Binside TV

OK! MAGAZINE MICHAEL JACKSON DEATH PHOTO COVER CONTROVERSY DRAWS ANGER & DIDDY JAY-Z BOYCOTT?

The world is mourning the sudden tragic death of pop superstar Michael Jackson. OK! Magazine has decided to capitalize on Michael Jackson's death by publishing his last moments alive on the cover of their magazine in an attempt to boost sales.  Now there is news that the industry isn't happy that OK! is trying to stoop so low to capitalize off of Michael Jackson's death. There are also unconfirmed claims that rap moguls Diddy and Jay-Z are organizing  a boycott against the magazine.

OK! Magazine spent more than $500,000 on the "last" picture of Michael Jackson on a stretcher and possibly dead -- but was it worth it? Our well-placed source says some staffers objected to owner Richard Desmond's decision to put the ghoulish picture on this week's cover -- and it looks like advertisers and readers may agree. The source told us, "Media buyers have canceled upcoming meetings to discuss rates. It's a disgrace. They've sunk to a new low." In addition, Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z are said to be so furious, "they're organizing a boycott," according to our source. A rep for OK! said, "This is untrue. No one at OK! has been contacted about any such cancellations as a result of the magazine's coverage of this news event. Any pages booked by the advertising team are running as scheduled." Combs' rep echoed, "Not true." Jay-Z's rep didn't return calls. [NY POST]

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MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL TICKETS + MJ SECURITY GUARD CALLER HIDING OUT

The details for the public Michael Jackson memorial service have been released. This is a sad day that everyone will remember all over the world. There is news that Michael Jackson's security guard who made the 911 phone call is hiding out. It seems kind of suspicious that the caller never mentioned that it was the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who was not breathing instead of acting like he was at the home of an ordinary civilian who was dying.  This guy needs to hide in the same hole with the shady doctor who treated MJ. SMH.

Michael Jackson's public memorial -- to be held Tuesday, July 7 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles -- will be open to 17,500 attendees chosen through a free, online lottery system at StaplesCenter.com, officials involved with the plan said at a news conference today. Tim Leiweke, head of AEG, the company that had been producing Jackson's comeback concert "This Is It," explained that 11,000 of those tickets will be for the actual memorial in Staples Center, and 6,500 will be seats at the Nokia Theater across the street where fans can watch a live feed, which will also be open to all broadcast and cable networks.

Registration for the seats will conclude on Saturday at 6pm (PT), at which time 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets to either the Staples Center or the Nokia Theater. The recipients will be contacted via e-mail between 11am and 8pm (PT) on Sunday with a special code which, when entered at Ticketmaster.com, will provide further instructions on how to pick up the hard tickets and wristbands required for the Tuesday event.

Leiweke, L.A. city officials, and family spokesman Ken Sunshine all stressed that no one without a ticket and a wristband will be allowed within the Staples Center area. There will be no broadcast of the video from outside the Staples Center itself, and no public funeral procession. Sunshine said that the memorial is still being developed, and "no [further] details are forthcoming." There was no comment, either, on reports that the 100 hours footage of Jackson's rehearsals for "This Is It" at the Staples Center may become a feature film.

UPDATE: According to a release by Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine, StaplesCenter.com has received over 500 million hits as of 11:30 a.m. (PT), averaging 120,000 per second. The site has added an additional server to handle the massive influx of traffic. The release also stresses that duplicate registrations for Jackson tickets will not be accepted and do not increase one's chances of getting a ticket to the memorial.[EW]

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CHRIS BROWN DROPPED FROM BET AWARDS BECAUSE OF JAY-Z & AL SHARPTON?

There were rumors that Jay-Z was the reason why Chris Brown was a no show at the BET awards.  Now there is news that BET dropped Chris Breezy from the show because of Rev. Al Sharpton.  We know that Chris Brown is in trouble because of his wife beating ways but he is getting a punished for what he did to Rihanna. Chris Brown and Usher were both anointed by Michael Jackson to be his successors to the  pop throne so we don't know why they weren't at the show. This didn't help BET because the Michael Jackson tribute performances were lacking. Chris Brown could have done his Thriller routine that he performed at the World Music Awards with Michael Jackson.
Chris Brown-Thriller Tribute at The World Music Awards 2006

Chris Brown was a no-show at Sunday night’s BET Awards because producers pulled his performance at the last minute.

According to several insiders, Brown’s appearance was considered risky business on a night honoring Michael Jackson. The “No Air” singer is facing negative publicity after pleading guilty to the February assault of his ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

One source says Brown’s absence came at the insistence of the Rev. Al Sharpton. “Al made such a fuss to the BET executives that they pulled Chris,” says our insider, who adds that Jay-Z also had a hand in the decision. “Jay is a big name in the BET community, and he was very vocal about his displeasure with Chris attending the ceremony. He didn’t want Chris anywhere near the awards so close to the court’s ruling.”

Brown isn’t taking the public dis on the chin, either. “He’s furious,” a pal of the singer tells us. “BET asked him to perform and waited until the last minute to tell him it was off. He’s pretty shocked and outraged right now.”

Both BET publicists and Brown’s camp say the singer was never confirmed for the show.

Meanwhile, Rihanna’s absence from the event was just as noticeable as Brown’s. But while her ex fumed, the “Umbrella” singer was busy hanging out with her crush, Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis, in NYC. Says a rep for the beauty, “Rihanna was never meant to attend [the BET awards].”

Also expected at the ceremony were Usher and Justin Timberlake; both bowed out of the event but agreed to take part in a later tribute to Jackson on BET.

Usher, who attended fashion shows in Paris over the weekend, sent his regrets in a prepared statement. Timberlake was also out of the country, hitting up both Wimbledon and the Hard Rock Calling concert in London.

But perhaps JT should have made the ceremony at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium, because in his absence, he was the recipient of a roast by Jeremy Piven. “Justin should be here,” the “Entourage” actor joked. “If not for Michael Jackson, [Justin] would be selling curly fries in the Valley.” [NYDN]

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KANYE WEST GIRLFRIEND AMBER ROSE GREEN HAIR PHOTOS + SIGNS WITH FORD MODELS

Kanye West got back with his gay/bisexual girlfriend Amber Rose. The couple were seen together getting cozy at the BET Awards. Is it just us or does 'Ye look miserable?

Kanye had confirmed that the Kamber show was over to the NY Post in June.

Kany West is officially back on the market. Rumors of the rapper's split from tall, shaved-top music video model Amber Rose have swirled for weeks, and now a spokesman for West tells us, "They are no longer a couple." [source]

Now Amber Rose is living the high life after a rumored modeling deal with Ford Models  in the works.

[photo source : WENN]

You can't tell Amber she doesn't look fierce even when she is walking around town with green hair looking like the jolly green giant mated with a chia pet and an oompa loompa.

New York fashionista Derek Blasberg has announced that gaybot Amber Rose is now a legitimate model - signing with Ford Models.

This just further proves our point that dating Kanye has its privileges.

What kind of jobs will Amber book, though? Hmmm, a lot! Hair color, leggings, cigarettes, to name a few. She'll be huge in the How You Doin market, too, because it's widely reported that she's bisexual.

Derek also refutes the report that Amber and Kanye are over, because the couple were out celebrating Tuesday night. [source]

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SARAH PALIN RESIGNS VIDEO AS GOVERNER OF ALASKA PREPS FOR 2012 PRESIDENTIAL RUN?

Sarah Palin has resigned as the Governor of Alaska.

The former Vice presidential candidate who was blamed for contributing to John McCain's loss in the presidential race is now calling it quits with a public press conference. There is now speculation that she is resigning to prepare for her run as President of the United States in the next election. Palin has already received criticism for how she handled the pregnancy of her teenage unwed daughter Bristol Palin.   There are also rumors that her mentally disabled son Trig is her daughter Bristol Palin's son.

Sarah Palin the former Republican vice-presidential candidate who electrified her party's campaign last year, has resigned as Alaska's governor in a dramatic decision that has fuelled speculation she is positioning herself to run for president.

But after an at times rambling speech in which she compared herself to battle wounded American soldiers in Kosovo and said only dead fish go with the flow, Palin's critics accused her of a "flaky" decision and walking away from her post.

Palin, who built strong support among conservative Republicans as John McCain's running mate last year, said she will step down in three weeks because she can contribute more away from politics.

"We know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time on another scale and actually make a difference for our priorities," she said.

But Palin also hinted at continuing political ambitions when she repeated a quote she attributed to general Douglas MacArthur: "We are not retreating, we are advancing in another direction."

For someone who is supposedly stepping back from politics, Palin's resignation speech was weighty with policy specifics which prompted speculation that she is positioning herself for a 2012 presidential bid or seeking another office which would move her from distant Alaska to the heart of Washington politics.

But the timing, coming during one of the biggest American holidays of the year, independence day, raised questions among some of Republicans who accused her of attempting to escape falling poll numbers in Alaska as a series of economic problems and ethics investigations take their toll.

A prominent Republican strategist, Ed Rollins, who directed Ronald Reagan's election campaign, said Palin had made a serious mistake.

"She was a shooting star who dimmed in recent months and now she's crashed," he said.

Another Republican strategist, Tony Blankley, disagreed and said Palin appeared to have made a smart move to position herself for a run for president.

"It looks like she's moving down a path toward it," he said. "It frees her up. The normal rules don't seem to apply to her. She's a fascinating character who seems to do things her own way."

Blankley said that it makes sense for Palin to resign as governor if she is seeking higher office.

"This is going to be a pretty tough time for incumbents the next couple of years in America with everything going to tell and this may be a pretty good time not to be in office," he said.

Blankley also said that Palin faced particular difficulties trying to juggle a national campaign with being government of Alaska. [SOURCE]

RIHANNA INVESTIGATED FOR GIVING ILLEGAL TATOOS?

Rihanna is being investigated for illegal tatooing after she was spotted in a tattoo parlor.  Maybe this will change Riri's fascination with tats.... Maybe Rihanna needs a new hobby since she broke up with Chris Brown.

When Rihanna tatooed a few of the tattoo artists at East Side Ink in New York on Wednesday night, she may not have realized what she was doing was illegal.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene confirmed to MTV News on Thursday (July 2) that someone has been sent to the tattoo parlor to investigate the incident. In a statement, the department said, "Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City's Health Code. We are sending someone to follow up on this."

TMZ reported that if the department decides to press charges against the pop star for tattooing someone without a license, she could face three misdemeanors, with penalties as much as $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second and $1,000 for the third offense. Additionally, sources told the Web site that in addition to Rihanna, East Side Ink could be facing fines as well if an investigation is opened.

Earlier on Thursday, MTV News spoke to East Side Ink owner Yadira, who said that Rihanna hadn't visited East Side with the intention of inking her long-time tattoo artist, BangBang, as well as two other artists at the parlor. Rihanna was there with a few friends and a bodyguard for "a few hours, just hanging out and joking," she said, and BangBang decided that he wanted the pop star to give him a tattoo. Yadira added, "We had a blast. It was so funny and cute."  [MTV]

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BET AWARDS MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE CONTROVERSY LIL WAYNE UNDERAGE GIRLS SONG PERFORMANCE SCANDAL DUBBED "CHILD PORNOGRAPHY" CAUSES OUTRAGE

The 2009 BET Awards was retooled to be dedicated to Michael Jackson's memory. However, many viewers are outraged that the show did not give a proper tribute to the greatest entertainer that ever lived.

[poll id="7"]

The low point in the show was when rapper Lil Wayne took the stage with his song about all the girls he wanted to have sex with  and serenaded a group of tween prepubescent little girls.  Why did Lil Wayne choose these little girls to expose to his message?

Is Wayne trying to contribute to a new generation of eligible baby mamas and video hoochies? One viewer was so disappointed  with the  2009 BET Awards show that he posted a youtube video review on his The Skorpion Show youtube channel.

The video has gone viral earning more than 160,000 views about how he hated the program.

2009 BET AWARDS REVIEW (Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Lil' Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z Ne-Yo)

Sunday night, June 28, at the BET Awards 2009, New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne set off a firestorm when he performed "Every Girl" with fellow rappers Drake and Young Money. Many viewers found not only the words offensive, but also the presence of what appeared to be pre-adolescent girls, tweens, onstage with the men. [source]

Drake Performing 'Best I Ever Had' + Lil Wayne, BirdMan & Cash Money Perform 'Always Strapped' & 'Every Girl'

Last night's BET Awards were rearranged at the last minute to serve as a celebration of Michael Jackson's life. For the finale, Lil Wayne sang that he wishes he could "f*** every girl in the world" while onstage with pre-teens.

His song "Every Girl" was an odd choice to close the show that was more of a tribute to Michael Jackson than an awards ceremony. Everyone had MJ on the brain, whether it was in their acceptance speeches or conveyed in their outfits. (Host Jamie Foxx wore a succession of Michael's most famous costumes.) Artists like Ne-Yo and Ciara sang Michael's songs, and Beyoncé performed "Ave Maria" and Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" in memory of the King of Pop. [source]

Byron Hurt director of the Sundance Film festival documentary "Hip Hop :Beyond the Beats and the Rhymes" wrote and sent a letter to BET which he urged viewers to forward to BET executives. Filmmaker Byron Hurt  also sent us a letter by April Silvers about the BET Awards which we have reposted on the Binside TV website for our readers.

June 29, 2009 Dear Debra Lee, Sunday night's BET Awards show was a disgrace. It's sad and unfortunate that your network, owned by Viacom, continues to crank out mediocrity and perpetuate negative stereotypes of black men, women, and children. Although you likely received high ratings for the awards show, there is no honor in reinforcing the status quo's opinion of black people. Your tribute to Michael Jackson and the overall show had its great moments, however, BET failed to deliver a solid, quality show. Rather than "raising the bar" and presenting African-Americans as a creative, proud, dignified people, BET lowered the bar for the entire world to see. The BET Awards drew a huge audience to watch a tribute to Michael Jackson, but left millions of viewers feeling disappointed, embarrassed, and reduced to classic stereotypes. During the most blatantly sexist performances of the night, the executives at BET failed to act and display intelligence, courage, and leadership. Show executives watched, approved, and applauded as artists Lil' Wayne, Drake, and Cash Money brought young, under-aged girls onto the stage to dance and serve as window dressing while they performed "Every Girl," a song that reduces girls and women to sex objects. In a culture where one out of four girls and women are either raped or sexually assaulted - and where manipulative men routinely traffic vulnerable women into the sex industry - it is not okay that BET allowed this to happen. BET owes its entire audience - particularly girls and women around the world - an apology for its failure to intervene. BET should also take immediate steps to ensure that this kind of sexist performance does not happen again. Sunday night's show epitomizes why so many black people worldwide are fed up with BET and feel strongly that your network inaccurately represents black men and women. Please take my letter and criticism as one that represents millions. Sincerely, Byron Hurt www.bhurt.com Byon Hurt Activism Byron Hurt | c/o AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc. | PO Box 250553 | Brooklyn, NY I wrote this letter and sent it to contactus@bet.com, bobbette.gillette@bet.net, loretha.jones@bet.net, and stephen.hill@bet.net. Feel free to copy, paste, and customize this letter to adequately express your thoughts. If anyone has better ideas on where this letter should be sent, i.e. executives at Viacom (BET's owner), please let me know. I am open to ideas and suggestions. Be fearless, feel empowered, and raise your voice.

"Beneath Low: BET, Lil
Wayne Set the Stage for Child Pornography"

By April R. Silver (Monday,
June 29, 2009)
www.aprilsilver.com

Last night, live at the BET Awards in Los
Angeles, a room full of head-bobbing, consenting adults bounced to
Drake and Lil Wayne's back-to-back performances of the hit songs
"Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl." I watched, underwhelmed. I
wanted more "Michael" in what was supposed to be this
award-show-turned-Michael-Jackson-tribute. I watched, ever puzzled
by the Lil Wayne phenomena that has captivated the music industry.
I watched, wondering when the set was going to end.

Then the little girls came onstage...literally
the little girls. "Are those children?" I asked
out loud, in disbelief. Then the camera panned the audience.
Everyone was still head-bobbing as the little Black girls huddled
around these superstars.

"Are those little girls on stage...for
this song?!?!" I, still in disbelief, lost breath and
forced myself to exhale. "Why are these little girls featured on
this performance? Is somebody going to stop this?" Again, the show
was live, though for a nano-second, I was hoping that a
hunched-over stage manager would bust through from back stage to
scoop up the children, rescuing them from harm's way...from being
associated from this song. But instead, what those girls witnessed
from the stage was hundreds and hundreds of adults (mostly Black
people) staring back at them, co-signing the performance. These
girls, who all appeared to be pre-teens, were having their 15
minutes of glam on one of the biggest nights in televised Black
entertainment history, with two of pop culture's biggest stars at
the moment, with millions of people watching. They must have been
bubbling with girlish excitement, shimmering like princesses all
night. Pure irony: one of them wore a red ballerina tutu for the
special occasion. And we applauded them.

But did no one care that Lil Wayne's song
Every Girl is about grown men and their sexual escapades
with women? Did the meaning and intent of the song matter to
anyone, this song whose hook and other lyrics required a re-write
in order to get air play? "I wish I could love every girl in
the world." That's the radio-friendly version of "I wish I
could f--k every girl in the world." But Lil Wayne's BET
performance was the clean edit of the song. Perhaps he (and the
show producers) thought that there was nothing wrong in featuring
the children in the clean version. Perhaps we were supposed to see
the whole bit as cute and innocent. Absolutely not. There's no
other way to cut it: in presenting little girls in a performance of
a song that is about sex, group sex, and more sex, BET and Lil
Wayne set the stage for child pornography. It doesn't matter what
version of the song was played, much like a man who batters women
is still an abusive man, even if uses flowery phrases while
battering.

In the song, Lil Wayne mentions superstar Miley
Cyrus, but Cyrus gets a pass on this lyrical sex escapade because,
as he acknowledges, she is a minor. Huh? Why, then, is he
comfortable with featuring four minors, these four little Black
girls, in the show? How deep exactly is this inability of some
men to respect women, and how deep is Lil Wayne's disregard for the
safety of little girls?

I'm told that one of the girls is Lil Wayne's
daughter. That doesn't matter. In fact that makes it worse. Last
night we were reminded that there are few safe spaces for our
little girls to be children; that some of us are willing to trade
their innocence for a good head nod. BET and Lil Wayne are beneath
low because, in effect, they have given premium assurance to these
and other little girls that their best value, their shining moment,
their gifts to display to the world, all lie within a context that
says they are f**kable.

- - - - - - - -

The programming at BET has been heavily
criticized by artists, concerned citizens, college students, parent
groups, social justice organizations, media reform activists, and
many others for over a decade now. Their programming seems hell
bent on broadcasting the worst pathologies in the Black community.
Some have joined the anti-BET movement by simply tuning out. Others
have been more pro-active. National letter-writing campaigns and
other activities designed to shame and/or pressure the network into
improving its programming have been in play for some time now.
Boycotts have been called as well. Two years ago, for example, the
network found itself in the line of fire as it planned to air the
very controversial series "Hot Ghetto Mess." Advertisers, such as
State Farm Insurance and Home Depot, responded to pressure and
requested that their ads be disassociated with the series (though,
their ads could be placed in other programming slots). None of this
has made a difference. In fact, it seems to have emboldened the
network, for it is now expanding. In the fall, BET is due to launch
another channel.

As a social entrepreneur and activist, my entire
life/work has been dedicated to standing up for what's right,
especially within the culture of hip hop. When identifying what
cancerous elements exist within the Black community, many fellow
activists agree with Chuck D (of Public Enemy), and even Aaron
McGruder (of The Boondocks), when they targeted BET as one
of those elements. That said, I didn't think that we would ever
have to take the network to task for what amounts to child
pornography.

But millions of Black people are not offended by
the network and welcome anything BET has to offer, no matter how
much it continues to unravel the fabric of our community. Imagine,
if you will, BET as a human being and the viewers as the community.
You would have to imagine BET as a drug dealer, with his swag
on...perhaps outside standing atop a truck, the community
crowded beneath him. Imagine him throwing nicely wrapped gifts into
the crowed, or giving away turkeys at Thanksgiving. Or maybe it's
Mother's Day and he buys dinner and teddy bears to all the single
moms and grandmothers around the way. Despite his best efforts and
despite the approval of his fans, he is still a drug dealer,
pimping death to the masses.

Proverbs is full of sacred text that teaches us
that there will always be fools amongst us. Some of them will be
highly paid, protected, and given world-wide platforms to show off
what they do best. And these fools (be they performers, corporate
executives, or others), will have fans and loyal supporters, and a
place to call home, like a BET.

But as long as there will be fools amongst us,
there will also be wise ones - a small group of people concerned
about the long term health and well being of the community. This
small group will often go unheard and they will be outmatched. They
will struggle over which problem to address first: the child
pornographer, the batterer, the pimp, the prostitute, the thief,
the slumlord, or the system that enables it all. They will get
tired and their defense will pale in comparison to the almost
crushing offense. And they will be betrayed from within.
Historically and universally, this is what happens in the struggle
for what is right. But eventually, with continued pressure,
something will shift. A radical new thinking will emerge, and the
fools will lose their stronghold.

The sure expectation of victory, however, can
not be understated. It is a concrete ingredient in the struggle
against the death that is being paraded in our community...as
necessary as letter writing campaigns, economic boycotts, symbolic
and actual protests, and other pressure-oriented activities. It is
indeed possible to bring more life into our community.

Copyright 2009, by April R. Silver

"April R.
Silver is a social entrepreneur, activist, and writer/editor. She
is also founder of the communications agency AKILA WORKSONGS, Inc.
Her first book is the critically acclaimed anthology "BE A FATHER
TO YOUR CHILD: REAL TALK FROM BLACK MEN ON FAMILY, LOVE, AND
FATHERHOOD." Contact Info: silver@aprilsilver.com or www.aprilsilver.com"

MICHAEL JACKSON LAST REHEARSAL VIDEO FUNERAL TICKETS MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL DETAILS

The world is still mourning the sudden tragic death of musical legend Michael Jackson. New rehearsal footage has been released showing the King of Pop looking healthy on stage 48 hours before his death. A tribute memorial service will be held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center with thousands of tickets made available to fans for free.There were reports that concert promoter AEG would be selling the tickets for $25 dollars along with "This is It" concert T-shirts.

Michael Jackson's Last Rehearsal '09

Fans who wish to attend Michael Jackson's star-studded memorial service at Staples Center will have to shell out $25 to sit in the stands, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

Family, friends and VIPS will have seats on the main floor for The Tuesday, July 7th Staples service, first reported by RadarOnline.com, while the general public will be plucking down $25 to sit in the stands.

The memorial service will feel like a concert production featuring guest speakers, a lot of music and video screens inside and outside of Staples, a source close to the planning tells RadarOnline.com.

Michael Jackson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor is expected to attend, along with Diana Ross.

T-shirts that were going to be sold on Michael's upcoming "This Is It" tour will not go to waste. They will be sold outside Staples to people entering the service.

The service will be held between 10am PST and noon PST. The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus will be on standby, literally. The circus act just happens to be in town and is slated to begin their run at the Staples Center from July 8 to July 11. [RADAR ONLINE]

According to reports Los Angeles is anticipating a crowd of more than 750,000 mourners and is preparing to have 2,500 law enforcement officers to control the crowds.

Exclusive video : This Is It Tour - Rehearsals & Auditions (Michael Jackson & his dancers)

City officials are scrambling over the holiday weekend to try to figure out how to accommodate a public memorial service for Michael Jackson at a venue that can hold no more than 20,000 people.

The event has been set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the downtown Staples Center, according to a statement from the Jackson family's publicist. The service is expected to draw tens of thousands of spectators wanting to pay their respects to the King of Pop, who died June 25. How city officials will handle the massive crowd remains to be settled.

Randy Phillips, chief executive of AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson's promoter, said tickets would be free. He was not sure how they would be distributed. A press conference to announce further details was planned for Friday.

Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said plans for the memorial are clearly moving forward, but he wished there had been more time to work out the logistics.

"If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity, there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem," he said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend "it's the worst time ... to work something out." He also said he's concerned about the cost of police overtime for the cash-strapped city.

Jackson's brother Jermaine told CNN's Larry King that there will be a private ceremony for family and some special guests before the public memorial. He added the family wants to have other memorials around the United States.

Meanwhile, the future of Michael Jackson's children was thrown into question Thursday when his ex-wife emerged and won a delay in a custody hearing while she decides whether she wants to raise her two offspring.

It was the first legal move from Deborah Rowe since the entertainer's death. Jackson's will asks for his 79-year-old mother, Katherine, to get permanent custody of his three.

Rowe, who met Jackson as a receptionist in the office of his dermatologist, has characterized their relationship as strictly for the purpose of giving birth to Jackson's children. She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, was conceived with an unidentified surrogate.

Rowe has spent little time with her son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. But Rowe also has opposed the idea of Katherine Jackson getting custody of her children when it came up in the past.

Rowe's attorney, Eric M. George, said his client had not decided whether to seek custody.

A guardianship hearing was set for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, who has temporary guardianship of her son's children.

In other developments:

• A 30-second snippet of Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London two days before his death was released Thursday. The rehearsal footage, shot in high definition, includes Jackson performing his hits "Thriller" and "Beat It." His voice is strong and he appears in perfect health. Other footage shows production meetings and auditions.

• A court hearing was scheduled for Monday to deal with who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate. He left all his assets to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. A person familiar with the details of the trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 percent, his three children, who together get 40 percent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 percent. The charities will be determined later by the trust. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

• Authorities were investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration and California Attorney General Jerry Brown both were helping Los Angeles police investigate the possible involvement of prescription drugs in Jackson's death. [source]

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• Jackson appeared fit in rehearsal video (ctv.ca)

KEVIN JONAS ENGAGED TO DANIELLE DELEASA JONAS BROTHER PROPOSES GETTING MARRIED TO GIRLFRIEND

The oldest Jonas Brother, Kevin Jonas, just got engaged to his New Jersey girlfriend Danielle Deleasa.  Congrats to Kevin!!  Does this mean that the Jonas Brothers vow of  chastity virginity pledge contract with purity rings is still valid?

Teen pop sensations the Jonas brothers are taking back the nation with their concerts with Miley Cyrus, but now they're taking a vow of chastity.

The boys told and Details magazine that they plan to remain virgins until they're married, and they're wearing purity rings as "promises to ourselves and to God that we'll stay pure till marriage," Joe, 18, said.

The rings are "just one of our ways of kind of like being different than everybody else out there," Nick, 15, added.

Oldest brother Kevin, 20, has a ring from Tiffany's that he describes as "pretty rock and roll." [source]

Nick is dating Miley "internet photo scandal" Cyrus while Joe Jonas has had his public breakup with Taylor Swift turned into pop songs.   Kevin who didn't get a chance to attend his highschool prom is now marrying the girl who would have been his prom date.

One Jonas brother down, two to go. It's official: Kevin Jonas is engaged. The eldest Jonas brother proposed to his long time girlfriend, Danielle Deleasa, on Wednesday (July 1) and confirmed the news to People.

He showed up to her New Jersey doorstep Wednesday morning, got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend of two years to marry him. "She said yes, yes, yes, like 500 times super fast in a row," Jonas told the magazine. The pair have yet to set a wedding date.

Jonas, 21, and Deleasa, a 22-year-old former hairdresser from New Jersey, met in 2007 while their families were vacationing in the Bahamas. At the time the band was still up-and-coming and she admits that she didn't even know who the Jonas Brothers were. Kevin pursued Deleasa after he spotted her on the beach. "It still feels like a dream," she told People about the engagement.

"It was tough performing last night, knowing that I was going to ask the biggest question in my life to the most amazing girl in the world," Kevin said. He arrived from Toronto on an overnight flight to ask her to marry him.

On "Larry King Live" last month, King asked Kevin if he had any plans to marry his current girlfriend, and he replied,"We'll see. She's an amazing girl," but wouldn't elaborate any further.

Kevin's little brothers, Joe and Nick, took to Twitter to congratulate Kevin and their future sister-in-law. "Congrats big brother.....Dani welcome to the family," they wrote. "We can't wait to have you join us on the road! Love Joe and Nick." [MTV]

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OK MAGAZINE MICHAEL JACKSON DEATH COVER PHOTO

The world is mourning the sudden tragic death of pop superstar Michael Jackson. OK! Magazine has decided to capitalize on Michael Jackson's death by publishing his last moments alive on the cover of their magazine in an attempt to boost sales.

What do you think about OK! Magazine's issue to increase readership of the magazine? Is it in poor taste to show a person dying on the front cover of their publication?  We choose to celebrate Michael Jackson's life and mourn his untimely death.  Rest in Peace Michael Jackson....

THIS week in OK! magazine we've got a WORLD EXCLUSIVE as we unveil the last-ever pictures of Michael Jackson.

In a special tribute issue to the King Of Pop, we reveal the devastating details of Michael's passing and unveil never-before-seen pictures of the star's final moments.

Celebrities from across the globe mourn the loss of one of the world's greatest entertainers, with stars such as Madonna and Michael's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley revealing how they are struggling to cope with the news.

We look back over Michael's record-breaking career, from his early days singing with Jackson Five to achieving phenomenal success with solo smash-hit albums Thriller and Dangerous.

OK! takes you back through our past exclusives with the tragic star, including the first pictures with Michael and Debbie Rowe's firstborn son Prince Michael Junior.

In an obituary of Michael's amazing life, we look at the troubled childhood that haunted the controversial star - from his father's reported beatings to the child abuse allegations that rocked his life in later years. [OK!]

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