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MICHAEL JACKSON planned to hit the stage with his 12-year-old son for a special duet at his London comeback concerts, according to reports.
The Thriller superstar was due to perform a 50-date residency in the U.K., beginning later this month (Jul09), and he was rehearsing vigorously for the spectacular in the days leading up to his death last week (25Jun09).
But he had an extra special treat in store for fans - he wanted to share the stage with his eldest child, Prince Michael Jr., according to Jackson’s former publicist Stuart Backerman.
He tells Usmagazine.com, "He was planning on doing a short duet with his son, Prince. He knew his kids would enjoy it.
"He wanted his kids to see him perform at least once to get the vibe of the Michael Jackson mania." And the father and son duet was so top secret, even tour promoters at AEG Live were unaware of the family affair, with bosses admitting they had "no knowledge" of Jackson’s plans.

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U.S President BARACK OBAMA has finally paid tribute to MICHAEL JACKSON, revealing he "grew up" on the King of Pop’s music.
While many expected Obama to issue a statement following Jackson’s sudden death last week (25Jun09), he instead chose to send the superstar’s family a private letter of condolence.
A week on, Obama has finally spoken out, insisting Jackson will "go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers".
He added, "I grew up on his music. I still have all his stuff on my iPod."

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Footage of MICHAEL JACKSON in rehearsals for his London comeback shows has been released by promoters AEG Live.
Shot less than two days before the King of Pop’s death last week (25Jun09), Jackson appears thin but in good form as he performs They Don’t Care About Us with his backing dancers during a full dress rehearsal.
The pop superstar, wearing a dark suit and red patterned shirt, sounds great and AEG bosses insist Jackson is singing live in the minute-long video footage, taken at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Fans, family and friends will get the chance to bid farewell to Jackson at the venue next Tuesday (07Jul09), when a memorial takes place at the Staples Center.
The This Is It dates, which Jackson was rehearsing for, were scheduled to begin at London’s 02 Arena later this month (Jul09).

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s ex-wife DEBBIE ROWE has added to the controversies surrounding the death of the pop superstar by insisting, "I want my kids." In her first official comments since the death of Jackson last week (25Jun09), Rowe, who is the biological mother of the King of Pop’s two eldest kids, Prince Michael and Paris, has told a local California TV news reporter she plans to fight for the custody of her children.
Jackson’s mother Katherine has been granted temporary guardianship of Paris, Prince Michael and their brother Prince Michael II, who was born to an unknown surrogate - and Rowe has been purposely cut out of her ex-husband’s will.
In documents Jackson signed in 2002, the singer states bluntly, "I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, DEBORAH JEAN ROWE JACKSON." In his will, which was filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday (30Jun09), Jackson insists his mother should be given custody of his three children - and, if she’s dead or infirm at the time of the singer’s death, guardianship should pass to his longtime friend Diana Ross.
But that isn’t going to stop Rowe from contesting her role in the future of her kids with Jackson.
Speaking to NBC reporter Chuck Henry, Rowe says, "I want my children." The former nurse has also stated she’s willing to undergo DNA tests to prove she’s the children’s biological mother after reports earlier this week (beg29Jun09) suggested neither she nor Jackson are the true parents.
Rowe reportedly spent 90 minutes chatting to Henry by phone on Thursday morning (02Jul09).
She also told the newsman she plans to seek a restraining order to keep Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, away from the children.
Henry says, "She told me, ‘I am stepping up (to the plate)… I have to.’ She was still very much grieving this morning and has been, she says, for the last week over the death of Michael Jackson.
"She also said she would seek some kind of restraining order if that was necessary to keep Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father, away from the children.
"When he (Jackson) died, that’s when she decided to do something. She told me, ‘They are my flesh and blood. I’m going after my children.’" Rowe revealed she had an agreement with her ex-husband that "did allow for visitation," but Henry says, "It was very difficult for her to do." Rowe also told the reporter she would be willing to take care of Jackson’s third child, so as not to split up the youngsters.
Henry adds, "She was very much concerned about that. I pointedly asked her about that and she said she would take the child we know as Blanket, Prince Michael II, but she didn’t have any illusions that the court would award her the third child." Rowe was married to Jackson in 1996 and filed for divorce three years later. She previously surrendered her parental rights. An appeals court later found that was done in error, and Rowe and Jackson entered an out-of-court settlement in 2006.
Her lawyer, Eric George, will represent her interests at a custody hearing in Los Angeles on Monday (06Jun09).

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The Van Nuys, California school which hosted funnyman SACHA BARON COHEN’s recent risque GQ magazine photoshoot has won its bid to become a charter academy, despite objections over a decision to let the Brit pose with footballers.
Cohen - posing as his outrageous Austrian fashion journalist character Bruno - persuaded officials at Birmingham High in Van Nuys to let him stage snaps with young sports stars, and it was feared the photos could cost the school a valuable conversion to a charter institution.
In one photo, which has upset Los Angeles Unified School District bosses, Cohen, wearing shoulder pads, tight red shorts, an athletic cup and little else, is snapped lying on top of a teenage player.
District official Supt. Ramon C. Cortines admits he and others were far from amused by the photospread, stating, "We’ve allowed our students to be used, and not in the most glamorous circumstances, either." But, despite his concerns and those of other district school board officials, Birmingham High has been given the OK to convert itself into a charter school, beginning in August (09).

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THE SIMPSONS producers have cleared a rights wrangle and will honour pop star MICHAEL JACKSON by re-airing a 1991 episode of the cartoon the singer was a part of.
The show’s bosses had hoped to air Stark Raving Dad last weekend (28Jun09), but couldn’t clear syndication rights issues with the Jackson estate in time.
The mythical episode will be shown in America on Sunday (05Jul09).
Jackson voiced a heavyweight mental patient who believed that he was the famous singer in the episode.
His involvement remained a mystery for 12 years, because of a contractual problem. Jackson had to be credited as John Jay Smith. His contribution to the classic cartoon series remained a rumour among fans until The Simpsons creator Matt Groening confirmed it really was the King of Pop when the episode was released on DVD in 2003.
The video for The Simpsons hit Do The Bartman, a song which Jackson co-wrote, was aired as a tribute to the singer during Sunday night’s (05Jul09) episode.

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KATIE HOLMES will perform a tribute to JUDY GARLAND on the 100th episode of hit U.S. talent show SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.
The actress has been in rehearsals for her big reality TV moment for weeks and now it’s official - she’ll appear on the special episode, which will air on 23 July (09).
Programme executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says, "She (Holmes) absolutely adores dancing, as does her daughter." Reports suggest Holmes, who showed off her dance skills last year (08) in U.S. drama Eli Stone, will perform a routine inspired by Garland’s Get Happy song from the movie Summer Stock - and she’ll don replicas of the late star’s trademark jacket and hat for the sequence.
Lythgoe tells People.com, "It’s just an iconic look. And Katie Holmes has got the legs. Wow!" The producer also reveals Holmes’ husband Tom Cruise and their daughter Suri have been attending rehearsals and cheering the actress on.

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WHITNEY HOUSTON has lined up her first comeback concert - a free show for fans in September (09).
The soul star will kick off U.S. TV breakfast show Good Morning America’s autumn (09) concert series with an early morning New York City performance of hits and songs from her much-anticipated comeback album.
An exact date and location have yet to be confirmed.

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Pop superstar CHER is begging her daughter CHASTITY BONO not to film her sex change surgery for reality TV - because the procedure should be a private matter.
Bono, now known as Chaz, began the lengthy gender reassignment process last year (08) and friends and family have already started referring to her as a ‘he’.
Bono, who announced he was gay in 1995, has been inundated with offers from TV networks keen to snap up the rights to document his sex-change story.
He is reportedly considering signing a deal - but Cher is urging the 40 year old to reject them all, no matter how much money is offered.
A source tells the National Enquirer, "Chaz has been fielding offers from reality show producers who want to show her sex change on camera.
"After appearing on (U.S. reality show) Celebrity Fit Club (in 2006), Chaz learned the ropes of reality TV. But Cher was shocked that Chaz even considered documenting her life - let alone her sex change on camera. Cher treasures her privacy." However, if Bono does agree to film his sex change, he wants the footage to be an educational feature: "As a gay (rights) activist, Chaz is adamant about recording her sexual identity struggles and her transition from female to male. Her concern is that it be done tastefully. If she does it at all, she wants a documentary style format and for it to be educational." Last month (Jun09), Cher revealed she was supportive of her child’s sex change decision, although she admitted she could not fully understand it.
She said, "Chaz is embarking on a difficult journey, but one that I will support. I respect the courage it takes to go through this transition in the glare of public scrutiny, and although I may not understand, I will strive to be understanding. The one thing that will never change is my abiding love for my child."

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A reporter who covered CHRIS BROWN’s recent assault case faces a prison sentence for posting illegal video footage from inside the court building on the Internet.
Russell Alan Wetanson uploaded clips of interviews, conducted outside the Los Angeles courtroom, where Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Rihanna on 22 June (09), to his website.
But it is illegal to tape footage or take photographs inside the official building - and new legal documents filed are requesting Wetanson is held in contempt of court.
Wetanson, who is also a lawyer, was notified by the public information officer of the court of the violation and the videos were subsequently removed from his website.
Brown was handed a community service order, five years supervised probation and he was ordered to stay away from the Umbrella hitmaker.

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Actor NEIL PATRICK HARRIS is fast becoming the go-to guy for major showbusiness prizegivings after proving to be a natural host at the Tony Awards last month (07Jun09).
Despite criticism for the way he handled Poison star Brett Michaels’ onstage accident, which left the rocker with a fractured nose and split lip, Harris was a hit and now he’s in talks to host the 61st Emmys in September (09), according to the TheEnvelope.LATimes.com.
It won’t be Harris’ first hosting link to the Emmy Awards - he presented the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2008.
The 61st Emmys will take place on 20 September (09).

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The latest ICE AGE sequel is freezing out the TRANSFORMERS at the U.S. box office after scoring an opening day take of $13.8 million (£9.2 million).
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs opened in almost 4,000 cinemas on Wednesday (01Jul09) and scored a new record for the biggest opening day gross for an animated film bowing on a Wednesday.
Shrek 2 opened with $11.8 million (£7.86 million) on a Wednesday in May, 2004.
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen claimed the biggest Wednesday gross of all-time last week (24Jun09); the sequel took in more than $60 million (£40 million) in its first day on release.
That’s the second biggest single-day gross in U.S. box office history - $7 million (£4.6 million) behind The Dark Knight’s overall single-day record, which was set last year (08).
A week later and the Transformers sequel is still racking up huge box office numbers - it grossed an estimated $10.9 million (£7.2 million) on Wednesday, according to trade magazine Daily Variety.
The Michael Bay blockbuster has tallied over $240 million (£160) in just eight days.
Despite the strong start from the Ice Age sequel, industry experts expect Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen to hold on to the number one spot at the U.S box office.

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Actress MIA FARROW is convinced her artist brother committed suicide because he was devastated by the loss of their beloved nephew, who died from a drug overdose while serving in Iraq.
Patrick Farrow took his own life in his art gallery in Vermont last month (15Jun09).
Just three weeks before his suicide, the siblings were mourning the death of their sister Tisa’s son Jason F. Dene, who was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He lost his life at the age of 37 after suffering an accidental drug overdose during a stint in Baghdad.
Farrow believes Dene’s untimely passing pushed Patrick over the edge - and she’s blaming the War in Iraq for the double tragedy.
A source tells the National Enquirer, "She and Patrick shared a deep passion for political causes, such as helping the people of Darfur and fighting against the Iraq war.
"Mia believes Patrick killed himself from the grief of losing their nephew, and she attributes both deaths to the Iraq war. She told a pal, ‘Now I’ve lost two loved ones to the senseless war. It’s heartless and cruel - and my life will never be the same.’"

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OPRAH WINFREY has denied reports she’s threatening to shut down her girls school in South Africa following allegations of sexual abuse.
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has been rocked by two big scandals since its opening in 2007.
In March (09), a group of pupils were expelled after they were accused of sexually harassing fellow students, and just nine months after its 2007 launch, a dorm matron was charged with assaulting and abusing six young pupils at the school.
The media mogul recently flew out to South Africa to attend an art show held by the academy’s students and is alleged to have used the opportunity to reprimand staff and demand an end to the headline-grabbing incidents - or face permanent closure.
A source tells the National Enquirer, "Oprah was choking back tears but she was plenty angry. She read them the riot act and basically said she would consider closing the school if she hears of any more incidents. It was a rather blunt warning - no more scandals or else!" But Winfrey’s publicist has dismissed the allegations - and the media mogul insists she’s dedicated to helping the girls affected by the abuse claims and keeping the underprivileged kids in school.
She says, "It’s very traumatic for the girls who were involved (in the 2007 case). To continuously read about the court case in the newspapers… But the girls have now testified and we’ve managed, through counselling and group sessions, to work through this traumatic experience." Tiny Virginia Makopo, a former dorm matron, faces 14 charges including common assault, harassment, soliciting a minor to perform indecent acts and verbal abuse.
She has pleaded not guilty to the counts and is currently on trial.

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USHER is reportedly demanding a paternity test to confirm he is the father of his youngest son with estranged wife TAMEKA FOSTER - because the former couple’s sex life was virtually non-existent when the tot was conceived.
The R&B superstar filed for divorce last month (12Jun09), revealing he had been living apart from the stylist since July 2008 and stating that there was "no reasonable hope of reconciliation".
According to the National Enquirer, Usher was stunned to learn Foster was pregnant last year - because the passion in their marriage had fizzled out months before little Naviyd Ely Raymond was born on 10 December (08).
A source tells the tabloid, "The first thing Usher said was, ‘How did this happen?’ - because he was gone a lot, and their sex life was very, very limited.
"People have been telling him that around the time the little boy was conceived, Tameka got together with another man." But Foster is adamant the boy is the Yeah! hitmaker’s, and claims the tot was conceived during a rare night of intimacy.
The insider adds, "She says that although they weren’t spending much time together, they did get together for one night of passion. And that’s when she got pregnant." In new court documents filed in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday (29Jun09), Foster insists the divorce came as a shock to her because they were "intimately together" just days before he began proceedings for a legal separation.
Her attorney continued, "(Foster) had every reason to believe her marriage was intact." Foster is seeking child support for the former couple’s two children Usher Raymond V, 19 months, and Naviyd, almost seven months, in addition to legal costs.
Usher is seeking joint custody of his kids.

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MICHAEL JACKSON’s family has confirmed the late pop superstar’s funeral service will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning (07Jul09) - the same date he signed off on his will seven years ago (02).
Fans and media had gathered outside the the King of Pop’s former Santa Barbara County, California home, Neverland Ranch, after reports suggesting there would be a public viewing of Jackson’s body there on Friday (03Jul09) spread at the beginning of the week (beg29Jun09).
The Jackson family have since dismissed the rumours, insisting there are no plans to take Jackson’s remains to Neverland.
And a few minutes ago, a source close to the family confirmed a public memorial will take place at the home of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team next week.
Jackson was rehearsing for his planned British comeback shows at the Staples Center in the days before his death last week (25Jun09).

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MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY is under pressure to marry pregnant girlfriend CAMILA ALVES - both their mothers want them to wed before they welcome their second child.
The Hollywood actor - who has a son, named Levi, with model Alves - announced on Father’s Day (21Jun09) that he is to be a dad again.
In a post on his website, he wrote, "Happy Father’s Day. It’s my first, and the last 11 months with Levi and Camila have been the most rewarding adventure to date. We have more blessed news to celebrate this Father’s Day that (will) make this time next year double the fun. Levi is going to be a big brother…
"Yeah, we pulled off the greatest miracle in the world one more time, Camila and I are expecting our second child, bringing more life into the world, making more to live for. The future looks bright as the family grows." But McConaughey’s mum Mary and Alves’ Catholic mother Multo are pressing for the actor to make an honest woman out of the Brazilian beauty.
A source tells the National Enquirer, "Both mums were thrilled (with the baby news), but they wondered about wedding plans. They hoped that after little Levi was born last July that there would be a wedding. But so far, their wish has not come true.
"Camila’s parents live in Brazil - and come from a culture where respectable people get married and then have babies… They don’t understand why she and Matthew don’t want to get married."

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THE KILLERS are planning to record an album of cover tracks while the band tours this summer (09).
The rockers have revealed they want to work on songs by artists from Neil Diamond to Iggy Pop, Genesis and Cyndi Lauper.
The band regularly cover Lauper’s hit Girls Just Want To Have Fun and Joy Division’s 1979 song Shadowplay while performing live on stage.
And frontman Brandon Flowers believes it’s time for the group to put all its favourite songs on one record.
Frontman Brandon Flowers tells NME magazine, "It’s still in the dream stages. It’s something that we’ve always talked about doing and we’re still talking about it. It’s difficult for each of us to pick songs that represent us as individuals. I mean, I have a lot of personalities myself! I’ve gone through everything from Neil Diamond to The Cars." And Flowers is keen to start recording the tracks while the band tour Europe this summer (09): "We’re probably going to cut most of it out on the road.
"I brought out my mobile recording rig, so we just set up backstage with some extra gear - a drum set, a couple of practice amps and we mic everything up. It sounds excellent!"

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