Michael Jackson’s corpse and the case of the big fake will
WHEN any furiously wealthy person dies, there’s always a mad scramble through the ribcage of the cadaver in a bid to stake some kind of financial claim. It’s all incredibly undignified and very rarely gets cleared up quickly and neatly.
And so, supreme corpse, Michael Jackson, has something of a dogfight on his grave as everyone tries to get a slice of his vast riches and now, the very validity of his will is being questioned, this time in federal court.
Howard Mann, a memorabilia dealer who published a book with Katherine ‘Michael Jackson’s Mum’ Jackson two years ago, has filed legal documents claiming that he was “in possession of evidence that casts substantial doubt on the validity of the will.”
He said that he hopes to present the evidence in court when he to trial next month (he’s currently fighting with the estate’s executors over intellectual property contained in the book and a website created to sell it).
“I am not backing down from my court fight with these guys. I’m not interested in settling with them. I came out and said these guys were a fraud two years ago,” Mann said. “I have many people who will come and give testimony that the entire administration is a fraud and a collusive operation designed to take assets away from Katherine and Michael’s kids,” he said.
So what’s this evidence? Well, backing up a claim made by Janet Jackson, Mann says that the 2002 will is “fake” because it was signed with a Los Angeles dateline while in actuality the King of Pop was in New York at an event with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
“I have no ability to contest the will. It’s not up to me to prove its validity. All I have to do is prove they don’t own certain copyrights,” he said.
And Janet’s lawyer issued a statement on Friday, which said that Janet, Randy and Rebbie would “press forward in their search for the truth… It is important to stress that Janet, Randy and Rebbie have questioned the validity of the will with no financial motive whatsoever – they stand to gain nothing financially by a finding that the will is invalid.”
“What will be gained by a finding of invalidity is that the executors will be replaced and the estate and the guardianship will be managed in a manner that is in the best interests of the children, which is what Michael wanted,” the lawyer added.
Ah, what Michael Jackson would have wanted… Just what would a man who changed his face, had kiddie slumber parties and kept his children beneath blankets have wanted?
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PA PHOTOS/DPA - UK USE ONLY : US pop star Michael Jackson is holding his youngest son Prince Michael II with just one arm over the balustrade of the window of the president's suite on the fifth floor of Hotel Adlon, Berlin, 19 November 2002. This scene caused a lot of excitement. About 200 fans cheering outside were terrified, the incident was reported worldwide, and child welfare experts criticized Jackson harshly for dangling the baby from a balcony. The musician regrets this by writing that he made a 'terrible mistake' as he was overwhelmed emotionally by his supporters. Jackson and his three children are staying at the president's suite. On Thursday, 21 November, Jackson, 44, will receive the 'Bambi' entertainment award for his lifetime achievements.
Posted: 9th, August 2012 | In: Celebrities Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
