Results tagged “Michael Jackson”

Evan Ross throws Michael Jackson-themed birthday party

Evan Ross, the son of Michael Jackson's close pal Diana Ross, celebrated his 21st birthday in style by throwing a Michael Jackson-themed soiree at Guys & Dolls nightclub in West Hollywood on Aug. 28.

An insider tells Life & Style, "Their birthdays are a few days apart, so Evan wanted MJ to be a part of his special day. Michael's mom gave Diana her blessing.."

In true Michael Jackson style, Evan went all out with decorations and a celebrity-packed guest list. Partygoers including Ryan Cabrera, Jesse McCartney, Flo Rida and Nicky Hilton enjoyed a three-tiered cake adorned with a white glove, a $17,000 bottle of champagne and a rendition of "Happy Birthday" sung by Diana Ross. All of the guests paid tribute to Michael by wearing black hats and one white glove.

Photo Courtesy of: GUYS & DOLLS

Paris Jackson, the 11-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson, got her first salon haircut at AMP Salon at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Aug. 23 and had the hair bagged up as a memento. An insider tells Life & Style, "The stylist gathered all the hair that was cut and placed it in a plastic bag for Paris to take with her at the request of her aunt."

An eyewitness at the salon noted that Paris was extremely kind and well-mannered with the stylists. Following her haircut, Paris enjoyed a manicure with green nail polish and that same day she met with her grandmother, Katherine Jackson, to go on a shopping spree at the hotel.

According to reports, Paris and her brothers were seen unwinding at the end of the day at the Palms' pool, where they sipped virgin strawberry-banana daiquiris.

Photo Credit: Retna

The custody battle over Michael Jackson's kids has barely begun, but it's clear where Prince I, Paris and Blanket feel at home. On July 11, the three children momentarily put their sorrow aside and enjoyed a day in the sun with their family at Katherine's Encino, Calif., estate. "The kids came out around 11:30 a.m.," an insider tells Life & Style. "All three of them headed straight into the water to cool off."

For more on the Jackson kids, and how Michael's family is uniting around them, pick up this week's issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!

Dominic Cascio, the man who put up Michael Jackson at his New Jersey home two years ago, tells Life & Style that he is still mourning the King of Pop's death.

"He was a gentle soul and truly different from the way he was portrayed in the media," says Cascio, whose son, Frank, was Michael's personal assistant. "It's my belief that the media helped to kill him by not covering him in a more positive light after he was found innocent [of child molestation in 2005]."

Michael and his children stayed at the Cascio house in Franklin Lakes for three months in 2007. "We all enjoyed being this extended family for a while," remembers Dominic. "He and his kids fit right in and did all the things any normal people would do -- shopping, going to the movies, swimming and having family dinners together. We were glad to have been able to help out a friend in need."

Cascio, who knew the singer for 27 years, says Michael's true character came to light only after the singer's death and memorial service. He recalls Michael's creativity, artistry and humanitarianism. "All my family feels truly blessed and honored to have called Michael our friend. Now that he's gone, we've been finding strength in the wonderful memories of the times we spent with this very special person."

For more on Michael Jackson, check out the new issue of Life & Style, on newsstands tomorrow

Photo Credit: Startraks

There's conflict in the Jackson family over where Michael Jackson should be buried - and it's turning into an all-out war.

Michael's mom, Katherine Jackson, has strongly opposed a plan by son Jermaine to bury the King of Pop at Neverland Ranch, his former home.

On one side, Jermaine believes that burying Michael there would help turn the property into a money-making Graceland-style memorial to the star. Jermaine told Today: "This is his home; he created this. Why wouldn't he be here?"

But Katherine, a devout Jehovah's Witness, insisted that Michael felt no connection to Neverland after his molestation trial.

"During the [2005] trial, Michael began to feel like a prisoner at Neverland," a Jackson insider confirmed to Life & Style. "After the trial, he left and never returned. He always said the place brought back bad memories for him."

Michael's body was taken to a secret location following his star-studded memorial at the Staples Center in LA on July 7. Part of his brain remains with the Los Angeles County coroner, where toxicology tests are still being done to determine what killed the singer.

Photo Credit: Startraks

On July 1, it was announced that Michael Jackson's will had named the star's beloved mother, Katherine, as the guardian of Michael's three kids. But his father, Joseph Jackson, was the person publicly professing to caring for Prince Michael I, 12, Paris Katherine Michael, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, four days after his second-youngest son died at 50 of cardiac arrest, which an insider says was precipitated by a cocktail of drugs.

Now Michael's closest friends are stepping forward to contest the guardianship, saying the singer never intended for his father -- who has admitted to "whipping" Michael as a child -- to be involved in the kids' lives. "I know that Michael would never have wanted his children with Joe -- that would be the last thing he would've ever wanted," reveals an insider. "Michael had a very difficult relationship with his family."

For more on Michael's troubled relationship with his father Joe, pick up the new issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now.

Photo Credit: Landov

Life & Style magazine can confirm that Michael Jackson's cardiologist, Dr. Conrad Murray, once promoted an energy drink called Pit Bull.

In 2005, while partying shirtless with models at the Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Murray was hawking his new drink.

Model Maggie Goldstein, 36, who was at the party, tells Life & Style, "The doctor liked to party hard and loved hanging out and flirting with the models at the carnival.

"We were all drinking Pit Bull mixed with gin, and the party went on for 12 hours. He was dating one of the girls who was a lot younger than him."

"I did think it was a little strange for a heart specialist to be promoting an energy drink," Maggie continues, "but he told us he had invested in it, and he had hired all the girls, so I didn't ask too many questions."

Photo Credit: Rights Reserved

Dieter Wiesner, a close friend and business partner of Michael Jackson's for many years, reveals to Life & Style that Michael was afraid someone would try to kill him. "He told me once, 'I'm scared for my life because of someone,'" Dieter tells Life & Style in an exclusive interview. Michael feared people were after his money and his properties.

"There were people around Michael who took advantage of him 100 percent," Dieter adds.

For the latest on Michael Jackson's death, pick up the latest copy of Life & Style, on newsstands now!

Photo Credit: Landov

"He feared somebody wanted to kill him," Brian Oxman, Michael's family lawyer tells Life & Style. "He was even concerned people would kill him to somehow try to take control of the Beatles back catalog."

In the hours after Michael Jackson was pronounced dead, the world seemed to come together to grieve. But a dark new controversy was already starting to emerge. Two days after the LA County Coroner's office performed a routine autopsy, Jackson family members announced they were demanding a second autopsy. Why the need for another examination? Life & Style has learned that even before Michael's sudden death, the star's family believed Michael was deliberately being kept in a drugged state by people who wanted to get their hands on his money.

"He appeared to be taking a variety of strong narcotics, and many of those drugs were obtained in the names of his staff and associates," an insider tells Life & Style. "While the people around him insist they were acting in his best interest, the drugs were used to control and manipulate Michael -- and the drugs eventually killed him." And now that Michael's gone, "his family has asked the LAPD to investigate [whether there was any thing unusual about his money trail]," says the insider. "A team has already started probing his finances."

Michael was in such a fatigued, unhealthy state not only because of anorexia--insiders say he was limiting himself to just one meal a day to stay thin--but because those in his inner circle were pushing him to work in order to pad their own wallets. "Michael was under massive mental stress because of the pressure of the tour," says the insider. "He kept saying that he owed a lot of money and people would kill him if he didn't do the concerts. He felt trapped and terrified."

Fulfilling his commitment wasn't the only thing scaring Michael. "He feared somebody wanted to kill him," Brian Oxman, Michael's family lawyer tells Life & Style. "He was even concerned people would kill him to somehow try to take control of the Beatles back catalog."

For more in-depth coverage of Michael Jackson's sudden death, pick up the new issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now.

Investigators have seized bags of prescription drugs from Michael Jackson's home, family lawyer Brian Oxman has confirmed to Life & Style.

Police searched Michael's rented Beverly Hills home and took away "bags of material," including vials of prescription drugs. Oxman also said he was prepared to name names of doctors who prescribed drugs to Michael.

He told Life & Style, "Police seized bags of material from his house. They were looking for drug vials and syringes. I don't know if they found syringes, but there would have been a lot of drug vials."

Oxman said he would help the police investigation into Michael's death, adding, "I did warn him about the drugs, but I am sorry I didn't warn him enough."

"I am going to wait until I get the toxicology report, and if his death has something to do with drugs, I am prepared to name names of doctors who prescribed them."

He added that the Jackson family was totally devastated by Michael's death: "They couldn't even talk to one another in the hospital. It was total silence, and they were just holding one another's hands."

Photo Credit: Landov

Michael Jackson was taking a cocktail of up to SEVEN prescription drugs in the months before his death, Life & Style has confirmed.

The star had been taking prescription painkillers including anti-anxiety drugs Xanax, Zoloft and painkiller Demerol in recent months, sources close to Jackson say. The insider close to the star said he took a suspected overdose of drugs on Thursday morning, which caused respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman confirmed Jackson may have had trouble with prescription drugs as he prepared for his London show. "This was something which I feared and something which I warned about," Oxman said on CNN. "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."

Mr Oxman compared Michael to Anna Nicole Smith, alleging that Michael had 'enablers' just like her.

Photo Credit: Landov