A&E's Jackson family reality show a thriller

By James Hibberd

LOS ANGELES - A&E is working on a reality project with the Jackson family which could gain newfound viewer interest in the wake of the King of Pop's death.

The network commissioned a one-hour special following Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy that was originally intended to serve as a "backdoor pilot" for a potential series. The project was commissioned months ago and producers have finished shooting footage that followed Jackson family members as they readied a new album and reunion tour.

A&E planned to air the result as a special, tentatively titled "The Jackson Family," next year, taking a "wait and see" approach and gauging viewer reaction before deciding whether to order the project as a series.

After Michael's unexpected death last month and subsequent intensive media coverage, the question for A&E becomes: What now?

Producers have not shot any additional footage with the family since Jackson's death, leaving the network with a project that's still attractive -- one that uses footage and interviews capturing the current incarnation of The Jacksons as entertainers, entrepreneurs and family members -- yet also has a glaring narrative omission hanging over its current form.

A&E's special will almost certainly have to change to reflect recent events. But the network has not yet decided the best course of action.

"We have started discussing internally and with the family but have not yet decided what direction to take with the show," said A&E executives, in a statement. "We are respecting the family's wishes right now, and at the appropriate time we will all decide what direction this program to take, so stay tuned."

The situation is not entirely unlike TLC's recent wrangling of "Jon & Kate Plus 8," where the collapse of the Gosselins' marriage disrupted the previously agreed-upon "reality" of the reality show.

Jackson's death certificate leaves cause unknown

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's death certificate has been released without a listed cause of death and a coroner said investigators are still testing the singer's brain.


Public health officials issued the death certificate on Tuesday, the same day public and private memorials were held in Los Angeles. The cause of death is listed as "deferred."

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would be returned to the family for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.

"As soon as we are done with the brain, we will return it," Winter said. "There is a whole series of tests that will be done."

It is not uncommon for the coroner to hold on to a brain or samples from it. Winter said families sometimes delay burying a loved one until after the brain has been returned, but he had received no word from the Jackson family about their intentions.

"The last I heard, they are not burying the body yet," Winter said.

Police and coroner's officials continue to probe what killed the 50-year-old singer on June 25.

On the certificate, Jackson's occupation is listed as a musician. He is described as a high school graduate and divorced. The information provided for the document was given by Jackson's sister, La Toya, one of several family members who rushed to the hospital where Jackson was pronounced dead.

The document doesn't state where Jackson will be buried.

Jackson, healthy or not? Depends on who's talking

LOS ANGELES - In his final days, Michael Jackson was robust and active. Or dangerously thin and frail. Begging for access to powerful prescription drugs. Or showing no signs of ever having used them.

It depends on who's talking.

A dizzying collection of puzzle pieces about Jackson's health and habits has come to light since his death on June 25. With as much as a month before a toxicology report determines the cause, more are sure to emerge.

Each is likely to fuel further speculation. None is sure to produce a satisfying conclusion.

Some who knew him even seem to contradict themselves.

Here's what's known so far:

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_ During his final rehearsal at the Staples Center, Jackson was captured on video doing his signature moonwalk and dance spins. Randy Phillips, CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, told CNN he was "a healthy, vibrant human being."

_ Phillips later told ABC concert organizers feared that Jackson was losing weight and showing signs of wear and tear. He said he hired a staffer whose purpose was to remind Jackson to eat.

_ Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's dermatologist, who said he last saw Jackson less than a week before he died, told CNN's Larry King that the singer was in "very good physical condition," in "a very good mood," and "was very happy."

_ Klein also told CNN that he had given Jackson the painkiller Demerol but warned him about using the powerful sedative Diprivan. He also confirmed that Jackson was a former drug addict who went to rehab in England.

_ "The Incredible Hulk" star Lou Ferrigno, who was helping Jackson prepare for a planned series of London concerts, told The Associated Press that he never saw Jackson take drugs, act aloof or speedy, and the singer wasn't frail when he last saw him at the end of May. "I've never seen him look better," he said.

_ Two of Jackson's former confidants, medium Uri Geller and ex-bodyguard Matt Fiddes, said they tried in vain to keep the pop superstar from abusing prescription drugs. Geller said he suffered a terrible falling-out with Jackson over the issue, but not before he had to "shout at Michael, to scream at Michael" in an effort to confiscate the singer's stocks of medication during his travels in England.

_ The drug Diprivan, an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness, was found in Jackson's residence, a law enforcement official told the AP. Also known as Propofol, the drug is given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.

_ Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse, told the AP she repeatedly rejected his demands for Diprivan. But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep.

_ Akon, the Senegalese R&B singer and producer with whom Jackson recently recorded songs, told Billboard.com that "Michael is just one of the healthiest people that I know. He was pressuring me to stay healthy, like, 'Akon, eat right. What are you doing out there on the road? Are you eating? Are you exercising? Are you drinking a lot of water?'"

_ Klein said Jackson had been suffering from lupus _ a chronic disease where the immune system attacks the body's own tissue _ and a skin disorder known as vitiligo.

_ Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, administered CPR on Jackson's bed, rather than a hard surface, "with his hand behind his back to provide the necessary support" because the singer was so frail, the doctor's attorney, Edward Chernoff, said.

_ Chernoff also told the AP that Murray never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and said the doctor didn't give the pop star any drugs that contributed to his death.

_ Among other things, Murray's lawyers have acknowledged it took up to 30 minutes for paramedics to be summoned to Jackson's home after he was found unresponsive.

_ Jackson's family requested a private autopsy in part because of questions about Murray's role, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has said.

_ Kevin Mazur, a photographer documenting the Staples Center rehearsals for a tour book, told the AP that Jackson looked in perfect health. "He was very upbeat, very happy, having a good time with the dancers," Mazur said.

_ Spiritual teacher Dr. Deepak Chopra told the AP he had been concerned since 2005 that Jackson was abusing painkillers and spoke to the pop star about suspected drug use as recently as six months ago. Chopra said Jackson, a longtime friend, personally asked him for painkillers in 2005; Chopra said he refused.

_ Los Angeles police chief William Bratton said detectives are looking at his prescription drug history and trying to talk with his numerous former doctors. He also says police are waiting for the coroner's report before ruling out any possibilities in their "comprehensive and far-reaching" probe, which includes the Drug Enforcement Agency and the state attorney general's office.

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Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood contributed to this report.

Report: LaToya Jackson says Michael was murdered

Sun Jul 12, 10:13 am ET
LONDON – Two British Sunday newspapers said LaToya Jackson believes her brother Michael Jackson was murdered by a group of conspirators trying to get hold of his fortune.

LaToya Jackson said she knows who is responsible for her brother's death and is determined to see them brought to justice, the News of the World reported.

According to the published interviews with The News of the World and The Mail on Sunday, she did not name any of the people she believes were involved and did not offer any evidence to support her claim that foul play was involved in the singer's sudden death on June 25.

"I feel it was all about money," she was quoted as saying by the News of the World. "Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive."

She reportedly said the conspirators used powerful prescription drugs to keep Michael Jackson submissive and under control and also kept him away from his family.

She also claimed, the newspapers reported, that roughly $2 million (1.23 million pounds) worth of cash and jewelry was taken from Michael Jackson's rented mansion and has not been accounted for.

LaToya Jackson also was quoted as saying her brother did not want to perform the 50 London shows he had agreed to, but was pressured into that agreement.

The shows, to mark Michael Jackson's return to concert performing, had been scheduled to begin Monday at London's 02 Arena.

Officials are waiting for the return of toxicology reports before determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death.