Jackson: Five Lingering Questions

Who are the Children's Biological Father, Who Gets Custody, How Did He Die, What Did He Owe, How Much is He Worth?

(CBS/ AP)  The public mourning of Michael Jackson may be done, but the saga that was his personal life is far from over.

Nothing made that more clear than the one surprise of Tuesday's memorial service, watched by millions around the world: the emotional speech by Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris-Michael.

"Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father I could imagine," she said, dissolving into tears and turning into the arms of her aunt Janet. "I just want to say I love him so much."

1. The Children
Even the man widely rumored to be the biological father of Jackson's children says he doesn't know the answer. "To the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children," Dr. Arnold Klein, Jackson's longtime dermatologist, told ABC's "Good Morning America."

"I can't answer it in any other way. I don't want to feed any of this insanity that is going around," he said.

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Complete coverage of Jackson's death

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Custody of Jackson's three children is one of the biggest legal issues still unresolved. In his 2002 will, Jackson made his wishes clear - his three children should remain under the care of his mother, Katherine.

Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of Paris and her 12-year-old brother, Prince Michael, has indicated she may seek custody. The surrogate mother of Jackson's youngest child, 7-year-old Prince Michael II, is unknown. A custody hearing was scheduled for Monday.

2. Cause of Death
As the world paused to remember Jackson, authorities released his death certificate, which did not list a cause of death. The official determination will likely wait until toxicology results are completed, which could be weeks away.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would be returned to the family for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.

Investigators have honed in on drugs that were administered to the insomniac Jackson. The powerful sedative Diprivan, which is usually administered by anesthesiologists in hospitals, was found in his home, according to a law enforcement official.

Klein, Michael Jackson's dermatologist, said he had sedated the pop star in the past for painful medical procedures but had never given him dangerous sedatives to use.

"I was not one of the doctors who participated in giving him overdoses of drugs or too much of anything," Klein said. "In fact, I was the one who limited everything, who stopped everything."

Klein said he saw Jackson three days before he died on June 25. In response to rumors that the musician was dangerously thin at the time of his death, Klein said he saw nothing to make him worry.

"He danced in my office," he said. "He danced for my patients."

3. Burial Place
Jackson's final resting place was another unknown. Permission is needed to bury him at his former home, Neverland Ranch.

A private memorial was held at a cemetery in the Hollywood Hills that is the resting place of many stars, but it does not appear Jackson will be buried among them.

No plans have been announced for Neverland, but it's already drawn comparisons as a potential West Coast version of Graceland.

4. The Money
Then there's Jackson's money. He died deeply in debt, but left an estate potentially worth $500 million and his enduring star power with its tremendous earning potential.

The "King of Pop" sold an astounding 750 million albums. "Thriller" alone sold more than 100 million copies, the most successful studio album of all time.

But Michael Jackson's penchant for the opulent and the oddball led him to the brink of financial ruin, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reported. He also had to fund a team of lawyers to fend off continual lawsuits. By the time of his 2005 molestation trial, court records showed Jackson was $300 million in debt and spending $30 million more per year than he was taking in.

5. The Music
Former Sony Music chairman and CEO Tommy Mottola has said Jackson left dozens of songs that included newer material and leftover works from some of his biggest albums. Mottola predicted the potential playlist was bigger than the one left behind by Elvis.

The singer also left behind an elaborate production dubbed "The Dome Project," which could be Jackson's last complete video piece. Little is publicly known about the production, but its existence has been confirmed by two knowledgeable sources who spoke to The Associated Press on condition they not be identified because they signed confidentiality agreements.

There also is more than 100 hours of footage of preparations for his London concerts, which were canceled because of his death. Randy Phillips, president and CEO of concert promoter AEG Live, said last week that the company also has enough material for two live albums.

The Farewell
On Tuesday, about 20,000 people gathered inside the Staples Center on Tuesday for a somber, spiritual ceremony, watched by millions more around the world.

Crowds gathered outside Harlem's Apollo Theater in New York to soak it in. In Santiago, Chile, national police band played "We Are the World" during the traditional guard change at the presidential palace. About 50 fans lit candles and laid flowers in the main square in Stockholm, as "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song" poured out of a small stereo.

In London, dozens of fans sheltered under umbrellas against the rain as they watched the event on a big screen outside the 02 Arena, where Jackson was to have performed 50 comeback shows starting next week. Many more stayed dry at home after the BBC announced it would cancel scheduled programming and show the ceremony live.

"His whole life was a global broadcast in a way, so I suppose it's fitting that his death also is," said barista Robert Anderson, 26, in London.

Calculating just how many people in total watched the ceremony - around the world and across all platforms - will take several days and even then will likely have to resort to an approximation, given the huge variety of outlets.

At the ceremony, a star-studded lineup of performers closely linked to Jackson's life and music remembered Jackson as an unparalleled singer, dancer and humanitarian whose music united people of all backgrounds.

[barbaram99]

toldyouso well said. I lost my father in April and I could understand the little girl's tears. Thankfully her Aunt Janet was there to comfort the child. I do have some of Janet's music on CDs. What I saw was a lady holding a crying little girl and not a superstar. A human being. A family who lost a loved one. Michael gave us his music. Thank you. I was 15 when I nought the LP Maybe Tomorrow in Maine. It was the fisrt album I bought. It was in 71. I like the song Never Can Say Good By. In our family we said so long. On the phone it was good by when we endeed a call. I met a black man years ago and his skin was whiter than mine yet he has the hair etc of black people. So what Michael's childen are white looking. It is meanningless to me. Janet did the right thing as an Anut by being family first. America dtill has a problem in this area. My late aunt taught me this when I was a child when I asked as I was born legally blind. She said *Barbara there is one race. The human race*. The children need to be with their GrandMum Kathrine that they love. Ye need money to live but my friend said money is evil. It is. RIP Michael Jackson. I am 54.

[tbbaot]

Some better questions:
How long before Obama runs out of Koolaid?
The country has lost over 5 million jobs since the election..where are the stimulus jobs?
Why are Democrats trying to increase the number of immigrants when unemployment is 10%?

[sayfud-deen]

it is interesting to note,how many people are having a problem with the media coverage of micheal jackson! has anyone been able to forget the king of rock? from comercials,to movies,to graceland,to radio shows in his honor. his name and image go on. how many years has he been dead? how many people still stand in line each year to get inside of graceland? you still have people who are fanatics over the king of rock. why should m.j.,be any different. hell, people are still facinated over james dean! so,what is the big deal?

[arethaevy]

I feel sorry for all of those whose heart is to loveless and brains too narrow to feel enough love for a brother, a human being whose life wasn't easy and who had his share of glory and actually all the glory one can ever dream of but at the same time also had his share of obstacles, hardships, challenges, pains and trials. Michael NEVER complained about all what he went through. He just tried to manage emotionally as good as he could. he gave the world all his love, all his time, all his care, all his sweat and his lifetime: 45 years singing for the world, going beyond rehearsal exhaustion, tiredness, sicknesses, media harassment, racial hatred, emotional upheavals, family strains,planetarian success, all of which prevented him from leading the normal life he so much wanted. So to all of those whose heart has never had and unfortunately for them will never have a 0,000000000001 of Michael's talent, depth,generosity, grace, genius, just let us mourn this great human who really did much better than his best and better than ANY HUMAN before (and surely after will) in the music realm. Let us mourn, let us feel him pass, let us pray for his soul, let us congratulate him forever that he is free now from your ugly presence, your mean thinking patterns inherited by centuries of mental degradation and cultural perversity, free at last from your emotional incompetence, your stinginess and unspeakably intolerable stupidity! Happy Michael, they don't know who you were, they'll never value your contribution to this ailing world but we know you were GREAT and a present to humanity. Thanks for passing by and sharing your grace with us.

[u-r-right]

Did he really have Lupus?

Did he really have Vitaligo?

Did he really have to carry around a parasol to shield himself from the sun?

Did he really have some sort of repiratory ailment that made it necessary to wear a mask?

So many question...I'll bet all of the above were made up to mask his multiple mental ailments.

[alien_view]

The Jackson family should pay the 4-Million that the tax payers of California have to caugh up to pay for the spectical memorial service. If my loved one dies I don't expect to have the memorial in the stadium and have the public pay for it. This is insane that we have to pay for it. It was a family decision, the family can pay!!!!

[nishaboston]

Why dont the damn media leave Michael Jackson and his family alone!!!!!!!!

[231rebel]

Who cares about these questions? Let the man rest in peace, for God's sake!!! Is it anyone's business if he's not the biological father? How many "biological" fathers in this country don't claim, support or have anything to do with their children? Do you care who the father or mother is of any adopted child? Not if you have a life! As long as those children are loved and taken care of, it's not important whose DNA they match, it's important whose heart they are part of!!!

[arbzzz]

Thankfully all this nonsense is over - all he was was a very talented entertainer and NOTHING ELSE - Unless you consider weird, oddball, out of his mind, etc. etc. etc.
Some idiots want a holiday for him - are these people insane - how about let's bury him and move on to some more important things

[lparsley64]

Jackson's body is still warm and already the media - and not necessarily liberal - is chaffing at the bit to find a cheap angle.Think of his poor kids instead of your own self-interests.

[toldyouso29]

It does not matter who the kids' biological fathers or mothers are. The genetic donors gave up their rights and have NO claim to the children. There is no point in anyone slithering out of the woodwork just because the egg or sperm that they donated happened to have a rich parent and now they want to claim what they freely donated--just because money is attached to the kids. It just does not work that way.

[fun4leona]

I think it is about time that the media start focusing on what's really important. Leave the family alone. It is none of our business what happens. It is a family matter, not ours. The news media needs to be overhauled about the way they do there work. It is getting to the point that you don't even want to watch the news anymore.

[bobnjersey]

[Who are the Children's Biological Father, Who Gets Custody, How Did He Die, What Did He Owe, How Much is He Worth?]

only five?

what about:

- what brand of lipstick does he wear?
- is it boxers, briefs, boxer briefs, thong, or commando?
- what time did he go to bed?
- what's his favorite jonas brother?
- who really wrote all those songs?
- where did the blister come from on his hand?

anyone who really feels a need to know any of this cr@p needs to make a careful assessment of your life ... and make some changes.

[plplearecrzy]

My thought exactly...with all that is going on in this world, who REALLY cares!

[culturechang]

and

When will this finally be over?

[45ford]

it isn't about reporting the news any more. it's about creating the news as CBS has ably and repeatedly demonstrated.

[45ford]

Headline: 'Jackson Five Questions'

what an outrageously deceptive caption, and it was likely intentionally done that way. the headline that appears on the homepage makes it sound like there are questions about the Jackson 5 group, not 5 individual questions about MJ. this is tabloid journalism and CBS doesn't seem to give a rats butt about their deceptive behavior. anything, and i mean anything, to boost web traffic and viewership. by engaging in this sort of activity, they not only discredit themselves, but also cast a pale on journalism and turn audiences away.

[amarillolesa]

Hello 45ford, I have to disagree with you. The punctuation in the title
made it very clear that the article was not about the Jackson Five. You really have to watch out for punctuation, obviously, if you do not you end up reading articles you did not want to read.

[blog_fever2]

I believe these 5 questions are nobody's business....

[credibility2]

Oops - this makes six questions - including the one on cap and trade.

[credibility2]

1)How many of our troops died in combat this past week?
2)How much is it costing U.S. taxpayers to unnecessarily cart around Michelle and the kids?
3)When will real jobs be created under the Obama regime? If "cap and trade" goes through, how much is it really going to cost the economy overall and especially individual taxpayers?
4)Why won't the psychiatrists and psychologists disclose the list of mental and emotional psychoses of those who have frenetically and mindlessly followed the Michael Jackson hideous spectacle?
5)When will all of this insubstantial and nauseating Jackson garbage stop?

[bigmo47]

Oh, I forgot, every other 1st lady drove her own car and the former first families flew commercial. No other 1st lady has ever left the country with her husband, the president. When will the Obamas get it together.

You are an idiot.

[dagrandma]

1) Why are you reading a story about Michael Jackson's hideous spectacle?
2) Why are you reading a story about Michael Jackson's hideous spectacle?
3) Why are you reading a story about Michael Jackson's hideous spectacle?
4) Why are you reading a story about Michael Jackson's hideous spectacle?
5) Why are you reading a story about Michael Jackson's hideous spectacle?

[whatsup49]

i agree . . . there's so much more important things that the news media needs to focusing on . . . let wacko jacko go. the show is over, jacko has left the room. move on people, there's nothing to see here.

[nishaboston]

Why are you reading the article then? There are actually several articles on ABC about the G8 summit and the economy. Ignore the article if you do not like it

[vielmann]

Oh how sad. You're so tired of MJ that you read another article about him, listened to Hannity rant all day about him, and probably posted elsewhere about him. It sounds to me it's you people who are so hung up on Jackson.