Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe won't attend memorial service

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25744928-601,00.html

July 07, 2009

MICHAEL Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe will not be attending the gala memorial service for the King of Pop, which will be held shortly after his burial at a Los Angeles cemetery.


Jackson memorial
Final preparations are being made for Michael Jackson's memorial concert to be held in LA tomorrow....
Views today: 37Sorry, this video is no longer available.Rowe, the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, had originally planned to attend Tuesday's memorial service at the Staples Centre.

But her lawyer Marta Almli said her attendance would be "an unnecessary distraction'' and that Rowe will "celebrate Michael's memory privately''.

Jackson's funeral will be held at Forest Lawn cemetery at 8am local time, two hours before the memorial service, acting mayor Jan Perry told the local NBC television affiliate on Monday.

Forest Lawn is one of the city's best-known cemeteries and is the final resting spot of screen legends Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow.

Jackson's death has unleashed a flurry of fan tributes and media attention, raising fears that his funeral would turn into a circus.

About 1.6 million people applied for 8,750 registrants to win tickets for the service at the Staples Centre arena and a neighboring arena, where the event will be shown on giant screens.

Police are preparing a large-scale operation for the service, warning fans not to show up at the downtown Staples Centre arena unless they were among the lucky few with tickets.

Fans from around the world have been arriving in Los Angeles since the service was announced and there have been fears of logistical chaos if hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets.

News reports said stars including Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder may perform in tribute to the enormously influential Jackson, who sold 750 million albums throughout his career.

One report said that Jackson's mother Katherine, 79 quashed plans for a procession of his body through Los Angeles, finding the idea ghoulish and traumatic for the King of Pop's three children.

The family had initially considered a funeral at Neverland, about 250 km north of Los Angeles.

But the plan met opposition in some quarters and presented legal complications as families generally cannot bury bodies in residential areas.

The news of Tuesday's funeral plans comes as a judge removed Michael Jackson's mother as administrator of his estate.

On the eve of the service, lawyers for Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine clashed with two of the King of Pop's business associates for control of his estate which includes the Neverland Ranch and rights to Beatles songs.

A judge had named Katherine, who was close to her son throughout his life, as temporary executor of his estate shortly after the pop icon suddenly collapsed and died on June 25.

But in line with Jackson's will, which emerged last week, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff on Monday handed the estate over to lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain.

Lawyers for Katherine Jackson had opposed the motion to appoint the two men, citing a "conflict of interests'' and questioning whether Branca had a current relationship with Jackson at the time of his death.

"Mrs Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys of the kingdom just yet. She feels it is too soon,'' lawyer John Schreiber said.

However a lawyer for Branca, a prominent entertainment industry lawyer, said his client had recently been rehired by Jackson and was well known to the family.

"It's not like these are people who are unknown to Mrs Jackson,'' Paul Hoffman said. "She's well aware of who these people are.''

The business partners will control Jackson's estate until a new hearing on August 3.

The Los Angeles Times reported Monday that although the free-spending Jackson died owing more than $US400 million ($503.33 million), his assets outstripped his debts by at least $US200 million ($251.67 million).

AFP