Michael Jackson Fans Pay Tribute, Dad Files Lawsuit

by The Associated Press

On the day Michael Jackson's fans paid their respects with tears, tributes, songs and dance, Jackson's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the doctor charged with giving his son a lethal dose of drugs.

Joe Jackson's visit to a federal courtroom in Los Angeles, while thousands of people were filing through the gates of a nearby cemetery to mourn the man they call the King of Pop, punctuated once again just how brilliantly the star that was Michael Jackson's life had burned, and how suddenly it had been extinguished.

"The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Gone Too Soon," proclaimed a 100-foot banner spread out near the entrance to Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale on Friday to mark the first anniversary of Jackson's death.

"He's been my idol all my life since I can remember. I feel like I haven't had closure," said Erick Dominguez, who traveled more than 80 miles from his home in Victorville to the Los Angeles suburb to pay his respects. As he spoke, the 37-year-old sales representative, his eyes hidden by sunglasses, began to weep. He was joined by mourners from Italy, France, Spain, Norway and numerous other parts of the world.

Several of Jackson's relatives also visited the cemetery, going to its mausoleum, where Jackson's body is entombed and which is off limits to the public. Brother Tito shook hands with fans as he arrived, and brother Jermaine rolled down a window and waved as the family left in a fleet of luxury vehicles. As they departed, fans released a flock of white doves.

"It was a beautiful sight," said one of the mourners, Courtland Llauger.

In Jackson's hometown of Gary, Ind., hundreds cheered as the entertainer's mother, Katherine Jackson, unveiled a memorial to her son in the front yard of the modest home where he grew up.

"This past year has been very hard on the family," she told the crowd. "If it wasn't for the help of all of you, we wouldn't have made it through."

Jackson died June 25, 2009 at age 50, just before he was to begin a comeback tour. Dr. Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter. Authorities say Murray provided the entertainer with a mix of sedatives - including the powerful anesthetic propofol - that killed him.

Jackson's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the physician Friday, seeking more than $75,000. The complaint accuses Murray of professional negligence and contends he tried to conceal his administration of propofol after Jackson's death. Propofol is normally administered only in hospital settings. Murray had been providing it in the bedroom of Jackson's rented mansion in Los Angeles to help him sleep after the physically grueling rehearsals the performer had been putting himself through to get in shape for his comeback.

Murray attorney Charles Peckham said in a statement he expected his client's innocence to be "proven in a court of law."

Away from the courtroom, numerous tributes to Jackson, both poignant and joyful, unfolded throughout the day.

In Japan, hundreds met at Tokyo Tower to honor Jackson with a candlelight vigil, a gospel concert and more. Some got a chance to see some of his possessions, including costumes from his tours and even a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom that he used to drive around Los Angeles.

"I don't know what to say. Seeing all his things makes it all come back to me," said Yumiko Sasaki, a 48-year-old Tokyo office worker who said she has been a Jackson fan since she was 12. "It makes me so sad to think that he is gone. He was wonderful."

In New York City, crowds gathered at Harlem's fabled Apollo Theater, where Jackson and his brothers rocketed to fame as the Jackson 5, winning amateur night in the late 1960s. His pictures were hung outside and a sidewalk plaque honored the singer alongside such other Apollo legends as James Brown and Smokey Robinson.

In Santa Barbara's wine country, people showed up throughout the day at Neverland, the playland home where Jackson once lived with his own zoo and amusement park. There, by the front gates, they danced, listened to music and exchanged hugs and tears.

In cyberspace, people also paused to remember Jackson. Among them was Mariah Carey who said via Twitter that she was marking the day by watching the video "You Are Not Alone."

"Love and prayers to MJ 'King of Pop,'" she tweeted. "You will be remembered forever. We miss you."

Source : billboard

'Grown Ups' Star Chris Rock On Adam Sandler: 'He's Dre, I'm Snoop'

By Eric Ditzian
NEW YORK — Before we meet the grown-ups of "Grown Ups," which opened Friday (June 25), we get a peek back in time to the year 1978, when Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and their pals were pre-teens on a championship youth basketball team. They have braces and bad haircuts, rock painfully retro polyester duds with butterfly collars, and generally have you laughing at them the moment they pop up on the screen.

But just how do they choose the young actors who'll play the onscreen counterparts to these established actors? And, with Sandler as producer and co-writer, do the rest of the guys even have a say in the casting process? We put those questions to the "Grown Ups" on the red carpet, when the movie premiered earlier this week.

"You would think Adam would have asked me, but no, I got nothing," laughed co-star Rob Schneider, whose younger self sports a poof to rival Snooki's. "I think my kid is funkier looking than the other kids. But I trust him. The good thing about Adam, you know, he's got your back."

That believe-in-Sandler ethos is one the rest of the cast subscribes to as well.

"I trust Sandler," Rock told MTV News. "Sandler's Dre. I'm Snoop," the comedian said comparing the pair to the West Coast super-producer and his onetime protégé. "I don't question Dre. Dre says, 'Do it again,' you do it again. It's going to be hot."

For his part, Sandler made sure to institute a bit of a DNA upgrade when it came to choosing the actors who would play the young versions of their characters. "The kid who plays me is much handsomer than I was," he said. "And Rock's got a handsome kid too."

"They had to get a girl to play me," Rock laughed.

Co-star David Spade's young counterpart was the right gender, but not quite as striking as he was hoping for.

"I didn't pick him, but I think he's hilarious," he said. "When he comes on, people laugh. They know it's me already. He's trying to be all cool like I do. But in the beginning, I go, 'How about someone like a young Brad Pitt?' And they were like, 'No. How about a young, white Urkel?' "

Source : mtv

Twilight Eclipse movie premiere: Robert Pattinson red carpet style & interviews

by Liz Gellar

This week was the L.A. red carpet premiere of the Twilight Eclipse movie. Were you one of the lucky fans who attended? Chances are you weren't but don't worry. There's plenty of red carpet footage to check out, including a couple of Robert Pattinson interviews that are posted here. Check out videos from E! Online and MTV below.

I tried listening to what R-Patz (a.ka. Taylor Lautner, apparently...you'll see what I mean from the first video) had to say, but I became more focused with his look. Can we all agree that the Twilight Eclipse star made a serious fashion statement here? Though he recently cut his hair, Robert Pattinson's trademark hairstyle was resurrected. It was one hot mess...but "hot" in a good way. The suit wasn't the traditional kind you see on a red carpet. It was brick red with a skinny tie! Forget Hollywood actor. Rob was looking way more rock star here. The color wasn't my favorite, but kudos to him for taking a chance and switching up the wardrobe so he didn't look like everyone else.

Source : style.gather