Shrinking singer dropped to 6 1/2 stone

He may have been cleared of all the charges, but he emerged from court a broken man.

As Michael Jackson, 46, walked out into the California sunshine greeted by his screaming fans, he appeared wan and expressionless and little like the man once known as the King of Pop.

A few kisses of gratitude blown to the crowd, and then back to Neverland: could this really be the same Michael Jackson who, on the day he was arraigned last year, danced on top of his 4x4 to entertain the fans? The bruising four-month trial took a physical and mental toll on him.

There were reports that the 5ft 10in singer weighed less than 9st and that his weight may even have fallen as low as 61/2st.

Two weeks ago his father Joe said: "I'm trying to tell him to stay strong, yet he has lost a lot of weight. Even his fans are saying, 'Michael should eat'."

He now faces trying to rebuild a musical career blighted by a decade of scandal and revelations about his eccentric lifestyle. Image management and music industry experts say Jackson could make a comeback in Europe and Asia, where his following has long surpassed his stature in the US.

"His popularity overseas has been sustained, and that's probably the place he can do the best," said talent manager Ken Kragen, an organiser of the We Are The World charity effort built around the song Jackson co-wrote 20 years ago.

Some have suggested he might carve out a niche as a headliner in Las Vegas, a city of second chances for many faded superstars.

Others believe that despite complete exoneration by the jury, Jackson might well remain in virtual exile.