Matt Lauer’s Rare Look Inside Jackson’s Neverland Ranch

Today show host, Matt Lauer, interviewed Michael Jackson’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, this morning and was given a rare behind-the-scene glimpse of Jackson’s beloved Neverland Ranch.

It was a very emotional discussion, of course, with Jermaine speaking candidly about his brother’s death a week ago today.

He recalled how he learned about the tragic news: “She was crying, saying he was dead. To hear my mother say, ‘Michael is dead,’ to feel and hear the tone in her voice to say her child is dead, is nothing that anyone can ever imagine.  I tried to console her but I wanted to see Michael and I wanted to see my brother. To see him there lifeless and breathless was very emotional for me. But I held myself together because I knew he’s very much alive in his spirit, and that was just a shell. But I kissed him on his forehead, and I hugged him, and I touched him and I said Michael, ‘I’ll never leave you. You’ll never leave me.’”

Even more heartwrenching was what he said next:  “I don’t know how people are going to take this, but I wish it was me.  I’ve always felt that I was his backbone; someone to — someone to be there for him.”

I’ve been wondering how Michael’s three children have been coping.  On that subject, Jermaine said that they took the kids to see Michael after he had died: “I know it’s tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first I was against it, but what do you say if you don’t show them?”

The children a currently in the care of Michael’s mother, Katharine, which would have been his wishes, according to his will.  Jermaine said: “I thought it was a great will because the children are fine, my mother’s the perfect person to be there, and it’s definitely him.”

He also led Lauer around the massive grounds of Neverland Ranch.

Jermain also spoke of his brother’s strength: “Michael has always been a person who was against anything like that. But I’m not saying it’s right, because it’s not right, but in this business the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turn(s) to.”

While funeral plans are still being made, Jermaine did comment on the speculation that Michael could be buried at Neverland: “This is his home. He created this. Why wouldn’t he be here?”

Watch the interview:

SEE MORE PICTURES OF NEVERLAND RANCH AFTER THE JUMP!

NBC Photos: Trae Patton