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Ugh … just when you thought that exploitation of the late Michael Jackson‘s memory couldn’t get more pathetic comes news of papa Joseph Jackson selling MJ branded perfume at a mall kiosk in Las Vegas, NV. I mean … really. Jackson was photographed selling his wares at the mall kiosk with nary a customer in sight. My, how the mighty have fallen. Check out the photos below.

Last month we got our first look at Oprah Winfrey with the Jackson family in their Encino, CA home as she interviewed them for an upcoming episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. A few days later, it was reported that Oprah would also be interviewing Michael Jackson‘s children — Prince Michael Joseph, Paris Michael Katherine and Prince Michael Joseph, II aka Blanket — for her show. Today we get our first look a promo photo of Oprah with MJ‘s children as she interviewed them for next Monday November 8′s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show:

Relaxed, smiling and playful – that’s the image of Michael Jackson’s three children captured in a candid photo taken during Oprah Winfrey’s visit to the Jacksons’ Encino, Calif., home last month. Prince, 13, and Paris, 12, are seen smiling as Paris reaches out to Blanket, 8, who is curled up in a lawn chair in the backyard of the home, while Winfrey and the children’s grandparents, Katherine and Joe Jackson, are seated across the table. The talk-show host was there to interview Katherine about Michael’s childhood, his career, his children and his legacy a year and a half after the pop legend’s untimely death at age 50.

While there are many people (me included) who are horribly curious to see the Jackson children interviewed, at least one person is NOT pleased that Oprah sat down to interview the kids in the first place. Randy Jackson has spoken out publicly to voice his displeasure with the interview, stating that MJ would NEVER have allowed his children to be interviewed on TV … not even by Oprah. While that claim is debatable, it is very true that MJ fiercely guarded his children’s privacy and it is unlikely that he would be totally cool with putting his kids on TV like this. Still, the interview has been filmed and is scheduled to air next Monday. Will you be tuning in?

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Over the weekend Oprah Winfrey made her way to SoCal to pay an in-house visit with the Jackson family for a taped interview set to air on an upcoming episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah chilled with the Jacksons on Saturday and TMZ managed to get their hands on photos snapped of the Big O‘s visit inside the home:

Oprah Winfrey’s production team moved into Katherine Jackson’s Encino, California, home Saturday to tape an interview with Michael Jackson’s mother, a source inside the home said. Winfrey was in the Jackson home to conduct the interview Saturday afternoon, according the source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Katherine Jackson has not given any interviews since her son’s death last year except for a paid interview for a documentary. Winfrey’s production company did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

As you can see, Oprah met with matriarch Katherine Jackson and her estranged husband Joe Jackson … which seems odd to me considering that the couple have been separated for years and reportedly made the decision to divorce. You can also see that Katherine was pimpin’ out the book that she is selling in memory of her late son Michael Jackson. If memory serves, the Jacksons are also selling a limited edition line of commemorative belts in memory of the late MJ and I’ll bet those belts will show up in the Oprah interview as well. Because this is the first interview that Katherine has given since the interview she gave to The Daily Mirror back in June, I’m certain many will tune in to watch this ep of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Do y’all have any interesting in seeing this Jackson interview with Oprah Winfrey?

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Now that the new documentary/concert film Michael Jackson’s This Is It has been released in movie theaters, Jackson patriarch Joesph is back on TV talking to any and everyone about his deceased son. In a new interview with Extra! TV scheduled to air later on today, Joe very lovingly explains that his late son is worth more money now that he is dead than when he was alive. He does go on to clarify that he would rather his son be alive but there is an insincerely in his tone that, to me, belies that sentiment. Here is a pic of Joe‘s appearance on Extra! and some excerpts from his interview:

Joe Jackson says that Michael is making a bigger impact than ever since his June death from an apparent drug overdose. “He’s worth more dead than when he was alive,” Joe, 80, tells “Extra” in an interview that airs Thursday night. “I’d rather have him alive.” As Michael’s movie “This Is It” rakes in $2.2 million in the box office, Joe adds, “When he was living, they didn’t show this.” Joe admits he wasn’t on board with the flick at first, which documents Michael rehearsing for his comeback tour of the same name. “I didn’t know what ‘This Is It’ meant,” says Joe, who spoke to “Extra” in Las Vegas at the unveiling of a celebrity star honoring him and his famous family. But the movie allows him to remember Michael “as I knew him best: performing and dancing on stage. Entertaining people,” he says. Hearing Michael’s songs make Joe “very emotional,” he admits. He sometimes sheds tears “when I’m off to myself and I start thinking about things that we went through,” he says. “No one will ever see me, though.” He has harsher feelings for his son’s doctor, Conrad Murray, who is currently under investigation on manslaughter charges. Joe says if he saw Murray, he’d “knock him out.”

It’s very difficult for me to stomach the caring, nurturing sentiments presented by Joe Jackson here considering the way he has been described by others, particularly Michael Jackson himself. In the end, tho, no matter how horrible Joseph may have been to his children (and I have *NO DOUBT* that he was a horrible father to his children) … he is still a father and I have to believe that some part of him truly does feel sympathetic love for his children. That’s not to say that he didn’t exploit and use them at every opportunity for his own financial gain but the man is human after all … there has to be some love in there somewhere. It really does gross me out to hear him speak so “lovingly” about his late son … while I believe that he may have some heartfelt feelings for MJ, it’s really hard to believe his sincerity when he is so willing to express those feelings for a fee on national television. Ugh.

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200 of the late Michael Jackson‘s family and closest friends convened at the Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA last night to pay their last respects to MJ at a small funeral/burial service exactly 70 days after he passed away on June 25. For the most part, the service was fairly quiet (even tho some of it was broadcast live on TV and all of it was filmed for possible inclusion in the upcoming A&E reality TV series The Jackson Family) and provided family and friends the opportunity to say their final farewells to the King of Pop:

Michael Jackson’s family and about 200 of their closest friends gathered on a hill Thursday evening for their final farewell to the pop singer, who died 10 weeks ago. Jackson’s burial may lay to rest some of the mystery and controversy that erupted with his sudden death on June 25. His large family was divided over where the superstar’s final resting place should be, but matriarch Katherine Jackson settled on a crypt inside the well-guarded and ornate Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California. Thursday’s service began 90 minutes past the announced start time, leaving dozens of celebrities — including Elizabeth Taylor — waiting in their seats for the 26 cars carrying the Jackson clan to arrive. It began with Jackson’s five brothers — each wearing a single sequined glove — carrying his flower-covered bronze casket onto the outdoor stage among six large bouquets of white lilies and white roses, along with green topiaries. His three children, led by daughter, Paris, 11, placed a crown atop their father’s coffin, which a family spokesman said it was “to signify the final resting place of the King of Pop.” Jackson’s children, parents and siblings took their seats in the front row, while his nieces and nephews filled several rows of white chairs behind them.

After an opening prayer by Pastor Lucius Smith, soul music legend Gladys Knight sang the gospel hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” Clifton Davis sang “Never Can Say Goodbye,” a hit he wrote for The Jackson 5 — the group that featured a young Michael and his brothers. What was said by Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, and others who took the lectern is not publicly known, because the family barred news cameras from the ceremony. A family statement issued afterward said close friends and family, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, spoke “spontaneously to celebrate Michael’s life.” News helicopters hovering above captured video from a distance, but without sound. Lisa Marie Presley, one of Jackson’s former wives and the daughter of Elvis, attended the service, according to the family statement. It did not mention Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s second wife and the mother of his two oldest children. Macaulay Culkin, the “Home Alone” actor who spent time with Jackson during his Neverland Ranch days, was there with his girlfriend, actress Mila Kunis. Actors Corey Feldman and Chris Tucker were also seen arriving for the service. Motown founder Berry Gordy, who gave Jackson and his brothers their first big record deal, and Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson’s “Thriller” album, were there. Music producer Teddy Riley, who helped with Jackson’s 1991 “Dangerous” album, attended. The guest list included TV executive Suzanne de Passe, who produced a miniseries about Jackson’s family, and Kenny Ortega, who was producing Jackson’s comeback show. Thomas Mesereau, the lawyer who successfully defended Jackson in a child molestation trial, sat just behind the Jackson family. When the hour-long service ended, his brothers lifted Jackson’s casket for a final time to carry him inside the Great Mausoleum, where he was placed in his crypt at 9:43 p.m. PT (12:34 a.m. ET Friday). The family statement said it was “his final resting place.” The family and friends then drove to an Italian restaurant eight miles away, in Pasadena, California, for “a time of celebration.”

I watched most of the service as it aired live on CNN last night and found it a much more pared down service compared to the lavish service that took place at the Staples Center last July. I have to admit, I found the placing of the crown on the casket a bit odd but, that seems pretty de rigeur for any service honoring the memory of Michael Jackson. After all these weeks and months, tho, Michael Jackson is finally laid to rest … where he belongs.

[Photo credit: Getty; Source]

Last week we learned from Jermaine Jackson that it is very possible that Michael Jackson fathered a lovechild in the 80′s and that boy, Omer Bhatti, was welcomed into the Jackson family. The young man is so close with the Jacksons that he sat with them in the front row of MJ‘s memorial service at the Staples Center on July 7. While Jermaine claims that is is possible that Omer is MJ‘s firstborn child, he insisted that he did not know for sure if he really was MJ‘s son. In a new interview with MJ‘s father Joseph Jackson, TV One managed to get a straight answer on the paternity of Omer Bhatti. According to Joe Jackson, MJ was his father:

In the wake of Jermaine‘s comments last week, Omer Bhatti went on the record to DENY that MJ was his father but in this new interview with TV One, Joe Jackson makes no qualms about revealing that MJ did father Omer Bhatti. After the jump, check out short video of Joe making his comments to TV One …

Last night the 9th annual BET Awards were handed out at the Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles, CA and earlier today we saw video of Janet Jackson‘s appearance on the awards show where she delivered a statement to fans of her late brother Michael Jackson. As I noted earlier, the entire BET Awards were a tribute to Michael‘s memory. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals from last night’s awards show:

I LOVED seeing the cast of Bravo TV‘s The Real Housewives of Atlanta … including alums NeNe Leakes (FTW!), Lisa Wu Hartwell, Sheree Whitfield and new castmember Kandi Burruss. I am really looking forward to the return of the Atlanta Housewives in August :) I also love the photo of Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols (who both portrayed the Star Trek character Uhura) together on the red carpet … beautiful, beautiful ladies. The show itself was very entertaining … in between award presentations and live performances, host Jamie Foxx made sure to remind the audience that this year’s BET Awards was a true celebration of Michael Jackson‘s legacy. Here are a few pics from the show itself and a rundown of what went down:

Michael Jackson’s sister Janet thanked the crowd at the BET Awards Sunday night for paying tribute to her late brother. “My entire family wanted to be here, but it was just too painful,” she said, holding back tears. “To you Michael is an icon. To us Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts.” The star-studded BET Awards was an appreciation of Michael Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50. He was “the greatest star in the world,” Joseph Jackson, father of the late entertainer, said on Sunday night. “I wish the world had recognized him when he were living,” Joseph Jackson told CNN’s Don Lemon outside the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. “Right now he’s bigger than ever. But I wish he was here to see all this, to hear all this.” When asked about circumstances surrounding his son’s death, he said, “I have a lot of concerns but I can’t get into that. … I don’t like what happened.” The awards opened with a fleet-footed New Edition, with Bobby Brown, performing an energized version of the Jackson 5 hit “The Love You Save,” to raucous praise. Host Jamie Foxx wore a red, leather “Beat It” jacket for his opening monologue and did his best to imitate Jackson’s backward glide across the floor. In addition to Foxx, presenter Jeremy Piven mixed praise for Jackson with comic relief. “If it wasn’t for Michael Jackson, people like Justin Timberlake would be selling curly fries in the valley,” the actor said. “I mean that with love.” This year’s performers included, Beyonce, Keyshia Cole and R&B artist Neyo who performed a hard-hitting tribute to the 1990s with appearances by acts Keith Sweat, Guy and Bell Biv Devoe. The presenters included the past and present Uhura of “Star Trek”: Zoe Saldana, who starred in the film, and Nichelle Nichols of the TV show. The show also honored the soulful Ohio trio, The O’Jays, who were presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. Tevin Campbell performed a rendition of The O’Jays classic “Forever Mine.” Johnny Gill, Tyrese and Trey Songz performed a rumbling, soulful medley of The O’Jays hits that had some in the audience wondering if Songz was older than his years. Among the award winners, Atlanta, Georgia-based singer Keri Hilson, who was nominated in four categories, received best new artist and Beyonce won best female artist. Debra L. Lee, chairman and chief executive officer of Black Entertainment Television, said Jackson’s death both saddened and energized the awards organizers. “When we heard the news of Michael Jackon’s passing we knew immediately we’d have to change the nature of this show,” she said. “We put the show together in a matter of three or four days. It’s truly been a labor of love for us,” Lee said.

I was able to watch the show myself and it really was a very celebratory event. Except for a few touching moments, it really looked like everyone was having a great time. To be honest, I think that is the best way to honor someone’s passing. It was said many times during the BET Awards show last night — Michael Jackson was directly responsible for last night’s awards show. His trailblazing legacy as an African American performer paved the way for all of the African American artists who are enjoying successful careers today. I think it was right that his contributions were honored … and celebrated. Congrats to all of this year’s winners of BET Awards.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin, Wireimage; Source]

On the day that Michael Jackson died, the tributes from his close friends came pouring in with expressions of grief, sorrow and remembrance. Yesterday, on behalf of the entire Jackson family, patriarch Joseph Jackson released an official statement to the public expressing their feelings on the passing of Michael Jackson. Here is the full text of the Jackson family statement:

“In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon. It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times. We miss Michael endlessly, our pain cannot be described in words. But Michael would not want us to give up now. So we want to thank all of his faithful supporters and loyal fans worldwide, you – who Michael loved so much. Please do not despair, because Michael will continue to live on in each and every one of you. Continue to spread his message, because that is what he would want you to do. Carry on, so his legacy will live forever. My grandchildren are deeply moved by all the love and support you have shown for them and their father, Michael Jackson.”

Joseph Jackson & Family

Very sweet, very touching sentiments indeed. There is no doubt that Michael was the centerpiece of the Jackson family and I imagine they are all suffering greatly from his loss. Whatever may have happened in the family’s past, I know that love and forgiveness overshadowed the negative in that family. It remains to be seen what the family will authorize by way of giving the public access to MJ‘s remains (ie. if he will be made available for a public service) but my guess is that they will do everything they reasonably can to allow the public to be a part of his funeral. From the age of 5, Michael Jackson belonged to the world … I imagine that he will belong to the world until he is finally laid to his final resting place.

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