Seven Years After, Michael Jackson’s Life Still Haunted

Vanessa Obioha

Just few days to the seventh anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, an online news platform Radar, published an implicating article that revisited the musician’s long fought legal battle with paedophilia.

According to Radar, the late Jackson had a huge library of child pornography materials which he used to lure minors to his lair. It claimed the information is contained in some documents from Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department during a raid on the artiste’s Neverland Ranch over a decade ago. It also stated that the Jackson also had in possession pictures of animal torture.

While a representative of the Sheriff’s Department in an email to Billboard confirmed that the documents were copies authored by the Sheriff and interspersed with content found on the internet, it however denied ever granting the media access to that information.

Jackson was first accused of child molestation in 2005 and again in 2013 but was acquitted of all. His estate in a statement viewed the publication as a defamatory attack on the musician meticulously timed to the anniversary of the singer’s passing. It regarded the documents as false, including the Sheriff’s office statements.

“Those who continue to shamelessly exploit Michael via sleazy internet ‘click bait’ ignore that he was acquitted by a jury in 2005 on every one of the 14 salacious charges brought against him in a failed witch hunt,” said the estate. It also added that Jackson’s “good name” was being “dragged through the mud by tabloid trash.”

WHITNEY HOUSTON’S ESTATE, TELEVISION ACADEMY IN WAR OVER STATUETTE
The rights of an awardee over a statuette are heavily debated in a lawsuit filed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences against Whitney Houston’s Estate. The Academy seeks to block the sale of the late singer’s Emmy statuette by her estate.

Whitney won the Emmy in 1986 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Musical, for her Grammy performance of ‘Saving All My Love for You’. The Statuette is currently listed on Heritage Auctions’ website and will go under the hammer on June 24 with a starting bid of $10,000.
The organisation claims the singer didn’t own the trophy because it’s a loan, not a gift to the honoree.

“When the Television Academy honours an artist for an achievement, it lends a copy of the Emmy Statuette to the artiste to signify and symbolise the honour,” the Academy explained. When an honoree dies, the artist’s heirs and successors are allowed “to retain custody of copies to symbolise the achievements of the deceased honoree.”

However, the organisation continued, “The Television Academy has never intended that the Emmy Statuette copies be treated as articles of trade. The original statuette is registered under the copyright laws as an ‘unpublished’ work of art: copies of the statuette are not, and never have been, offered for sale or given to the general public.”

Heritage Auctions, where the statuette is auctioned, argued that The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences claims time Ms. Houston signed an agreement that the statuette won’t be sold lacks veracity since they have not produced the evidence that such agreement took place.
The President Rohan further accused the academy of trying to bully the Houston’s family since they never stopped previous auctions. The proceeds of the auction will be given to any charity of the family’s choice.
The Academy is also suing for copyright infringement and seeking unspecified damages.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER RESURFACES IN ‘DIVORCE’
After her remarkable role in the popular HBO’s ‘Sex and the City’, Sarah Jessica Parker returns this fall with the premiere of new comedy series ‘Divorce’. HBO signed the deal with her last year and filming kicked off in New York immediately.
Written by Sharon Horgan, Parker plays Frances, a middle-aged woman who begins to re-evaluate her life and her marriage suddenly. Propelled by her two recently single friends (Molly Shannon and Talia Balsam), she impulsively brings up the idea of divorce with her husband (Thomas Haden Church), and when he questioned her, accused him of having an emotional affair.

In a new promo trailer released last week, an indecisive Parker is seen with her husband attending marriage counselling, and in another scene comically told him that their marriage hit the rocks the moment he started growing moustache. The 30-minute 10 episode series is expected to premiere on the cable channel in fall.

A GOLDEN MOMENT FOR DEAN AMBROSE
A well-written script was perfectly executed last Sunday at Money in the Bank (MITB) ladder match. Finally, Dean Ambrose got his golden moment when he cashed in on his MITB contract to clinch the WWE World Heavyweight Champion from Seth Rollins. It is becoming a tradition for the members of the defunct Shield to clinch the coveted championship title through the MITB cash in.
True to his word, Seth Rollins viciously attacked Roman Reigns in the main event. He clearly spent his months of recuperation mastering Reigns weak points.

However, Reigns although losing his title to Seth Rollins would rather have Ambrose be the winner. A recharged Reigns returned to the ring to save Ambrose from the ferocious kicks of Rollins and his underdogs.

A moment of elation and rekindled brotherhood was shared in the ring as the two allies drove Rollins out of the ring. Unfortunately, the brotherhood could only last for that night. Monday night raw saw the former members of the Shield gutting one another’s jugular.