Tomorrow, Michael Jackson’s second funeral will cost $1 million dollars.
This morning, his mother had to petition the court so that Michael’s estate would pay for this burial at Forest Lawn’s Glendale cemetery.
As I told you last week, the Jackson family didn’t have the money to bury Michael. They didn’t have it in July, when they put on a big show before and after the Staples Center memorial. The estate wound up paying for that, I’m told, and it cost north of a half a million dollars including all the limos, flowers, and the big party at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Today, the court ruled that the estate should pay for the funeral including the extravagant mausoleum picked out by the Jacksons. It’s a mausoleum no one will ever see, except maybe in pictures to be hawked later. Anyway, the estate retains ownership of the burial structure just in case Joe Jackson gets any other weird money making ideas.
It is hoped that this will be the last burial for Michael, who died — or was murdered, depending on semantics — on June 25. Tomorrow is Sept. 3.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
The cost will also include 12 plots for the Jackson family. Michael will never get his chronically unemployed family off his back even in death.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Stop making these nasty swipes at a grieving family. You have no shame. What did Joe Jackson ever do to you are or you just doing this to help, AEG like that video said?
Unless you give a name that said it cost a million dollars I don’t believe it.
California law states that the estate is to pay for the burial of the decedent.
Either way this is a family matter and really not anyone else’s business. I don’t care what their financial status is. That’s private and no one should be poking their nose in it.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
The configuration of those grave sites should be as follows:
Michael on the bottom with the other 11 family members stacked up on top of him. It would be the ultimate metaphor for him to carry them in death just as he did in life.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Since the family is hawking everything from “music companies” to family members .mp3 of the song from the memorial service, the idea of private finances has left the building.
IF/WHEN the family stops telling everyone how much everything cost or how much they stand to make (they could also be the Estate) then I’d agree that what happens in private stays private.
Joseph Jackson has pimped his children out since the days of the Jackson 5, the only child that has remained out of the limelight is is daughter borne of an extra-marital relationship.
Given the chance, I’m sure he’d pimp her out (career speaking) as well.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Raychil,
Get over yourself. I will state my opinion. You’re free not to like it, but you’re not free to censor me.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
LOL I love it, but it is so true. I’m sure Jermaine would ask to be buried in the same casket to save a few dollars. We love Michael, but lets be honest – except for a few, the family are a bunch of mooches!
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:48 pm
This sound more like a maximum security prison than a place to lie in peace for eternity. I’d rather see him buried in an unmarked grave with the sun shining on it and the wind blowing through the grass.
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Raychil is absolutely correct – it is usual and customary for the decedent’s estate to cover funeral expenses. And all in all, it’s the family’s business and none of ours.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I don’t remember you telling us last week about Michael’s family not having money to bury him … you need to stop lying. You always start with “as I told you … (whenever) … PLEASE get a grip, beginning to sound like Mediatakeout …. very full of air. Just tell the story, instead of trying to say who told it first.
I wonder what your parents are like, why you feel the need to always Disrespect Joe Jackson … I guess your parents were SUPER PERFECT PEOPLE including the REST OF YOUR FAMILY and EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS??????
Michael Jackson should be paying for his funeral himself … preparation … it is not unusual for your estate to pay for it and it is not unusual for you to put aside money for your own burial, you only sacrifice it when it is your parents burial or your very young children’ burial but not an adult who is capable of providing for self as was Michael Jackson. Get a grip and get off the families back … Mr. Think He Knows It All.
Still like reading some of your stuff though, somewhat informative although plenty of times you are wrong when true information begin to surface.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
The funeral costs were sealed by the judge. Unless you have an inside man at Glendale and/or at the courthouse I highly doubt the cost you list.
Furthermore it is not logical that they didn’t bury him earlier because they couldn’t afford it. They could have requested the estate pay at any time since that is estate law that the expenses would be paid. I think it’s far more plausible that they were indeed trying to come to a consensus within the family about the final resting place.
Let’s not continue to make a mockery of this family’s. If you haven’t lost a loved one you have no idea how heart wrenching that is and the inner turmoil that lasts for more than a year and sometimes longer until you get your footing again. On the outside you look fine, but the pain runs deep.
Rest in Peace , Michael and I pray the tabloids leave your children and family alone.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Samurai Woman,
People “disrespect” Joseph Jackson because he disrespected his own family.
Not only did he cheat on his wife, but he cheated on her while on tour with his own children. How would you feel if you saw your father do that? Katherine nearly divorced him twice because of his infidelity.
He abused his children – physically, mentally, and emotionally. There is a big difference between discipline and cruelty. Michael said many times how much he feared and loathed his father, even into adulthood. Janet wasn’t a big fan of him either.
Yes, Michael did say towards the end of his life that he forgave his father. But he still left him out of his will.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I don’t understand; he had an insurance policy that just paid off. Didn’t the insurance policy cover the ONE MILLION DOLLAR FUNERAL! Obscene!
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Why do you keep calling this MJ’s second funeral? I don’t recall another…wasn’t the public one just a memorial service? If I was a family member of someone famous, I would want a more private and intimate service as well. I agree that it did take them awhile to bury him, but that’s not unheard of either. My uncle was buried several months after dying (so that he could buried with other family members) with another service as well.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
This is beyond disgraceful. In the Bible it was the height of disdain to let a person remain unburied. all that’s missing is letting the birds peck at his flesh! Ted Kennedy died and was buried within a week. The Jacksons can’t get MJ buried in 2+ months. I just have never seen anything like this debacle. MICHAEL JACKSON is sitting in the freezer like he has a John Doe toe tag and nobody claims him. SMH In a million trillion years, I could never have predicted or believed this sick sad scenario. Unfortunately, I could’ve predicted what amounts to a murder-suicide, but the family being so greedy and inept that they can’t/won’t even bury him? Never. God help this poor broken family. What a horrible horrible mess.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:13 am
Does this mean that the estate will have to pay for 11 other funerals?
Oh well. Oh dear, just the sort of business that always emabarrassed MJ about his family, crowding into the same crypt, didn’t he sing LEAVE ALONE, LEAVE ME ALOOOOOOOONE. More tasteful would have been to provide a place for the children and perhaps his mother but let us not discuss taste.
What a wonderful, leaping laughing life-giving performer he was, I think of Bucharest 1992 before the end began…I just want him back even old and rickety,thank you Roger for clear, wry coverage of a monumental, murky and nostalgic sad series of events and the definite end of an era.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:10 am
Even in death he’s “overspending.”
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:59 am
I love you more MJ. You are missed…
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:24 am
love Michael.And i have been a fan Jackson 5 from the beginning but more Michael’s fan.And MJ loved his fans they are the must loyal fans of all time i should know i lived a long time and seen alot of stars come and go…I don’t know how to put this.But the Jackson family seem to care more about money they can get out of the Fans.
They want the fans money ,but don’t want them around.There is nothing for the fans to see or go to lay flowers,no where to sit in remembers for MJ.And when it cames to money i am sure that thay have alot of and so has Janet Jackson. I an sorry but i had to write this.
as a fan for over 35 years i feel we fans have been hard done by.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:37 am
And one more thing the fans are paying for the funeral not the estate.
This is for Michael.J.Jackson.
I do not sleep!
I am the wind that blows in your face and kisses you.
I am the glint on the snow.
I do not sleep!
I am the sun that shines on you.
I am tha little star that looks at you.
So do not cry at my Grave,am not here.
I do not sleep!
Love you Michael.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:07 am
Jealous sally in Chicago???
This is HIS money not yours!! They can spend whatever they want on this! The plots purchased are all surrounding Michaels vault. He will be laid in the upper part of the Great Masouluem. Plots include the children and Katherine Joe and all the brothers and sisters at least reserved for them if they chose. It’s a family plot WTF is wrong with that. My own family has the same type of set up in France.. My Mothers ashes are there along with 15 other members including an area for me but I will probably stay in the states since I was born here. As for cost of all of this NONE of that was confirmed and other news reports CNN have said that number was not true!
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
If the Jacksons want an expensive funeral for him, that’s fine.
I just for once would like to see the Jacksons do something for Michael and Michael alone without any perks, advantages, or payoffs for them.
I’m really turned off by Katherine and her family’s attitude which is, “oh, while we’re spending money on burying Michael let’s also jump on board while the going is good and use Michael’s money for ourselves to get buried too.”
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 am
I don’t understand most of the people on here. This WAS Michael’s money. Now he is dead with no use for money. The estate money now belongs mostly to his mom Katherine (40% share) and then his kids (about 13% share each). So if Katherine wants to spend what is now mostly HER money on a funeral for her son, what’s wrong with that? I agree that the Jacksons seem dysfunctional, but honestly, they, like Michael, don’t really seem to get a fair shake in the media (even Joe). I bet if they buried him cheaply, people would say they don’t even want to spend the money to bury him. They can’t win.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:15 am
Katherine doesn’t own the estate. She gets a 40% share of the income from the assets in the trust. The more the assets are spent, the less remains in the trust and depletes the income from the trust.
Look at it this way. Spending the assets is like spending the principle instead of the interest earned from the principle. The smaller the principle get the less income from interest is received.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:01 am
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. All that matters now is that Michael is being laid to rest. We love you MJ! We miss you so much. You’ll always be in my heart. RIP
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
JUST GUESSING is correct in his/her explanation. Frankly your each of your posts are spot on. Thank you.
SAMURAI WOMEN – Mr. Friedman DID tell us back on August 21 that the Jackson’s did NOT have money to bury Mr. Jackson. (You may read his post here: http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/michael-jackson-funeral)
JOHNNY – Fair enough. However, I think that the public’s growing disgust is because many of us HAVE lost a close family member or loved one and cannot imagine conducting ourselves in such a manner.
LELA – AMEN!
Personally, I will not buy another piece of MJ memorabilia, or music, nor will I take part in any tribute event benefitting MJ’s estate until Katherine Jackson passes away and her share of the estate reverts to the benefit of MJ’s children and they become the sole heirs. Period.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Just Guessing, I understand about principle and interest and I agree that they should be trying to keep their spending down and let the estate grew so that it can provide for all of them (wouldn’t be surprised if Michael left Katherine such a big share, knowing that she, in turn, would divide her share amongst her children and Joe). But none of the Jacksons (at least Joe and Katherine and their kids, hopefully the grandchildren did better) seem to be very well educated, so they probably don’t really get interest and principle. They have more of that bling-bling mentality, spend now, think about it later. Don’t forget, Michael had the same attitude too. At least the estate and trust will force them to save some.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo.
Katherine’s 40% reverts back to the estate when she passes. Branca told the AP, MJ did not feel like he needed to support the brothers in death.
Anna Says:
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Just Guessing, I understand about principle and interest and I agree that they should be trying to keep their spending down and let the estate grew so that it can provide for all of them (wouldn’t be surprised if Michael left Katherine such a big share, knowing that she, in turn, would divide her share amongst her children and Joe).
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Oh, OK Reine, if the money reverts then that explains why they want to spend Katherineès share now…theyère smarter than I gave them credit for!
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Take my word for it… Roger doesn’t lie….
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hello REINE – Mr. Jackson left his estate (the income it will generate) minus administration fees and expenses, to his Michael Jackson Family Trust. The beneficiaries of that trust are his children (40%), Mrs. Jackson (40%), and the remaining 20% is to go to various children’s charities. In addition, Mrs. Jackson as guardian of the minor children will also receive child support to cover all living, education, health care and travel expenses incurred.
You are absolutely correct, Mr. Jackson clearly had no intention of continuing to provide financial support for his remaining siblings and extended family in death as he did in life. Mrs. Jackson will continue to receive her 40% share for the remainder of her lifetime. Upon her death her 40% share reverts to the trust. (That 40% will not become a part of the Estate of Katherine Jackson). Once Mrs. Jackson dies, Mr. Jackson’s children become the sole heirs to 80% of the Michael Jackson Family Trust. 20% of the trust will continue to go to charity in perpetuity as direct by Mr. Jackson.
(Source: Mr. Branca as told in interviews with the AP and Don Lemon on CNN)
September 4th, 2009 at 10:25 am
why all those rolls royces?