Two SIUC students interning on the entertainment news show, Extra, unexpectedly became more involved in their work when they were interviewed after meeting the King of Pop.

Erica Reeves, a senior in radio and television from Bellwood, and Tamaria Hattix, a senior in radio and television from Memphis, met Michael Jackson at the Universal City Walk in Universal City, Calif. midnight, Monday and appeared on Extra a day later.

Reeves said they were eating in KWGB restaurant in Universal City when one of their friends walked in and said he saw Michael Jackson outside.

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I said yeah right’, Reeves said. Then the waitress came by and told us he really was right in front if we wanted to see him go outside.

Michael Jackson was standing outside with his teenage cousins and no bodyguards or disguise, Hattix said.

He was outside shaking people’s hands, Hattix said. Security came to control the crowd, but he still waved to his fans and shook their hands.

Reeves said after he shook one fan’s hand Michael Jackson continued to keep his hand extended to the crowd.

Tamaria and I saw his hand and we just grabbed it and held his hand for so long it seemed like five minutes, Reeves said.

He held our hands too and did not pull it away. All I could say was Oh my God!’

He was so cordial and his hands were so soft, Hattix said. My friend got the camcorder from the car and filmed Michael Jackson going into the Sam Goody record store to shop.

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The next day they told the producers of Extra, and they asked if they had footage of Michael Jackson, Reeves said.

We told them we had footage from the camcorder and they took us back to City Walk (where they met him) and we were interviewed, Reeves said.

Reeves said she has been a big Michael Jackson fan since she was young, and she still has faith in him.

When the negative allegations came out, I still supported him and always will, she said.

In addition to meeting Michael Jackson the two have seen Marlon Wayans, Steven Seagal, the artist formerly known as Prince, and live in the same apartment building as R&B singers, II the Extreme.

The interview aired Tuesday night on KFVS-12.

Reeves and Hattix are interns at Extra as a part of the Hollywood studies intern program through the radio and television department at SIUC.