The winds of commerce are blowing over the Jackson family’s Hayvenhurst home.
Sources have been telling me for a couple of weeks that the Jacksons—ever productive in making money since Michael died on June 25th—are saying that ABC has made the family an offer it probably wouldn’t refuse: a stunning $25 million to turn over all their home movies, let the whole clan be interviewed exclusively by either Barbara Walters or Diane Sawyer, and let the public see Michael’s children be interviewed.
According to the sources, a written offer has been made, and the family has been hashing it out. What certain members don’t want, though, is the participation of Joseph, Jermaine, or La Toya.
At ABC News, spokeswoman Cathie Levine says no one knows anything about this or has ever heard of it. Of course, ABC News does not pay for interviews. At Hayvenhurst, however, they do say it’s happening. Sources there say ABC will funnel it through another Jackson programming deal at A&E—in which ABC parent company Disney has an ownership stake—and then repurpose the material so it shows up on ABC News.
As for that $25 million figure: it does seem a tad high, even if the family produced for viewing Michael’s original nose.
Meanwhile, Point7 Entertainment of Atlanta, Ga., is putting the finishing touches on its Jackson 5 50th anniversary miniseries, which went into production last January. The show is supposed to air on A&E. Producer Jodi Gomes wouldn’t tell me when it’s supposed to start, but no one rules out the possibility of some kind of special on Michael’s birthday, August 29th.
Another option, of course, would be to scoop Sony/Columbia’s $60 million film, “This Is It,” which is set for October 30th.
According to people at Hayvenhurst, “Jodi has the run of the house.” Gomes concedes she has a close relationship with Katherine Jackson. She told me: “A lot of people would like to be in my shoes.”
It’s also unclear how many episodes the A&E miniseries is supposed to last, although, frankly, more than one hour with Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlon would cover the group’s history rather completely. Anything more would have to focus on Michael, and it’s hard to believe that since Michael died, A&E hasn’t been all over the Jacksons for personal stuff and access.
And still more speculation: since the Jacksons are notorious for trying to market themselves, it’s now also a question of whether they or someone they’re in business with will film Michael’s “third funeral” on August 29th at Glendale Forest Lawn. The Jacksons already had a private service at Hollywood Forest Lawn, then had the Staples Center memorial service. A third much publicized but “closed to the public” funeral seems superfluous unless it’s being used for some other purpose.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
This “third” funeral is an obvious thing. The family has some financial stake and this is terrible. The Jacksons are pretty slimy people, I hate to say it.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
What a joke! Let me understand this. Jackson dies, they have an expected private funeral. He wakes up and dies again, they have a private memorial. He wakes up for more than a month again and now they plan for him to die on his birthday!!!! This is worse than Ted Williams and James Brown put together. No dignity in life and certainly, in this case, no dignity in death. At least now that he’s dead we won’t have to worry about the wackiness anymore.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Why would the Jackson family have problems with Jermaine? He’s the only capable of putting two sentences together in interviews! Joe and LaToya, yeah, who needs them. But Jermaine’s been on all the talk-shows.
August 18th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Leave Mj’s kids out of your schemes Jackson Family!!! you are all pathetic (Except for Janet & Rebbie).
August 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
“and let the public see Michael’s children be interviewed” IF this is true it is absolutely despicable
August 18th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Jermaine lies are much more obvious than the rest of the family’s, that’s why they’d have a problem with him. Anyway, they accused people for a long time of trying to gain financially off of Michael, well, what the heck are they doing. Burying him three times!!!!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
“musicexpert Says:
August 18th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Why would the Jackson family have problems with Jermaine? He’s the only capable of putting two sentences together in interviews! Joe and LaToya, yeah, who needs them. But Jermaine’s been on all the talk-shows.
EXACTLY!!!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
“let the whole clan be interviewed…, and let the public see Michael’s children be interviewed.
What certain members don’t want, though, is the participation of Joseph, Jermaine, or La Toya.”
***
Ummmm, did these people ever meet Michael Jackson? If this is true, and the family has problems with J, J & L but not THE KIDS? CHRIST!
These people are so F’d up!! If I see those kids being interviewed by ANYONE, let alone either of those two ABC shrews, my heart will break all over again at the fact that Michael died. The kids will be the only reason for $25 MILLION DOLLARS!! And it’s heartbreaking to me that KJ is ready to trot them out as if she’s not going to get her $$$ from MJs estate already.
Damn.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
There is no reason to believe that the Jackson family is going to film his burial for any purpose whatsoever. This is baseless conjecture.
As for Diane Sawyer interviewing the children, or any other Jackson, I hope they’ve seen her interview with Lisa Marie Presley, where she totally disrespected Michael. “You married Michael Jackson!” she bleated repeatedly, in a tone of ridicule and disgust, as if he were sub-human. You could say it was borderline racist, except there wasn’t any border. If one of the Jackson’s called her out about that, I would watch.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Just another in a long line of rumors floating around. I am glad ABC shut this one down. I have learned that unless there is a direct quote from an actual person and not an “unnamed source” that it’s just more tabloid garbage. This didn’t need to be reported once ABC said it was not true since no one spreading the rumor was brave enough to give their name.
We all know Katherine would never let the kids be interviewed so that makes it ridiculous from the jump.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Why do people keep spreading wild rumors about the Jacksons. Good grief. They have a PR firm. If they want us to know something Ken Sunshine will announce it. Good grief, this is becoming a circus with all the rumors!
August 18th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Michael Jackson is rolling over in his grave. This family is so money hungry, its sick. Maybe we should boycott some of these events. Enough, this family needs to make there own money,not on Michael’s name.
August 19th, 2009 at 3:48 am
Frankly, I just look at Michael’s family and have no more questions about why he turned out the way he was.
And I can totally understand why the rest of the family wouldn’t like to see Joseph, Jermaine and LaToya there – the notorious liars.
I was a big fan of Michael as a child and teenager but didn’t care much about him in the past 15 years or so, because I just couldn’t stand watching this guy destroy himself in every sense. But in a strange way his death affected me, it brought back all those memories from his better years. And I love to watch him in his 10s, 20s and early 30s. I have been watching the Jacksons Variety Shows on YouTube from the 70s and there as this 18-year-old Michael who, despite of the show itself beeing cheesy, blew everybody away with his singing and dancing talent – and there was something about his personality as well. It’s hard to explain what it was but he was such a splendid phenomenon personality wise. And it just breaks my heart when I think of it how that splendid personality gradually disappeared over the years because of his pain, the corruptions of show business, his bad judgment about people who he surrounded himself with, disappointments in people – even kids, accusations (IMO false accusations) etc.
I believe he was a great guy at core. He just lost himself over the years, which so, so sad.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Jermaine is an interesting one.
At the memorial he claimed he was Michael’s “backbone”. Really? I think he was the brother who had the most difficult relationship with Michael and now he claimes to have been his “backbone”. Hm.
In the early 90s Jermaine wrote a song to Michael called “Word to the Badd” in which he openly dissed him. Then there was that dubious Stacy Brown book in the early 2000s, about which Jermaine now claims it was all made up by Brown, he didn’t say things those are written there. Knowing these shady Jackson “biographists” I can imagine that. But I can also imagine Jermaine attacking Michael and his own family like that, so you never know. I just wish Jermaine would stop acting as if he had been Michael’s best friend among his brothers because he clearly wasn’t, on the contrary. Michael’s best friends among his siblings were Janet and Randy.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:48 am
The Jacksons are opportunists. It’s that simple. Now that the “king” is gone, they’re totally useless and, after they put him in the ground and do this interview, they will have no value to anyone.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Isn’t this third service to bury him? That doesn’t seem superflous.
August 19th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Isn’t this third service to bury him? That doesn’t seem superfluous.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:28 am
I hope this is not true.Michael did everything to protect the faces of his children from the public (the masks).I really hope, this is not true and just a false rumor.I would loose the last respect towards his family, if they would allow, that the children would be interviewed.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:27 am
ok i’m not one to usually defend the jackson family but this sounds so bogus it’s unbelievable. janet for one would never agree to participate in this rubbish and katherine would never sell her grandchildren like that, she may have been weak in the past but one can obviously see she is grief stricken. did you see who paris repeatedly leaned her head on at the memorial, it was katherine and that alone says it all
August 19th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Third time’s the charm?
Honestly, something tells me that lil Paris just might enjoy talking about her father. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, because on the one hand– if the Jacksons put the children out there for the purpose of fulfilling an exclusive agreement for monetary gain, then I’m against it. If the children themselves want to speak– I think they should be able to. And maybe they do. (just speculation here).
As for the family in a nutshell– well, the nutshell just said it all, didn’t it?
The more that is shown of this family, the more understanding of Michael is gained. His intent was pure–
Protect his children.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
If I understand correctly when the Estate and AEG agreed to sell the footage of Michael to Columbia, Mrs. Jackson wanted to make sure that the children were not in the footage and they indicated that they were not. Why would they put the children up to do an interview with these two creeps at ABC? Those children are suppose to be in therapy, they do not need to be in there prolonged by these two creeps at ABC.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
[...] Michael died, the brothers filmed a one-hour pilot for A&E that was supposed to include some kind of reunion of them with Michael. But Michael [...]
August 19th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Is the “family” still suing MJ for the $40M that they were before his death? Jermaine seems like the biggest leech (IMO). He was the one that wanted the “Neverland Positive Income Flow” burial site. He was supposedly having an affair with the nanny, Grace around the time of the trial (w/o MJ’s knowledge). He the one that has his ex-wife, plus some kids living at Havenhurst after stating in court documents that in 2007 he had ZERO,zip,nada income for the year to support them (but somehow still drove a hugely expensive car). I think Katherine was then suppose to support them-very strange IMO-which in essence means MJ has been supporting a zillion of Jacksons. If the trust states that after Katherines death her remaining % of money reverts back to the trust for the benefit of the children; will she be on some kind of allowance from now on or can she say…well I’ll just withdraw $50M and spread among the family now so nothing will be left to return to the trust and the leeches will have some $ for awhile to support them before the MJ’s kids become of age and they can then try to suck money directly from them? I hope Debbie Rowe bonds quickly and gets all 3 kids out of the Jackson clutches post haste. Is the Austria concert still on with LKL’s wife? What a nightmare.
August 20th, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] Michael died, the brothers filmed a one-hour pilot for A&E that was supposed to include some kind of reunion of them with Michael. But Michael [...]
August 20th, 2009 at 9:56 am
RANDY JACKSON’S WIFE WITH WHOM HE HAD 3 CHILDREN, HAD AN AFFAIR AND MARRIED JERMAINE JACKSON. WHAT KIND OF BROTHER IS THAT? JERMAINE HAD 2 CHILDREN WITH HER BEFORE THEY WERE DIVORCED. THIS WOMAN ALSO SLEPT WITH JOE JACKSON THE FATHER OF RANDY AND JERMAINE. THIS IS A FACT,YOU CAN LOOK IT UP. READ THE BOOK WRITTEN BY JERMAINE’S SECOND WIFE.
August 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
No wonder Michael said ADIOS