On Friday we reported on a story about Jackson patriarch Joe planning a $300 million Michael Jackson “museum” in the family’s hometown of Gary, Indiana. There were also plans for an eventual hotel and casino that would use MJ’s memory as an excuse for Joe to keep the money flowing in endless construction projects and shady business deals.
Now that almost a year has passed since Michael’s untimely death, the Jackson family is going to celebrate the anniversary the only way they know how – by trying to make money off it. For tickets that start at just $250, fans can gain entrance into a musical celebration featuring as-of-yet unnamed acts that surely consist of Jackson family members and musicians represented by Joe’s record company. (The one he plugged in his first remarks following Michael’s death.)
Michael Jackson’s legacy continues to live on.
On the one-year anniversary of the King of Pop’s death, the Jackson Family Foundation will be presenting “Forever Michael,” a red carpet celebration event featuring performances honoring the late singer.
“The vision is to bring together Michael Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honor his legacy,” says VoicePlate Productions, the company producing the June 26 event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
The party will be open to the public – $500 for VIP tickets and $250 for general admission can be purchased on VoicePlate.com.
That’s precious that they formed a charity to make it look like the super steep ticket price was somehow a donation. The website for the event notes that “A portion of the proceeds for this event will benefit the Jackson Family Foundation.” I wonder what portion that will be, and what portion of the money in the “Jackson Family Foundation” goes toward paying the Jacksons’ steep salaries.
As we mentioned Friday, we still haven’t heard a word about that postponed multi-million dollar tribute concert that Jermaine announced and sold tickets to in Vienna. It was originally scheduled for last September but was then delayed until June. The website for the event is still blank. So now we have yet another concert planned by the Jacksons with artists that aren’t even announced and a ticket cost of $250-$500. How much do you want to bet that this one will be a colossal failure too?
On Wednesday we heard a disturbing story that one of the Jackson children was taunting his cousins, Michael’s children, with a stun gun that he purchased online. Rumor had it that Jafaar Jackson, Jermaine’s 13 year-old son, had ordered either one or two 3,000 volt stun guns online and had run around the family mansion in Encino, CA with one of them, threatening Michael’s youngest son Blanket, 8, and letting his other cousins play with the weapon. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, acknowledged that Jafaar had purchased the gun but said in a statement that the boy had only tested it on a piece of paper and at no time was Blanket or any other child in contact with it. The California Department of Children and Family Services launched an investigation after the incident, and has made at least two visits to the home to interview the no less than 14 people who regularly live there.
There was some speculation as to who reported the incident to DCFS, considering that Katherine Jackson denied that any of the children were in danger. According to paparazzi agency X17, the Jackson family’s longterm nanny, Grace Rwaramba, notified the agency. They claim that there’s a longstanding feud between Grace and Katherine, and say that Katherine “is afraid to get rid of Rwaramba because she has been threatening to write a tell-all book.”
X17online can report exclusively that the Jackson family suspects the children’s nanny Grace Rwaramba is the leak from within their Encino home, who made the initial call to the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services. She’s also suspected of spilling information to a tabloid website.
Our Jackson family source tells us that “Grace is trying to get custody of Michael’s kids while trying to paint Katherine as an unfit guardian. She’s throwing it in Katherine’s face! The children absolutely despise Grace.”
The source tells us Michael Jackson fired Rwaramba five times. Once the singer died, the nanny made her return to the Hayvenhurst home and was kicked off the property by Michael’s younger brother, Randy. Sources tell us that Katherine is afraid to get rid of Rwaramba because she has been threatening to write a tell-all book.
The recent stun gun incident involving Jermaine Jackson’s 13-year old son Jaafar has brought to the forefront the strained relationship between the former nanny and the Jackson family.
A video showing Jaafar Jackson pushing his 9-year old brother Jermajesty was sold to a website recently and X17online has been told that the Jackson family believes Grace Rwaramba released this tape.
Since the stun gun story “leaked,” Rwaramba has been mysteriously absent from the home. Jackson family sources tell X17 that her days are numbered.
X17 has run some bogus stories in the past. (Particularly when they got duped by a woman who claimed she was having an affair with Tony Parker and ended up being a hooker who ran scams like that in the past. It really is an incredible story if you’re interested in reading the background.) That said, they have a lot of people on the ground who are privvy to insider information. This could be true, and even if all they know is that Grace took off after the stun gun incident it does make it look like she’s the one who reported it.
We’ve heard stories of a feud between Grace and Katherine in the past. The National Enquirer claimed that Grace and Katherine were fighting over the care of the children after Michael passed. They even reported that Grace and Michael’s sister, Rebbie, got into a physical altercation that came to blows.
TMZ has more, including the detail that one of the women living in the home, Alejandra Oaziaza Jackson, is in the process of divorcing Jermaine and has an issue with the way he gave her child support – in Ralph’s grocery store gift cards. Alejandro has four children in total that all live in the home. She had two of them with Randy Jackson in the 90s, and then two more with Randy’s brother Jermaine, Jafaar, 13, and Jermajesty, 9. All of this is background for how Jafaar got the credit card to buy the stun gun. Apparently he bought a credit card from Ralph’s supermarket, and it may have been one of those pre-paid cards that are easier to obtain. He probably just swiped a gift card from his mom to buy the credit card.
TMZ also notes that Jackson mansion has 26 bathrooms and 12 bedrooms, which sounds more than adequate to house 14 people, even if some of them are currently divorcing. It sounds incredibly chaotic, though, especially when the children’s main caregiver has left abruptly after fighting with their grandmother. Katherine Jackson, 79, is responsible for eight children in total, although there is also a second nanny, a woman named Sister Rose from the Nation of Islam, who shares childcare along with maybe-fired Grace.
Michael Jackson’s family was the subject of an investigation by the California Department of Child and Family Services after his nephew, 13 year-old Jafaar, purchased one or two stun guns over the Internet and reportedly played with his cousins with the weapon, possibly taunting them. Jafaar, Jermaine’s son, has been living with Jackson’s three children, Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8, in the Jackson family mansion in Encino, California. Jafaar’s younger brother, Jermajesty, 9, also lives with them, as do his two half-siblings, Genevieve, 20, and Randy Jr., 18. One of the most interesting parts of this story is the fact that Jafaar’s half brother and sister are by the same mother, not the same father. A woman named Alejandra Oaziaza had two children each with brothers Randy and Jermaine and she lives at the mansion with all four of her kids.
What’s more is that there are no less than 14 people in the home, including a kid named Dante whose “parentage is unknown” and a 25 year-old Norwegian rapper named Omer Bhatti. (You might remember Bhatti as the guy who made headlines as Jackson’s possible “secret son.”) Grandmother Katherine Jackson, who has legal custody of Michael’s children, also lives there, as does the children’s longterm nanny, Grace Rwamba, and another babysitter. Overall the house sounds jam packed with people, but it’s described as a “sprawling compound” that was bought by Michael 20 years ago before he moved to Neverland. It’s probably more of an estate and while some of the kids may share rooms there’s probably enough space. (Here’s an aerial view of the home.)
Getting back to the stun gun incident, both TMZ and ABC news report that the kids played with the gun for a few days, even chasing Blanket around the house with it, before the weapon was confiscated by security at the mansion. Katherine Jackson’s lawyer has released a statement saying that Jafaar had only just opened the package with the gun and tested it on a piece of paper before it was found, though.
Officials from the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services were called Monday night to Hayvenhurst, the Jackson family compound in Encino, Calif., to investigate reports that Jaafar Jackson, the 13-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson, purchased the weapon, a law enforcement official and sources close to the family told ABCNews.com.
Jaafar allegedly bought at least one stun gun, and possibly two, off the Internet, and the children, who all live in the house, played with the weapon for three days before they were caught, sources close to the family say they were told.
One of those sources says they were told that when the children were finally caught using the weapon they allegedly were playing with it and chasing Jackson’s youngest son, 8-year-old Prince Michael Jackson, nicknamed Blanket.
DCFS officers returned to the mock Tudor home Tuesday night, owned by Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson, 80, to interview more family members.
Sources said officials were surprised to learn that as many as 14 people regularly live in the home, and several others routinely stay there.
The sources’ accounts were refuted in a statement released Tuesday by Katherine Jackson’s attorney, Adam Streisand. According to the statement, Jaafar ordered only one taser online, opened the package alone in the bathroom and tested it on a piece of paper.
According to Streisand’s account, Katherine Jackson and household security heard the taser and immediately confiscated it.
“Blanket Jackson never saw or heard the taser,” concludes the attorney’s statement. “Neither did Paris Jackson. Prince saw the taser in the possession of security. There is no second taser.”
TMZ has more details on this case, and they’re sticking with the story that the gun was in the home for a few days and that Jafaar was pointing it at his cousins. DCFS conducted initial interviews with the family yesterday and intends to come back again today to speak separately to all the adults and children in the home. There’s said to be some discord among the staff and family, with some people planning to say that the gun was around for a few days and that there’s another one somewhere.
I could see a 13 year-old kid ordering a stun gun and then teasing his cousins with it. What else did he plan on doing with the gun? I’m not really familiar with stun guns, so I googled this one, reportedly 3,000 volts, and found a question and answer section on Yahoo about their effects. Most people say that they’re incredibly painful and cause victims to lose control of their bladder and bowels. There’s no telling what that could do to a little kid! Jafaar needs some serious consequences for this very dangerous stunt. Thank goodness no one got hurt.
Michael Jackson’s children, Prince and Paris Jackson, accepted their father’s lifetime achievement award at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. The two were on stage with their cousins, Tarryl, TJ and Taj Jackson, of the band 3T. There may have been a very good reason why Prince and Paris were at the Grammys with their cousins instead of their aunts and uncles. Uncle Tito Jackson tweeted that he and his family were not invited to the Grammys and he sounded pretty bitter about it:
“So proud, my brother being honored tonight with the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Michael’s brother and former bandmate Randy wrote on his Twitter page. “My family would love to be there but, truth is, we weren’t invited.
“Do you want more truth? Let me be clear. When I said ‘my family’ I meant my brothers, sisters and parents.”
Michael’s three children — Paris, 11; Prince Michael I, 12; and seven-year-old Prince Michael II — aka Blanket — were there to honor their father but Randy is convinced the children were only invited as an afterthought.
“Randy was incandescent,” a source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper. “He believed the Grammys only thought of including Michael’s children at the 11th hour as dad Joe Jackson complained there was no family representation.
“The brothers were hoping to attend and wear their silver gloves and matching suits to honor their brother. They feel insulted and hurt that they have been snubbed in this way. Michael would’ve wanted them there.
“The Jackson 5 was where the magic began. They’re a huge part of his story and felt they had been horribly overlooked.”
The eldest children took to the stage wearing black suits with red armbands to accept Michae’s award — which he was given for his contribution to the music industry, while Blanket remained backstage with his grandmother Katherine Jackson.
“Michael’s children themselves decided just Prince Michael I and Paris would speak on stage and accept the award on behalf of their dad,” the source said.
While I understand that Tito and his immediate family felt snubbed by the Grammys, it’s so typical of him and his father to make a big deal out of something instead of quietly sucking it up. If Prince and Paris made an appearance it was obviously approved by their guardian and grandmother Katherine Jackson. Plus the band 3T is made up of Tito’s three sons, who were on stage with their cousins! Maybe the Grammy officials wanted to honor Michael without turning the Grammys into a big Jackson family circus. I also doubt that Tito would have been content to sit on the sidelines and he probably would have made a stink out of not being invited to perform in the tribute.
There’s also the whole issue of the Jackson brothers trying to cash in on his brother’s death with shady business dealings, like a huge memorial concert that was promoted for a certain date, only to be postponed and moved to another venue. Jermaine announced in a press conference that certain artists would appear, after which some of those artists issued statements to the contrary. Tito now faces a potential lawsuit for another aborted memorial concert in Michigan. He was allegedly paid $7,500 for a concert that never materialized. I don’t blame the Grammy officials for trying to shut out Tito and his family. They’ve only shown that they’re only interested in self promotion. After all, Michael’s dad Joe plugged his own record company several times during interviews immediately following his son’s death.
Looks like we may have had good reason to worry about the care and exposure Michael Jackson’s children received after his death. Us Weekly is reporting that Michael’s three kids will appear in the new A&E reality series The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty. From the way Us Weekly talks about it, they make it sound like the series has already been filmed for either a 5-episode or 10-episode release. Considering Michael took extreme pains to limit his kids’ exposure to the media and to the world, the choice to include the kids in the series is causing some controversy, even within the family:
The Jacksons are at odds over the inclusion of Michael Jackson’s three children in an upcoming A&E reality show about the famous family, Us Weekly reports in its latest issue (on newsstands now).
A source tells Us Weekly the buzzed-about program will include Michael’s kids — Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and Blanket, 7 — though not everyone’s happy about it.
Eldest sister Rebbie, 59, who has refused to be in the series (called The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, tentatively set to air in December), “feels Michael would spin in his grave if he knew his kids would be on this show.”
While Janet, 43, is on board, mom Katherine “is just going along with things,” the source continues.
Still, one of the creators of the program — which will be either five one-hour episodes or 10 half-hour episodes — says the family shines on the series.
“We have 23 cast members with the last name Jackson,” executive producer Jodi Gomes tells Us Weekly. “They’ve done a great job opening up about losing a brother.” (A Jackson family rep couldn’t be reached.)
What son of a bitch reality A&E programmer thinks this is a brilliant idea? Because they should be fired. And Katherine Jackson shouldn’t have allowed this stuff. I don’t care if it’s handled in a classy, respectful way, they shouldn’t include Michael’s children in this stuff. If Michael’s brothers and sisters, all of the adult members of his family want to do a series, fine. God bless. It’s their choice. But don’t bring the children into it.
I think most of us are a little tired with the epic coverage of everything vaguely related to Michael Jackson. The weird thing is that I don’t think I’m alone in believing many of the most scandalous stories, especially if it’s about Debbie Rowe, Joe Jackson, or the money. Since Michael died, and especially since last week’s memorial service attended by MJ’s kids, I have been thinking too much about what is going to happen to those poor children. I find myself saying quick little prayers for Prince, Paris and Blanket whenever I’m reading about the latest hourly scandal. Since Michael died, I’ve written several times about my hope that Janet Jackson is the one to step up and really fight for the kids’ best interests, and fight for custody.
Someone at OK! might have been listening, because this week’s cover story is tailor-made for me. OK! claims that Prince, Paris and Blanket all really want to live with Janet. I guess the assumption is that the kids never spent that much time with Aunt Janet before now, but they’ve grown very connected and “bonded” in the past few weeks. OK! points out that Katherine Jackson (the temporary caregiver, and MJ’s choice for custody) is 79 years old, and that caring for three young children would most likely leave her exhausted after a short time. Team Janet:
While Michael Jackson’s mom, Katherine Jackson continues to fend off Debbie Rowe over the issue of custody for the late King of Pop’s kids, it’s Michael’s sister Janet Jackson who has emerged in the eyes of many as the favored caregiver for the three children. And, sources tell OK!, that appears to be just what Prince, Paris and Blanket want most.
“All three want Janet to read to them at night,” a Jackson family friend says. “They just melt into her arms when she walks into the house.”
The feeling is mutual, adds the insider.
“Janet has completely bonded with those children in the last two weeks,” the friend continues. “She has been their rock. It’s clear to everyone that they are looking to her for comfort and guidance.”
Michael’s will names his mother, Katherine as the children’s guardian, but Debbie, the biological mother of the eldest kids, has expressed interest in raising them. All three currently live at Katherine’s Encino, Calif. home.
“[They] are doing great. Mom and Janet are taking care of them,” Michael’s brother Jackie tells OK!.
One concern raised is that at 79, caring for three kids might be too much for Katherine, a problem eased by Janet’s presence.
“Janet is not only willing to raise those children, she is also the only relative who knows how to protect them,” the insider tells OK!. “Janet knows the value of a private life and knows how to keep her personal life out of the news. She is determined to do that for Michael’s children. She is saying that he would want no less for them, pointing out how far he went to shelter them.”
That last paragraph is why I’ve always thought Janet should get custody – it’s not that Janet isn’t as screwed up as the other Jacksons, it’s just that she seems the most well-adjusted to the insanity. And she is intensely private – people didn’t know she was married for years until she got a divorce. Janet would totally be capable – financially, emotionally, structurally – of taking care of those kids and keeping them away from prying eyes. Even though I’m not sure if this is true, I’m really hoping it is.
Everybody always quotes that awesome line from Dirty Dancing - “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Well, let’s make a new quote – “Nobody puts Dame Elizabeth Taylor in the corner.” That’s just what the Jackson family did to Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Michael Jackson had been friends for many, many years. She even held one of her many weddings at Michael’s Neverland Ranch, and he was famously fond of adding to Elizabeth’s extensive jewelry collection. In the wake of Michael’s death, Elizabeth’s representative said she was “too upset” to release a statement, but later Liz tweeted: “I just don’t believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. How I feel is between us. Not a public event.”
However, the National Enquirer is reporting that Elizabeth was hellbent on attending the memorial service. It seems that not attending Michael Jackson Los Angeles memorial service wasn’t Elizabeth’s idea. She was totally prepared to attend, but the Jackson family refused to extend Elizabeth an invitation. It seems the Jacksons were “always jealous” of the relationship she and Michael had:
The shocking truth about Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s no-show at BFF Michael Jackson’s LA Memorial!
The Hollywood icon and one of Jacko’s best friends was snubbed by the Jackson Family at the LA Staples Center memorial. Liz, who dubbed MJ “Te King of Pop”, was deliberately dissed and put on the B-List according to a source.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair the unsinkable Liz was planning to attend Jacko’s concert series in London on a private plane chartered for the occasion as a show of support for her beloved MJ.
But when it came to the much-ballyhooed Staples Center Memorial the Jackson clan didn’t want her – pure and simple.
She wasn’t given an invite. They want her to speak nor was she CC’ed access to any private service.
Why? The family was ALWAYS jealous of Taylor’s friendship with their son and resented her, the source divulged.
According to the source, “Elizabeth Taylor was crushed. She’s still crying.”
Now, Elizabeth isn’t in the best health. I can’t even keep track of all of her health problems, but you know what? Dame Elizabeth f-cking delivers. For years as her health has deteriorated, she’s still shown up for her charitable work and for her friends. It doesn’t strike me as odd that Elizabeth would forgo her own health issues to attend MJ’s memorial service, and if this report from the National Enquirer has any truth (which I think it does), then the Jacksons should be ashamed. Nobody puts Dame Elizabeth in the corner.
Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson are shown in 1993 at the American Music Awards and in 2002 at David Gest and Liza Minnelli’s wedding. Credit: Anthony Dixon / WENN
Both Star and OK! Magazine have cover stories dealing with Michael Jackson’s children this week. Shock of all shocks, it looks like Star’s cover story is a bit more respectful, with the headline, “Michael’s Kids: Inside Their Shattered World”. Star has a source who claims (I believe, correctly) that the kids are simply devastated. Michael was their whole world, “father, mother, playmate. Now that he’s gone, everything is different for them.” They cite little Paris’s heart-wrenching tribute to her father yesterday, and they make it seem like the kids are incredibly confused and emotional right now:
Hearts broke around the world when Michael Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter, Paris, delivered a teary tribute to her late father during his memorial, saying simply: “Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine, and I just want to say, I love you so much,” before breaking down.
As Star reports in our July 20 issue, the King of Pop’s three children are struggling with their devastating loss — and wonder who will raise them now that their doting dad is gone.
Prince, Paris and Blanket “are scared and confused,” says a family insider. “Michael was everything to them — father, mother, playmate. Now that he’s gone, everything is different for them.”
While Prince, 12, has tried to put on a brave face for his younger siblings, he often breaks down and sobs uncontrollably. It’s the same with Paris, who constantly bursts into tears and runs out of the room — her brief but heartfelt tribute to her father at the Staples Center on Tuesday was typical of her behavior. As for little Blanket, 7, he asks, “Who will be my Mommy?” according to the family insider.
“It has hit the kids hard — really hard,” adds the insider. “They were in a state of shock at first… But then it began to sink in, and it’s just heartbreaking to watch.”
Meanwhile, over at OK!, the cover story is “Debbie Rowe vs. The Jacksons: $100 Million Or The Kids”. OK! claims that Debbie Rowe is fully prepared to go to war for her children, but that the Jackson family might try to pay her off with a lump sum to relinquish her parental rights. A source close to Debbie claims that she’s very wary of the kind of environment the Jackson family might provide for the kids, but a source close to the Jackson family claims they really are looking out for the kids. CB wants me to mention that OK! has gone steadily downhill with its content and reporting, so this is most likely all total bullsh-t:
Behind the black wrought iron gates of the Jackson family mansion in Encino, Calif., Michael Jackson’s three children spend their days playing with their cousins and their pets and watching movies — but no news reports — as they adjust to life without their famous father.
Their grandmother Katherine Jackson tends to their needs and offers a calming presence. “His kids are strong,” says Michael’s brother Jermaine Jackson. “They have a lot of love and care.”
That serene life may soon disappear. The children — 12-year-old Michael Joseph Jr., aka “Prince”; Paris-Michael Katherine, 11; and 7-year-old Prince Michael Jackson II (also called “Blanket”) — are pawns in what could shape up to be an intense custody battle between Katherine and Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of the two oldest children.
“Debbie believes Katherine has a good heart, but the life they would live with the Jacksons is unthinkable,” an insider tells OK!. “They belong away from the media circus. Kids need fresh air and freedom. They can’t get that at the mansion in Encino.”
But Debbie may soon have to decide between her kids or cash. “She’s likely to walk away with a lump sum of money if she agrees not to seek custody,” a friend of Debbie tells OK!. “She will probably end up with $100 million. It would be worth paying out, from the Jackson family’s point of view, to prevent a tug-of-war for the children.”
However others point at the discrepancies regarding how much MJ’s estate is worth, anywhere between $200 million and $500 million, including Attorney Larry Heller, a tax, probate and estate expert, who says that while “Debbie Rowe has some leverage as to the amount” she could receive in a settlement, “I wouldn’t be comfortable saying she could get quite that much. She could get several million dollars.”
On July 2, Debbie came out swinging in her battle for custody, telling KNBC Los Angeles reporter Chuck Henry, “I want my children,” and offering to submit to DNA tests to prove she was their mother. But her attorney, Eric George, later said she hadn’t reached a final decision on what to do in court.
Meanwhile, a court granted temporary custody to Katherine, 79. In Michael’s will, he asked that she be named the guardian — and if she was not able, singer Diana Ross, 65, should gain custody; he left no provision for Debbie to care for the children. “The fact that he left her out says loud and clear that he wanted her to get nothing,” says L.A. attorney Michael G. Dave, who specializes in family law.
A custody hearing is set for July 13, and the potential battle is already turning nasty. Michael’s sister Janet Jackson believes it’s “disgusting to use the kids for money,” a family insider tells OK!.
Janet, 43, has reassured Michael’s children that they won’t be lost in the commotion that has surrounded the family since her brother died. “She told them if they need her for any reason, even just to talk or if they want pizza, to call her immediately.”
This isn’t the first time custody of the kids has come up: In their 1999 divorce agreement, Debbie signed away her parental rights in exchange for an $8.5 million settlement. But when a teenage boy accused Michael of sexual abuse in 2003, she applied for custody again, even though she admitted she had not seen the children in years. In 2006, Debbie allegedly made another deal with Michael to relinquish rights to the children in exchange for cash.
While custody questions continue, the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services is investigating the welfare of the Jackson kids, prompted by reports of Michael’s drug use. It will also assess conditions at Katherine’s home. The report is expected to take a month to complete, but Jermaine says it’s obvious the children belong with Katherine: “The will is what it is,” he says. “This is what Michael wanted.”
That’s interesting that Janet is getting more involved. Many of us (myself included) would like to see Janet either take custody, or be a big part of raising the kids. I’m not quite sure what to think of Debbie Rowe – she seems to have the whiff of “grifter”, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she probably does care about the well-being of the children as much as she cares about the money.
I’ve been thinking about Michael Jackson’s memorial and about the controversial and complicated life he led. It really seemed like his memorial paid tribute to his childhood, career, and the massive impact he had on the world instead of honoring the gentle, somewhat strange man behind the phenomenon. It’s like after he turned 30 Michael became some unknown character and the people who spoke at his memorial ignored that. Maybe that’s fitting as it was meant for the public and that’s really all we knew of him. Everything else was rumor and conjecture as the media tried to fill in the blanks about his private life.
I don’t want to focus the whole story on this, but the crux of my question is – if he did abuse kids, should we mourn him less? I do think he was manipulated by families out for large sums of money, and there are just two cases where he was accused and only one that went to trial. As Rep Sheila Jackson Lee said during his memorial “We understand the Constitution, we understand law, and we know that people are innocent until proven guilty.”
There will always be gossip and innuendo surrounding this man – it persisted after he was acquitted and will remain after his death. Was that gossip warranted and/or did it somehow contribute to the drug addiction that killed him? We may never know. Maybe that’s part of the reason that we’re focusing on the Michael the public knew, the young hugely talented guy who we grew up with and loved. It’s just too hard to reconcile the moonwalking legend with the caricature he became at the end. We might have had a chance to do that if he would have been able to perform next Monday. As it is, we were given memories from his youth and the deep sadness from his family. Paris loved her daddy, and that strange morphed man who meant everything to his kids was about to take to the stage again and help show his fans that we could still celebrate him as a changed man. Instead he died, and our love for who he used to be poured over and had nowhere to go.
Here are the videos from Jackson’s memorial, in order.
Smokey Robinson reads statement from Diana Ross:
Smokey Robinson reads statement from Nelson Mandela:
Gospel choir sings “We are Going To See The King” as Jackson’s coffin is brought in and placed in the center in front of the stage.
Pastor Lucious Smith gives introduction:
Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz sing “I’ll Be There.”
Queen Latifah represents the fans and reads a poem from Maya Angelou written specifically for Jackson titled “We Had You.”
Motown founder Berry Gordy talks about Michael Jackson’s career and talent:
A montage of moments from Jackson’s career played:
Stevie Wonder sings “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer”
Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant gave remembrances
Jennifer Hudson sings “Will You Be There”
Rev Al Sharpton talked about Michael’s family and how he broke barriers for African Americans
Sharpton offers some powerful words to Michael’s kids “Wasn’t nothing strange about your daddy, it was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it anyway.”
John Mayer plays “Human Nature” poignantly while a choir sings behind him
Brooke Shields talks about her friendship with Michael from a young age, reads a passage from The Little Prince and says his favorite song was “Smile Though Your Heart is Aching” from the Charlie Chaplin film Modern Times.
Jermaine Jackson then comes on to sing that song, “Smile Though Your Heart is Aching”
Martin Luther King III, MLK’s son, and Bernice A. King, his sister and MLK’s daughter, offer condolences:
US congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee gives a rousing speech.
Usher sings “Gone Too Soon” and goes off stage to touch Michael’s casket. It’s too much for him and he starts to cry:
Smokey Robinson comes on and says “I wrote that song, I thought I sang it… Two later, here comes this little kid, who’s ten years old…. I could not believe that someone that young could have that much feeling and soul.”
Shaheen Jafargholi from Britain’s Got Talent sang “Who’s Loving You”
Kenny Ortega, Michael’s partner in the creation of the tour, talks about his planned final concerts
Michael’s backup singers and dancers sing “We Are The World” and all the speakers come on stage
They go into “Heal The World”
The family speaks and it’s heartbreaking. Paris says “I just want to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could every imagine. I just wanted to say I love him so much.”
It really seems like Joe Jackson is not broken up about his son Michael’s death in the slightest. Joe went to the BET Awards a few days after Micheal’s sudden death and first told a reporter from CNN that he was doing “great” with no hint of sadness in his voice. Then when the interviewer prompted him by saying “It must be tough,” he agreed saying “Yeah, it has. It’s been really tough, remember we just lost the biggest star in the world, the biggest superstar.” There was no mention of the fact that he lost his son, only that “we” lost “the biggest star.” It’s like his son was just another famous musician to him and there was no personal attachment there. Joe also famously plugged his new record company in the interview.
In a press conference held on Monday, Joe first talked about his record company again, getting in a good sound bite in while sort-of defending mentioning it, claiming that he was asked what he was up to which wasn’t true at all, as Kaiser mentioned. He then said how grateful he was that “we” [the family] have so many fans all the world and “we” are loved around the world. He again only talked about his son’s fame and his charity work and didn’t mention that he meant anything to him at all. It was all about his son’s enormous popularity, not how he was missing his Michael or how he cherished him at all.
Along with having no apparent emotional attachment to his son, Joe may have another reason for seeming perfectly ok with the fact that Michael passed well before his time. Joe and Katherine Jackson filed for bankruptcy in 1999 and were still dealing with lawsuits from creditors as late as last year:
Michael Jackson’s parents have just recently come through their extremely complex and much-challenged bankruptcy proceeding. The couple filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on March 1, 1999, and although their debts were “discharged” on June 13, 2000, there were so many adversarial motions from creditors, there were still filings coming in as of May 22, 2008, according to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com.
In their initial petition, the Jacksons listed their assets in the $100,000 – $500,000 range and their estimated debts in the $10 – $50 million range.
Among the debts: $34,91602 was owed on a 1994 Mercedes Benz, $60,130.94 on a 1998 Land Rover, and $36,368.29 on a Land Rover Discovery. $32,561.06 was owed on personal income taxes to the State of California, and they were in to the IRS for $117,871.76. They owed $18 million on one lawsuit judgment and $4 million on another. They owned legal fees to several attorneys including Brian Oxman, who still works with them.
One interesting side note: the couple claimed “month to month tenancy only” on their residence in Encino, CA which they point out is owned by their son.
Michael’s estate is estimated to be worth $200 to $500 million after the debts are paid, and you can bet that Joe is salivating at the thought of having access to that money. Jackson’s 2002 will supposedly doesn’t mention Joe at all, and leaves his estate to his mother and his children. Despite speculation that they’ve split up, Joe and Katherine still seem to be together. Given what poor money managers they are, you can bet that they’ll be squandering that money away as soon as they get their hands on it.
