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Tag: Michael Jackson

  • Michael Jackson Becomes The Latest Victim Of Donald Trump Insult, And Jermaine Jackson Is Mad As Hell About It

    Even the late pop star Michael Jackson was not safe from Donald Trump’s strange and random remarks. The GOP frontrunner made some rather awkward comments about the “real story” of the King of Pop’s emotional downward spiral, which his brother Jermaine did not appreciate.

    During the second installment of CNN Republican Town Hall on Thursday night, Anderson Cooper served as the master of ceremonies and GOP presidentiables Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Donald Trump attended. Each of the candidates was given 30 minutes to explain their views to the audience as well as take questions from them.

    One of the issues that Trump discussed during his turn was his controversial Twitter feud with Pope Francis about building walls and ISIS attacking the Vatican. In typical Trump fashion, he downplayed the argument and claimed that the pontiff might have been “given false information” and misinterpreted his earlier remarks about building an impenetrable wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to keep illegal immigrants from getting in. He then praised the Pope for being “a great guy with a great personality and lots of energy.”

    Cooper then asked Trump about his musical influences, which he responded to by enumerating a few rock musicians. He then mentions Michael Jackson whom he called “a very good friend” of his and once lived at one of the Trump Towers with then-wife Lisa Marie Presley. He also claimed to know the “real story” of Michael Jackson and went on to elaborate that he was “an unbelievably talented guy” who lost his confidence due to “bad, bad surgery.”

    Donald Trump Talks About Michael Jackson During the GOP Town Hall

    Michael’s older brother Jermaine did not take kindly to Trump’s comments and spoke out on Friday through Twitter.

    “Friends’ don’t pay tribute by peddling b.s. theories about Michael’s ‘loss in confidence’. This fool Trump needs to sit down,” said Jermaine in one his posts.

    Jermaine added that it wasn’t his botched surgeries that affected Michael Jackson but rather the “pressures, injustice and vitriol of external circumstances.”

  • Joseph Fiennes Gets Support from Stacey Dash for Michael Jackson Role

    Joseph Fiennes was unexpectedly cast in the role as Michael Jackson for a half-hour comedy film about a week ago, sparking considerable outrage by many who believed a white actor shouldn’t be cast to play the part of a black man.

    Although the American Horror Story actor has no intention of withdrawing from the project, he has been the recipient of support in recent days. One of his biggest supporters is Stacey Dash.

    Writing on her Patheos blog, the actress weighed in on the casting of Joseph Fiennes in the story that is set after 9/11, in which Michael Jackson, Marlon Brando, and Elizabeth Taylor all jump into a car and drive back to the West Coast.

    “I say, ‘BRAVO!’” Stacey Dash wrote. “I’m sick and tired of being told, ‘Sorry, Stacey, this is a Caucasian-only role.’ Counterintuitively, this decision by Hollywood–which looks like a diss to blacks–is actually what we’ve been saying all along: roles should NOT be based on color.”

    Dash, who is no stranger to controversy, compares Joseph Fiennes’ casting as Michael Jackson to actors of color being cast in the Broadway production Hamilton, which features portrayals of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

    “I don’t care about the race of the actors portraying historical figures and I can’t wait to see Joseph’s portrayal of Jackson,” she added. “It’ll be amazing as long as he plays himself truthfully and authentically.”

    “Roles should not be dictated by race,” Stacey Dash continued. “There’s no reason why the lead roles in Homeland, Veep, or Penny Dreadful have to be white (my favorite shows by the way). I want to see more of this diversity and thinking outside of the box with the equality that this designation entails–this is the right track.”

    Joseph Fiennes was as shocked as everyone else when he learned he’d been cast in the role.

    “I’m a white, middle-class guy from London. I’m as shocked as you are,” he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “[Jackson] definitely had an issue–a pigmentation issue–and that’s something I do believe. He was probably closer to my color than his original color.”

    What’s your take on Joseph Fiennes playing Michael Jackson? Are you surprised by the support Stacey Dash is giving him?

  • Michael Jackson: Spike Lee’s Showtime Documentary on King of Pop Airs First Teaser

    Michael Jackson is the star of a new Spike Lee documentary coming to Showtime on February 5. A teaser for the film aired for the first time earlier this week.

    Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown To Off The Wall takes a long, hard look at Michael Jackson’s career-from lead singer of The Jackson 5 to his solo artist breakthrough with the release of his album “Off the Wall,” in 1979.

    The preview clip shares concert footage of Michael Jackson performing “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough,” the first single released from “Off the Wall.” The single was Jackson’s first number one single as a solo artist, both in the U.S. and abroad. It earned Michael Jackson his first of many Grammy Awards.

    Michael Jackson made an unfathomable impact on many musicians, and artists including Questlove from The Roots, as well as The Weeknd, share their thoughts on “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough.” They dish on the impact the song had on their careers, as well as on its mysterious lyrics.

    Unfortunately Showtime is a pay channel, and if you don’t have it, you don’t get to see Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown To Off The Wall.

    It sounds like it’s well worth subscribing before February 5–or at least very least, finding a friend who has Showtime.

    What’s your take on this famous Michael Jackson song from 1979?

  • Katy Perry Sends Care Package and Christmas Card to Little Burn Victim, Safyre Terry

    Katy Perry made Christmas a lot more special for one very special little girl. Safyre Terry lost her immediate family in a house fire that was deemed arson. She now lives with an aunt. Severely burned in the fire, eight-year-old Safyre bears many physical and emotional scars from that fateful night. She made a request via social media for lots of Christmas cards, saying that’s all she wanted for the holiday. When Katy Perry heard of Safyre’s request, she sent a card–and a whole lot more.

    “Safyre, I heard about your Christmas wish and and am so honored that you saved the top of the tree for me!” the card Katy Perry send the little girl read. “I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year. I’ll be thinking of you on Christmas Day. Special girl.”

    The care package Katy Perry sent Safyre Terry included a backpack, a hooded sweatshirt with ears, a DVD of her Prismatic Tour, a DVD of the Katy Perry film Part of Me, an iPhone case, and a coin purse.

    Safyre Terry was no doubt thrilled with a Christmas card from Katy Perry. The care package was likely her favorite Christmas gift.

    Safyre’s favorite song is Katy Perry’s “Roar.” During a visit from Angel Cascio, one of the late Michael Jackson’s best friends, she went back and forth between learning to play “Roar” on her keyboard and opening some of the many–more than 10,000–packages she received. She received more than 500,000 Christmas cards.

    Kudos to Katy Perry for taking the time to pen a special message inside a Christmas card for Safyre Terry. Her compassion made this little girl’s Christmas incredibly special.

  • Kendall Jenner Twerks, Flaunts, Stuns in New H&M & Balmain Campaign

    Kendall Jenner is one of the faces of a new H&M & Balmain campaign that will bring haute couture to those who couldn’t ordinarily afford it. That doesn’t mean the pieces will be cheap–but compared to buying from Balmain, the prices are way more affordable.

    In addition to the excitement over pieces from the designer label running as low as $17.99 (okay, so that’ll only get you a Balmain beanie–but it’s the name, right?), there is much excitement about Kendall Jenner rocking the fashions on the runway. The line debuted on Tuesday, and with the help of Michael Jackson tunes and some trained dance pros, Kendall Jenner rocked her way through the show. She even appears in a promo clip for the new brand.

    Kendall Jenner twerked. She whipped. And she did way better than poor Paula Deen on Dancing With the Stars when she vogued.

    “Kendall had a lot of fun,” Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing said in an interview with Yahoo! Style. “It was a new experience for her. We had the best time. It was new for both of us. But more importantly, the campaign has to reflect the Balmain Army and for me, she is the most important. She is an icon. I’m inspired by her. For me she is the new Naomi, Claudia, Cindy. You know the type of models where people want to be her. Finally we go back to top models and are making dream girls. She also has an amazing soul and is so supportive. It is important for me to have my friends around me to support every project that I do. She’s just amazing and inspires an entire generation. I love that she’s global, and loves music, dancing, she’s the Balmain girl.”

    A photo posted by BALMAIN (@balmainparis) on

    Pal Gigi Hadid joins Kendall Jenner in promoting H&M & Balmain. The pieces will be available in select H&M stores beginning November 5th.

    A photo posted by BALMAIN (@balmainparis) on

  • Paul McCartney Rearranges, Releases Remix of Duet With Michael Jackson

    Paul McCartney is nothing short of a musical genius. The former Beatles member not only performs, he writes music, rearranges it, and has an ear for the incredibly creative in the music world.

    It was back in 1983 when Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson recorded the duet “Say, Say, Say.” On his reissued album that came out October 2nd, “Pipes of Peace,” McCartney features a new arrangement of the song–one that will surely resonate with fans who recall the original.

    “Paul remembered that there were two unused lead vocal performances by Michael and himself,” Paul McCartney’s lead engineer Steve Orchard explains. “We then rearranged the vocal sequence and inverted the original performance so that Michael opened the first verse instead of Paul, to give the song a different take to the original version. Then we added additional backing vocal parts from the original multi-track to further enhance the instrumental mix.”

    In other words, what Paul McCartney sang in 1983 is now sung by Michael Jackson, and vice versa.

    Did you love Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson performing together decades ago? Do you expect the rerelease of “Say, Say, Say” will put Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney back on the Billboard charts again?

  • Lindsay Lohan May Be Losing Her Mind, Makes Incoherent Rant On Instagram

    Lindsay Lohan May Be Losing Her Mind, Makes Incoherent Rant On Instagram

    When under the influence of alcohol or anything, never ever drunk text anyone, not your lover, not your ex, in fact don’t touch your phone! Please save yourself from the humiliating outcome!

    Under influence or not, Lindsay Lohan would never drunk text anyone but she would post incoherent Instagram rants for everyone to read instead.

    After canceling her Toronto International Film Festival appearance to promote her film Inconceivable, Lindsay Lohan ranted on her Instagram account. What for? Well, nobody seems to have an answer for that! Lohan seemed to be recalling the September 11 terrorist attack mixed with recalling her only private friend, Michael Jackson, then asking Allah for forgiveness. “they always come back. I love you NYC #godblesstheworld #michaeljackson #rip miss you as my real only private friend. For you: god, for all hurts and wrongs, please let me forgive, Allah please let me be forgiven, and all forgive themselves. Please and thank you. Someone I was with the night before several towers fell, it felt like not a curse, but more like a spell.” Lohan continued her post talking about PETA commercials and some shows and sites. “I’m a girl with a reputation mislead… Like a diamond in the rough, you, now, for 25 years have seen me on TV and screen.. So i am programmed to stand tough. “Lohan also said. Lohan ended her rants by praising Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Oprah “If helping others is a passion, talk to angelina jolie… If you want to be a brilliant actress, work wth Meryl Streep …at the end of the day- republican or democrats — BE HERE NOW @oprah and live with integrity. Or go to sleep. The most beautiful life comes cheap. Stop fighting and using artists for distractions. It’s boring… #UnitedNations .”

    they always come back. I love you NYC ?they always come back. I love you NYC ? #godblesstheworld #michaeljackson #rip miss you as my real only private friend. For you: god, for all hurts and wrongs, please let me forgive, Allah please let me be forgiven, and all forgive themselves. Please and thank you. (Someone I was with the night before several towers fell, it felt like not a curse, but more like a spell.. What we think in America is not always clear, we don’t have @peta commercials / you just kill deer….with this being said, I’m a girl with a reputation mislead… Like a diamond in the rough, you, now, for 25 years have seen me on TV and screen.. So i am programmed ?to stand tough. Black or white – in life, rather than love we create a fight of an ideal situation of an unexceptional, yet unacceptable future that @TMZ @Eonline @HarveylevinTMZ & #harveyweinstein ..couldn’t and wouldn’t even care to describe any thought of the people we forget to help when a franchise film comes out and, If money means more than freedom- than stay in California. If helping others is a passion, talk to angelina jolie… If you want to be a brilliant actress, work wth Meryl Streep …at the end of the day- republican or democrats — BE HERE NOW @oprah and live with integrity. Or go to sleep. The most beautiful life comes cheap. Stop fighting and using artists for distractions. It’s boring… ? #UnitedNations A photo posted by Lindsay Lohan (@lindsaylohan) on

    Lohan’s fans expressed their concerns about the post but some of her followers also said that it was alarming and she might needed help. Again.

  • Joe Jackson Laid Up in Brazil After Stroke, Heart Attacks Make Him Miss His Own Birthday PArty

    Joe Jackson Laid Up in Brazil After Stroke, Heart Attacks Make Him Miss His Own Birthday PArty

    Joe Jackson is still in Brazil, laid up in intensive care after he suffered a stroke and three heart attacks. Doctors are funny about allowing you to fly after you’ve had a pacemaker installed, so Joe could be convalescing in the land of Carnivale for a while.

    Joe Jackson’s publicist said Joe’s heart stopped beating for 10 seconds in the hospital. Obviously, he was revived. Nut that’s not something you just check yourself out and hop on a plane after.

    Joe Jackson, father of Michael, Rebbie, Janet, Jermaine — you know the rest — was in Sao Paulo to celebrate his birthday. He posted an announcement on his website once news broke that he had missed his on party on account of stroke and heart attacks.

    “To my family, friends, acquaintances and fans all over the world. I want to thank you all for your prayers, unwavering support and kind well wishes during these trying times. Through God’s intervention the wonderful Doctors, Nurses and caretakers at the Albert Einstein Sao Paulo hospital have taken great care of me,” he wrote. “God willing, I should be able to make a quick recovery and travel back home soon. Thank you all once again for your prayers and support.”

    Joe Jackson has suffered minor strokes in the past, but this one laid him a bit lower than the rest.

    Sao Paulo holds a special place in the Jackson family patriarch’s heart. He recounted a story about his first trip there.

    “Back in the 70s when I was touring with my sons in Brazil. We had just done a show in Rio and traveled to Sao Paulo for the next show. We run into a problem because our music equipment from Rio did not arrive in time. It had been sent out late from Rio, very late. So we waited, and the crowd waited. Finally the crowd’s patience run out. They became hostile and started throwing stuff at us. I remember all of us with the school teacher “Miss Rose Fine” in tow, running for cover onto a Bus. The crowd was upset. Wow, that was something. Our music equipment finally showed up around 8pm, and we still went out there and put on a show. My boys worked hard and won the crowd back over. But, boy was it tough. From there it was off to Bahia. A few years ago when I visited Brazil, i made it a point of mine to visit “Bahia”. Michael filmed one of my favorite music videos “They don’t care about us” in Bahia. Coming full circle from the 70s.”

  • Joe Jackson, Father of Michael and Janet, in Brazil Hospital After Stroke

    Joe Jackson may be more popular in Brazil than he is in the United States. While the patriarch of the Jackson family of musicians has had to battle a public perception of him as an abusive father and opportunistic promoter, he seems to love going to Sao Paulo, where he is welcomed with open arms.

    In fact, Joe Jackson headed to Sao Paulo to celebrate his 87th birthday. Maybe he has to go that far because his wife won’t celebrate birthdays.

    The news before the party was that “hundreds of revelers” were expected to turn up to honor Joe Jackson. Samba dancers, Brazilian decor and local fare was on the offering — hosted by the Nexxing marketing group. Local celebrities Ivete Sangalo and Claudia Leitte were on the guest list.

    At any rate, according to news out of Sao Paulo, Joe Jackson never made it to his 87th birthday bash. Instead, he ended up in the hospital, where he still has irregular heartbeat issues.

    Joe Jackson issued a statement on his website.

    “To my family, friends, acquaintances and fans all over the world. I want to thank you all for your prayers, unwavering support and kind well wishes during these trying times. Through God’s intervention the wonderful Doctors, Nurses and caretakers at the Albert Einstein Sao Paulo hospital have taken great care of me,” Jackson wrote. “God willing, I should be able to make a quick recovery and travel back home soon. Thank you all once again for your prayers and support.”

    Joe Jackson hopes to leave Brazil early this week, but will have to see if doctors say he is well enough to travel. Joe Jackson has suffered minor strokes in the past and is in intensive care.

  • Joe Jackson, 87-Year-Old Father of the Late Michael Jackson, Suffers Stroke in Brazil

    Joe Jackson, father of the late Michael Jackson and head of the musical family from which The Jackson Five and Janet Jackson hail, suffered a stroke while on vacation celebrating his 87th birthday in Brazil.

    Sunday was Joe Jackson’s 87th birthday, however local sources tell CBS News that he was already hospitalized by then, and unable to attend his own party.

    CBS also reports that they received an emailed statement early on Monday from the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo. It simply states that Joe Jackson is in fact a patient there, in the intensive care unit. It says he was admitted Sunday and is suffering from an irregular heartbeat.

    It’s uncertain which–if any–of Joe Jackson’s family members are with the patriarch in Brazil. Wife Katherine Jackson has custody of Michael Jackson’s children–Prince, Blanket, and Paris Jackson. A short time after Michael died, it was reported that although Katherine and Joe Jackson are still married, they hadn’t lived together in years.

    Surely more information will soon be released to media sources regarding Joe Jackson’s condition. Photos on his website posted prior to his stroke show him enjoying his getaway to Brazil.

  • Chantelle Winnie: Supermodel With Vitiligo Says She Was Bullied

    Chantelle Winnie is telling a story that belongs in today’s bullying-aware environment. The supermodel says she was bullied in school. if you know Chantelle Winnie, you probably can guess why.

    “I discovered that I was ‘different’ in the third grade,” Winnie said in a Cosmpolitan interview. “As the new kid at school, I was trying hard to find my footing. I thought I had made friends with a couple of girls, until they stopped talking to me. When I confronted them, they said their mothers had warned them to stay away, because they might catch my skin condition.”

    Chantelle Winnie is now famous for her time on America’s Next Top Model and for modeling Diesel fashions. But the model learned she had the rare skin condition vitiligo when she was only four. Winnie says she was never self-conscious about her skin until she got to school.

    “Before that, I had never given much thought to the way I looked,” she said. “Starting with that incident in the third grade, it would define the way people treated me.”

    Many people may be familiar with vitiligo from news reports about Michael Jackson. Those long-circulated rumors that Jackson “bleached” his skin to look “more white” were disproven when his autopsy revealed what he told Oprah years before. Michael Jackson had vitiligo.

    Winnie Chantelle said one classmate “mooed” at her, joking that she looked like a cow with white splotches on her dark skin. The classmate then attacked Winnie.

    “To get out of the situation, I let her beat me up,” said Winnie. “The next day, she came at me again. This time, I snapped, defending myself extremely well. I never had to fight her again. But it was only the first of many similar incidents.”

    “I just tried to get through each day,” she says. “I remember sitting by my window, wishing upon the stars that my skin condition would go away. I wondered, ‘Why me?’

    Some bullies never grow up.

    Needless to say Chantelle Winnie went on to do great things in spite of those bullies.

    “People sometimes ask when I learned to love myself,” she said. “But that was not the issue. I didn’t have a problem with myself or my skin. I had a problem with the way people treated me because of my skin. They tried to define me.”

    “I had to relearn how to love myself by forgetting the opinions of everyone else and focusing on my opinion of myself,” she continued. “Today, my motto is: You only have one life. Live it for yourself, not for anyone else. Do what the f— you want!”


  • Michael Jackson’s Legacy: Paris, Prince, And Blanket’s Current Dispositions

    Six years ago, fans around the globe mourned for the death of Michael Jackson. While most people reflected on the King of Pop’s life during the anniversary of his death, others paid attention to what might be his greatest legacy — his children, Prince, Paris and Blanket.

    MJ’s kids have now grown into young adults. Prince, the eldest, is now 18. And before he celebrated his personal milestone this year, he opted to first pay a tribute to his father.

    “Before I turn 18 tomorrow I really want to thank a few ppl and first is obviously my dad,” Prince wrote on his Twitter account back in February. “He was and is as incredible human being … not only did he give me the gift of life, he gave me an incredible opportunity to make something of myself.”

    Prince also graduated with flying colors from The Buckley School in LA. His grandma Katherine Jackson attended his high school graduation together with sister Paris.

    “When they announced his name, the whole Jackson family stood up and cheered and whistled,” an onlooker previously told Us Weekly.

    “Prince was ecstatic as he crossed the stage.” Prince is now planning to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles this fall.

    Meanwhile, Prince’s younger sister Paris now looks like a total grown up too. Earlier this spring, the 17-year-old was spotted out spending quality time with boyfriend and soccer club member Chester Castellaw. The two even walked on the red carpet together during the premiere of Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening in Los Angeles.

    Finally, Blanket, the youngest Jackson, is now attending The Buckley School and continues his love for martial arts. Blanket also got a new name. He is listed as Bigi Jackson in his school yearbook. According to Radar, Bigi is the name that Blanket goes by at school.

  • Jerry Lewis: Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Ends, Marking the End of an Era

    Jerry Lewis: Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Ends, Marking the End of an Era

    Jerry Lewis worked tirelessly for more than 45 years bringing together celebrities, his humor and viewers for an annual Labor Day telethon to benefit children suffering from Muscular Dystrophy.

    It seemed the country came together to watch celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez perform and man telephones as the tote board marked the millions of dollars coming in for “Jerry’s kids.” Tears flowed as an exhausted Jerry Lewis ended each telethon with his broken, but moving rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.

    That era of American television has come to an end.

    “It’s not a 21-hour world anymore,” said Steve Ford, MDA executive vice president, with the announcement that the telethon will no longer be a Labor Day tradition.

    It’s not surprising the telethon is ending in this new era of social media, technology and the ability to fundraise in a more effective manner. When Jerry Lewis stopped hosting the show in 2010, the telethon’s slow demise began. The show was reduced from 21 and a half hours in Jerry Lewis’ final year to 19 in its final year.

    Fundraising will continue, but production costs associated with the telethon makes the endeavor unfeasible.

    “The real heroes have always been our families, and what we need to do is make sure that every dollar we raise is spent working for our families,” he said.

    In 2008, the telethon marked its greatest success, raising $65 million for Jerry’s kids. And over the years, Jerry Lewis helped to raise more than $2 billion for MDA.

    Jerry Lewis’ association with MDA goes back to its inception in 1950. Lewis and his comic partner Dean Martin mentioned the charity not the NBC show, and the two hosted a telethon in 1956. Jerry Lewis began hosting the telethon regularly beginning in 1966.

    Not everyone thought that Jerry Lewis was doing good. Some felt he made people with the disease objects of pity by Lewis in order to raise money.

    With once in a lifetime performances from celebrities like John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles appearing on the telethon, the MDA has been discussing with Jerry Lewis ways to release some of the archived material.

    Do you remember watching the Jerry Lewis Telethon?

  • Charmayne Maxwell, Brownstone Singer, Dies at 46

    Charmayne Maxwell, the singer best known for her time with the 90s band Brownstone, died on Saturday at the age of 46. Danish media sources say she died as the result of a fall. She reportedly died after watching her son’s soccer game.

    According to the New York Daily News, Charmayne Maxwell was married to Danish music producer Carsten Schack and the couple–along with their son–lived in Los Angeles. It’s unclear where the tragedy occurred. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and Los Angeles Police Department have both stated it didn’t take place in their jurisdiction.

    TMZ is reporting that Charmayne Maxwell died from a gash on her neck. It’s uncertain if her neck was cut during the aforementioned fall. Their report states that she cut her neck on a broken wine glass, however, and says that LAPD went to the home when paramedics were called.

    It clearly sounds like no one has received confirmation on exactly how the Brownstone singer lost her life. Her brother, Brandon Maxwell, confirmed her passing via Twitter.

    Charmayne Maxwell’s husband issued the following statement to People magazine.

    “Words cannot express how devastated we are at the sudden and tragic loss of our dear Maxee,” he said. “She was the center of our world as a devoted mother and wife. We miss her so much. We would like to thank everyone who has been there for us and expressed your condolences. They have given us comfort over these incredibly difficult days.”

    Charmayne Maxwell sang with Brownstone for more than 10 years. Their biggest hit, ‘If You Love Me,’ earned a Grammy Award nomination and a Billboard Music Award back in 1995. The group recorded under Michael Jackson’s MJJ Music Label.

    It’s likely that a confirmation about how and where Charmayne Maxwell died will hit the media within the next few days. Meanwhile her family is left to grieve and try to put the pieces of their broken lives back together.

  • Katherine Jackson Loses Appeal Against AEG Live

    Katherine Jackson has lost her recent appeal against Michael Jackson’s promoter, AEG Live.

    In October of 2013 a jury found that AEG Live was not negligent in hiring Conrad Murray as Michael Jackson’s doctor.

    Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in jail.

    Katherine Jackson and Michael Jackson’s children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket, were hoping to have a retrial on AEG’s responsibility in the tragic death of Michael Jackson.

    AEG Attorney Marvin Putnam told ABC, “Today in a strongly worded opinion, the California Court of Appeal agreed with what a unanimous jury found: AEG was in no way responsible for the tragic death of Michael Jackson.”

    Katherine Jackson lost her bid, and it appears she won’t have any more chances to go after AEG.

    The court said of Katherine Jackson’s case, “We agree with the trial court that Dr. Murray was an independent contractor as a matter of law.”

    The court added, “The evidence fails to establish a triable issue that AEG had the right to control the manner and means of Dr. Murray’s treatment of Michael. AEG never instructed Dr. Murray on how to treat Michael, and no evidence was presented that AEG had the right to control Dr. Murray’s treatment of Michael.”

    Katherine Jackson’s son, Michael Jackson, died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 after a lethal dose of propofol was administered by Dr. Conrad Murray to help him sleep.

    He was in the middle of rehearsing for a series of concerts in London called “This Is It.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As_GmhWiH4I

    What do you think of the court’s decision against Katherine Jackson’s appeal of the jury’s decision on AEG Live’s responsibility? Do you think they held any fault for what happened to Michael Jackson?

  • Paris Jackson Pregnant And Engaged?

    Paris Jackson Pregnant And Engaged?

    Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson’s 16-year-old daughter, has been sparking some pretty serious rumors lately. Though probably through no fault of her own, the young lady has put the media speculation in full swing.

    Paris’ engagement became all but imminent when a fan spotted her with an unidentified young man shopping for what appeared to be engagement rings.

    Then things really got going when some fans spotted Paris Jackson and her young man dining out at a restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. She drank water instead of alcohol and the onlookers claimed she was sporting a baby bump.

    That’s it. That’s all the evidence as to Paris Jackson’s engagement and baby making.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kx9VC8yD14

    Unfortunately for those on a witch hunt for scandal, the evidence is…well…a bit thin.

    Paris Jackson is 16. Granted, 16-year-old girls get pregnant every day in America, but it still shouldn’t be considered a common occurrence.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqd7V2SCt4

    Also, if you remember, Paris attempted suicide last summer by taking large amounts of Motrin and cutting her arm with a meat cleaver because she couldn’t go to a Marilyn Manson concert.

    Paris Jackson has since been on psychological medications which sometimes tout weight gain as a side effect. Perhaps her “baby bump” was nothing more than a little extra meat on her slender frame?

    As far as her abstinence from alcohol, well that’s just a legal issue. Again, Paris Jackson is 16. Most establishments are not going to risk their business to serve alcohol to a young girl. According to Viral Global News, it’s hard enough to get a drink in Utah when a person is over 21. Utah has many dry counties that have to be sorted through before a person over 21 can even locate a place to drink!

    Paris Jackson is most likely just doing some casual dating like all of the other girls her age do. Cue the 15 minute countdown until the next “baby bump” is spotted!

  • Paris Jackson Reportedly Spotted With Baby Bump And Mystery Boyfriend

    Aspiring actress Paris Jackson is rumored to be pregnant after being spotted carrying a baby bump that seemed pretty obvious to some onlookers even under loose fitting clothes.

    Michael Jackson’s only daughter was apparently observed by a fan while she was on a dinner date with an unnamed boyfriend. “I saw her at dinner and she twice made a toast drinking water instead of wine. That and the prominent stomach bulge got people talking.”

    According to inTouch few days earlier, the 16-year-old was allegedly spotted looking at engagement rings with the same boyfriend.

    A spokesperson for Jackson has refused to neither deny nor confirm the rumors and has only said: “I do not comment on her personal life.” MJ fans, however, are delighted to hear of the rumors, and are taking to social media with their reactions.

    Jackson has stayed low key and away from the spotlight for the past year since her attempted suicide in June last year. The teenager was apparently going through difficult times since her father’s untimely death and tried to end her life by taking over 20 pills.

    “She was treated for what appeared to be self-inflicted cuts on her wrists and for ingestion of a possible hazardous amount of pain-killers at UCLA Medical Center, the same place where her father was pronounced dead four years ago,” according to reports at the time.

    Following the incident, she attended the Diamond Ranch Academy in Utah, a therapeutic boarding school that reportedly costs $14,000 per month.  This May, she was given the all-clear by the academy’s doctors and she apparently doesn’t want to go back.

    Her guardian and paternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson, apparently feels the pricey boarding school does her good and wants her to return.

  • Paris Jackson Target of Baby Rumors

    Paris Jackson, the daughter of the late Michael Jackson, recently sparked pregnancy rumors after she was spotted with a noticeable baby bump while having dinner with her boyfriend.

    A source revealed that they saw the King of Pop’s only daughter, and noticed that she toasted twice with water, not alcohol. They also revealed that she had a large bulge under her shirt which got people talking.

    “I saw her at dinner and she twice made a toast drinking water instead of wine,” the source said. “That and the prominent stomach bulge got people talking. It’s highly unusual to toast with anything but a full glass of wine.”

    Considering Paris is only 16 years old, it would make sense that she wouldn’t be drinking alcohol, but for some reason drinking water means that you are expecting your first child.

    The pregnancy rumors came only a week after sources said she was seen with her unnamed boyfriend shopping for engagement rings. So is Paris pregnant and planning on getting married?

    So far, neither Paris or the rest of the Jackson family have commented on the rumors. However, we do know that Paris has had a rough year, and has been on the mend since trying to take her own life last year.

    “She was treated for what appeared to be self-inflicted cuts on her wrists and for ingestion of a possible hazardous amount of pain-killers at UCLA Medical Center, the same place where her father was pronounced dead four years ago,” the North Dallas Gazette reported at the time.

    Many fans are furious that Paris is being dragged back through the rumor mill and took to social media to share their frustrations.

  • Michael Jackson Could Have Been Saved By Kidnapping

    Ron Weisner, former manager of Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Michael Jackson, recently revealed his former plan to kidnap Jackson in his new book.

    Weisner managed the pop star through his Off the Wall and Thriller fame but, even after all of the success, was fired by Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, and was cut off from Michael’s career in the late 2000s.

    But before that, in 2006, a plan was put into place by Weisner and Jackson’s sister, La Toya, to kidnap the singer and save him from his drug-addicted life.

    “I’d snatch him. I’d get some people to grab him, take him to some rehab facility in the middle of nowhere,” Weisner told La Toya.

    After the infamous Pepsi commercial on January 27, 1984 in which Jackson’s hair caught on fire during filming in front of a live simulated concert audience, he underwent several procedures to treat the second-degree burns which burnt his scalp, becoming addicted to pain killers in the process, and sparking concern from those around him. However, none of the efforts of friends and family seemed to have any effect on him.

    “There were other people in Michael’s life who attempted interventions,” Weisner recalls, “none of whom came close to helping.”

    When Jackson escaped to Bahrain, a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf, his addiction and spending had gotten out out control. But two princes on the island continued to feed his desires, giving Jackson all the drugs and cash he needed.

    It was at this point that La Toya gave Weisner the go-ahead on the kidnapping plan.

    “That’s exactly what this was, a kidnapping” on “the other side of the world” that involved a plane, rehab facility, a team and “more money than I’d care to admit,” Weisner writes in his book.

    But at the last minute, La Toya pulled the plug on the plan, pleading with Weisner not to go through with it.

    “In retrospect, it was probably for the best … as one of my attorneys pointed out,” Weisner recalls. “There was little question that [the law] would view this as a kidnapping rather than an attempt to help a colleague.”

    But, thinking back, Weisner believes that, had the plan been carried out, it could have possibly saved Michael.

    Weisner visited Jackson in 2009 at the Staples Center, just days before he died.

    “He hadn’t looked really healthy for a good long while,” Weisner wrote, “but this was a whole other level. I thought, ‘He looks like a (expletive) prisoner of war …’ He had that look in his eyes … a look of resignation, a look that said, ‘It’s over,’ and it broke my heart.”

    Weisner’s new book, “Listen Out Loud,” will be available on June 3.


    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Katy Perry Stuns In ‘Birthday’ Performance

    Katy Perry performed her latest hit Birthday at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday in typical Perry fashion.

    The Roar singer held her “Birthday” bash from the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena during the awards ceremony, which happened live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

    Donning a green-colored do, Perry invited a surprised fan who was celebrating her birthday to join her onstage. Channeling Peter Pan, Perry then flew away from the cake and backup dancers on the arena’s platform, riding a zipline over the audience in a bunch of balloons reminiscent of the Pixar film, Up.

    Birthday is the latest single from Perry‘s third studio album PRISM. Debuting at No. 1 when it was released in October, the single moved up four spots to No. 25 on this week’s Hot 100 chart. Other PRISM singles, Roar and Dark Horse — have already hit the No. 1 spot.

    Another unlikely performer was Michael Jackson, or rather, a hologram of the King of Pop.

    The controversial use of Jackson’s likeness was battled out in court, but a federal judge allowed the Billboard Music Awards to go ahead with its plans to use the hologram during the awards show.

    Perry was just one of the many stunning performances at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. Shakira, Florida Georgia Line, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Iggy Azalea each took a turn wowing the audience.

    Justin Timberlake beat out Perry to become the 2014 Billboard Music Top Artist. Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and Bruno Mars were the other contenders.

    Timberlake’s humor came out backstage when he posted a little celebratory dance:

    Image via YouTube

  • Katy Perry To Perform Alongside Michael Jackson’s Hologram At Billboard Music Awards

    Katy Perry is still one of the best pop stars around despite debuting more than 10 years ago. Now she, alongside others, may make history tonight at the Billboard Music Awards.

    It’s being reported that a federal judge has allowed the Billboard Music Awards to go ahead with its plans to use a Michael Jackson hologram during the awards show. We don’t know what the hologram will be performing, but it will be the first time the King of Pop has been resurrected using the technology. It won’t be the first time a famous music star has been resurrected though as Coachella had a hologram of Tupac perform back in 2012.

    Resurrecting public figures through holograms is still a little weird, but Jackson’s hologram will be in good company during the Billboard Music Awards. Katy Perry, Lorde and Thicke will be performing on site at the MGM Grand Garden Arena while Miley Cyrus will be performing remotely from England. Cyrus is currently touring in the country as part of her Bangerz tour and is currently in the running for the top Hot 100 song with Wrecking Ball.

    Barring Cyrus, who is performing remotely, it’s very likely that we’ll see either Perry, Lorde or Thicke performing alongside the Jackson hologram. At Coachella, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg performed alongside hologram Tupac without missing a beat.

    While the two haven’t performed together, Lady Gaga has had Japanese virtual pop star Hatsune Miku open her ArtRave shows this summer:

    If you want to see Michael Jackson’s hologram and the rest of the Billboard lineup, you can catch the awards show Sunday night at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons
    [h/t: NPR]