The mother and children of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, are suing concert promoter AEG for a wrongful death claim. However, the information coming out in the trial is proving to be more damning than the lawsuit.
Katherine, Prince, Paris and “Blanket” Jackson are all suing AEG for employing Dr. Conrad Murray, whose nightly use of propofol to help Jackson sleep eventually killed him. However, their suit has publicly opened files and bits of information that was previously private and are likely embarrassing to the legacy of the iconic entertainer.
Earlier this week, the jury was shown graphic photos of the nude body of Michael Jackson during his autopsy. The photos detailed how Jackson had his lips tattooed pink, his eyebrows tattooed black for depth and his hairline tattooed black so as to blend in with the various wigs he wore in public. The photos also proved that Jackson did in fact have vitiligo as he had claimed throughout the years, as his corpse clearly showed dark and light patches of skin. The pictures were said to depict an old looking, frail and unhealthy man — much unlike the image Jackson presented to the public while alive, or would have wanted seen after his death.
A sad side note to the trial came from dancer-turned-choreographer Wade Robson, whom Jackson worked with and promoted as a child. During Jackson’s 2005 sexual molestation trial, Robson served as a defense witness and emphatically testified under oath that Jackson never once molested him during his many sleepovers at Neverland. However, now that Jackson’s estate is worth billions following his death, Robson is recanting his story nearly a decade later.
Robson, who has choreographed for such stars as Britney Spears, Usher and Pink, now claims he is suffering from “repressed memory” and didn’t remember until recently that Jackson did in fact molest him as a child. Although the deadline has long since passed for creditors to file a claim against the Jackson estate, Robson is asking for a special waiver so that he can make a late collection.
Attorney’s for the Jackson estate are calling Robson’s “repressed memory” claim against the King of Pop “pathetic,” while members of the entertainment community are condemning Robson for his thinly veiled attempt to cash in on his friendship with Jackson now that he is dead. However, it appears that “cashing in” on his death is exactly what this lawsuit from Katherine Jackson and her family is really all about.
Michael Jackson must certainly be turning over in his grave. The vultures are circling over his massive fortune for their own gain and nobody’s giving a damn about his legacy!
Silly me. After MJ's death, I actually thought that maybe, Just. Maybe…the sad drama I call "The Rise and Fall of MJ and the Jackson Family" would finally come to an end..smh.
I remember the sorrowful words of Jackie Jackson during a Barbara Walters Special (in the early or mid-90s) when she put the question to him and Tito and Marlon. She asked (paraphrasing): As you look back on your life is there anything you wish you could go back and change"?
Jackie's eyes began to tear up as he answered (paraphrasing): I wish we could back to our childhood, happy, living in Gary Indiana…and that there never was a Jackson 5. Tito and Marlon's eyes began to water as they nodded in agreement.
Just an incredibly sad and tragic story.