Statement From the Estate of Michael Jackson - Regarding Vanity Fair Article (10/4/12)

by **Admin** Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:38 am

Statement From the Estate of Michael Jackson - Regarding Vanity Fair Article

October 4, 2012

Michael Jackson’s Wembley Concert is the No. 1 selling DVD in the world. Spike Lee’s Bad 25 documentary is drawing rave reviews from film critics and will air on ABC Thanksgiving night. Entertainment Weekly gave Bad 25 album an “A” calling it “a potent reminder of just how much Bad's pulsing pop holds up.” Cirque du Soleil’s “Michael Jackson the Immortal World Tour” was Pollstar’s top selling North American concert tour in the first six months of 2012, debuts this month in Europe and recently received Billboard’s Creative Content Award. And "This Is It" is the most successful concert film…EVER.

The world loves Michael Jackson. Rest assured that every action the Estate takes will continue to endeavor that fans experience exciting new projects that further build upon and enhance his incredible legacy as an artist and humanitarian, while securing the financial future of those he specifically named as his beneficiaries.

Sadly the full potential of Michael’s legacy continues to be hindered by a small handful of people who recklessly spread false rumors and obsess over stale, internet-fueled conspiracy theories much as they did when Michael was alive. These rumors have long since been debunked and have no legal or factual foundation.

This week, some of these baseless theories appeared yet again in an article in Vanity Fair in the form of an excerpt from a book written by Randall Sullivan that will rehash these tired theories. While we do not want or need to respond to all of the nonsense, we do want to remind everyone of at least a few truths.

The suggestion that John Branca or Howard Weitzman have a conflict of interest when it comes to AEG, and for that reason did not join Katherine Jackson in suing AEG, is not only false but reckless and noticeably unsupported by any facts. The Estate chose not to join in the lawsuit because it saw no evidence that AEG was culpable in Michael's tragic passing. Eventually, should the case proceed to trial any decision on AEG’s liability will be decided by a jury. That said, the Executors are troubled by the unfortunate and distasteful information being brought out in those proceedings which could sully and damage Michael's reputation and our memory of him.

Another outrageously false claim is that Michael’s burial was delayed by any action of the Estate.

As for the Will filed in the Probate Court, let's be clear: IT IS LEGALLY VALID, and the court properly appointed John Branca and John McClain as co-Executors. Those who wished to contest Michael’s wishes had every opportunity to challenge his Will. It should be noted that the 2002 will is consistent with Michael’s wishes as expressed in three prior wills.

Sitting in the cheap seats and perpetuating tired cloak and dagger theories as Mr. Sullivan has done is not journalism, it's gossip mongering for profit. Look no further than some of the sources Sullivan relied upon for much of the incorrect information he chose to include in this book.

Our commitment is and always has been to Michael’s legacy, his beneficiaries, his fans and to the spirit of an extraordinary artist and humanitarian who continues to touch the world.

Source: MJOnline - The Official Online Team of the Michael Jackson Estate®