Los Angeles, California (CNN) --
Michael Jackson's family gathered Tuesday for an early
Thanksgiving dinner, determined not to let money and fame
pull it apart, the pop icon's older brother said.
"That's really, really important because we're a family
and throughout the years, the managers, the agents and
Hollywood have tried to come between that," Jermaine J
ackson said. "What they don't know is we were together
before we came out here and we're going to continue
to be together."
Jackson spoke to CNN at a Tuesday morning screening
of his brother's "This Is It" movie for inner-city
students in Los Angeles.
He said he has stayed away from the Michael Jackson
estate legal battle, which pitted his mother's lawyer
against his father's lawyer earlier this month.
"When there's a lot of fame and fortune and attorneys,
accountants and advisers and managers and agents, it
gets like this," Jermaine Jackson said. "But at the same
time, my mother is the boss and regardless of what the
executors want to do at the end of the day,
she has the say."
When family matriarch Katherine Jackson dropped her
legal challenge of the men named in Michael Jackson's
will to run his estate, family patriarch Joe Jackson's
lawyer was launching his own challenge. This set off a
bitter courtroom battle between the lawyers for the
Jackson parents.
"She has now reneged on her obligation to her family,"
Joe Jackson's lawyer, Brian Oxman, told the judge. He
said Katherine Jackson's reversal was "one of the most
despicable displays" he's ever seen in court.
Oxman accused her of reaching a secret deal --
behind Joe Jackson's back -- with the men who control
their son's estate.
Jermaine Jackson said despite what you may
read, the Jackson family will "pull together."
"There's strength in numbers, and when there's a family
like ours, we pull together," he said. "We find strength
within each other."
Katherine Jackson does not celebrate holidays because of
her religion -- she a Jehovah's Witness -- but the Jackson
brothers, sisters, and their children do traditionally
gather for one day Thanksgiving week, he said. Tuesday is
the day, he said.
"And it's really tough because Michael's no longer with us,
but he'll always be with us in spirit, but you just continue
to move on," he said.
Michael Jackson's three children -- Prince, 12, Paris, 11,
and Blanket, 7 -- are "doing great" and are "best friends"
with his children, Jermaine Jackson said.
"They're doing well," he said. "They're getting their
lessons done. They have wonderful tutors and programs,
they're getting a chance to go out and do things.
They're getting a chance to travel."
An A&E network reality TV series that focuses on the lives
of four of the Jackson brothers -- Jackie, Jermaine, Tito
and Marlon -- debuts next month.
Filming of "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" -- in the works
before Michael Jackson's June 25 death -- is about to wrap, he said.
He said his main job now is to promote his brother's legacy.
Jermaine Jackson walked down the red carpet with dozens
of students before the "This Is It" screening. Michael
Jackson's vocal coach and several musicians featured in
show also were there.
Los Angeles artist David Ilan, who is creating a
Michael Jackson tribute portrait with 1 million hand-drawn
dots, added a dot on his artwork for each of them.
The technique, "pointillism," allows Jackson fans
worldwide to sign up online to have a dot added in their name.
The charity project's Web site is
www.MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com.
Jermaine Jackson: Lawyers, money can't divide family - CNN.com
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/11/24/jermaine.jackson/
No comments:
Post a Comment