with candy store.
Though he had to share it with his family, Hayvenhurst would be Michael’s private retreat till 1988 when he would buy his own estate called Sycamore Ranch on the Santa Ynez Valley. He bought it in secret as he didn’t want his family trying to convince him not to move out of the family home. Once he moved into Sycamore Ranch, he re-christened it ‘Neverland Valley’.
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