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Michael throws a party!
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson plans to gather
with family and friends at his Neverland Ranch this weekend - an event described by his spokesman as ``reinforcement and support'' for the entertainer returning to his estate after being charged with child molestation.
``It's a private gathering to welcome him home to Neverland,'' Jackson spokesman Stuart Backerman said Friday. ``The plan is for him to be there.''
Jackson has been spending time in Las Vegas and other undisclosed locations since he surrendered to Santa Barbara County authorities Nov. 20 and posted $3 million bail.
The weekend event was described as a combination holiday party and thank you to supporters.
Backerman said that the guest list for Saturday's event originally included about 300 people, but seemed to be expanding daily and may be double that.
``There will be a goodly chunk of people including celebrities,'' he said, but added he did not have any names yet of famous people who might attend.
Jackson was charged Thursday with seven counts of lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent. Jackson's lawyer has declared he is innocent.
The gathering at Jackson's place was originally billed as a Jackson family reunion at which relatives would be taken on a tour to see damage done by sheriff's deputies when they searched Neverland. But the focus has changed.
``It's for family and friends to say thank you from Michael to people he loves and who have supported him,'' said Brian Oxman, a lawyer and close Jackson family friend who will attend the event. ``It's not a party. It's not a pep rally. It's not hoopla or celebration.''
``They wanted to do something simple and quiet,'' said Oxman, ``and the fact that it's mushroomed into these huge proportions is just the nature of Michael's life.''
With legal proceedings on hold until Jackson's arraignment Jan. 16, legal experts said Jackson should try to fade out of the headlines as much as possible.
``He should disappear,'' said attorney Dana Cole. ``Maybe a couple of charity visits would be OK. But he should stay out of situations where the press will be throwing questions at him.''
Jackson's plans for the coming weeks may remove him from the center of the publicity storm. He is heading for England to fulfill some contractual obligations, his lawyer has said. Authorities in Santa Barbara County approved the trip.
Backerman said he doesn't know what Jackson will be doing during the trip. There have been reports that he will be promoting his latest CD, ``Number Ones,'' which is doing in better in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States.
Ben Todd, deputy show business editor at The Sunday Mirror in London, called British fans' response to Jackson ``amazing.''
``You don't get worse publicity than he had and even then the album went straight to No. 1,'' Todd said. ``Despite the allegations, despite his increasing eccentricity and despite the fact he hasn't released a decent album for 10 or 15 years, his fans are incredibly loyal.''
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson plans to gather
with family and friends at his Neverland Ranch this weekend - an event described by his spokesman as ``reinforcement and support'' for the entertainer returning to his estate after being charged with child molestation.
``It's a private gathering to welcome him home to Neverland,'' Jackson spokesman Stuart Backerman said Friday. ``The plan is for him to be there.''
Jackson has been spending time in Las Vegas and other undisclosed locations since he surrendered to Santa Barbara County authorities Nov. 20 and posted $3 million bail.
The weekend event was described as a combination holiday party and thank you to supporters.
Backerman said that the guest list for Saturday's event originally included about 300 people, but seemed to be expanding daily and may be double that.
``There will be a goodly chunk of people including celebrities,'' he said, but added he did not have any names yet of famous people who might attend.
Jackson was charged Thursday with seven counts of lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent. Jackson's lawyer has declared he is innocent.
The gathering at Jackson's place was originally billed as a Jackson family reunion at which relatives would be taken on a tour to see damage done by sheriff's deputies when they searched Neverland. But the focus has changed.
``It's for family and friends to say thank you from Michael to people he loves and who have supported him,'' said Brian Oxman, a lawyer and close Jackson family friend who will attend the event. ``It's not a party. It's not a pep rally. It's not hoopla or celebration.''
``They wanted to do something simple and quiet,'' said Oxman, ``and the fact that it's mushroomed into these huge proportions is just the nature of Michael's life.''
With legal proceedings on hold until Jackson's arraignment Jan. 16, legal experts said Jackson should try to fade out of the headlines as much as possible.
``He should disappear,'' said attorney Dana Cole. ``Maybe a couple of charity visits would be OK. But he should stay out of situations where the press will be throwing questions at him.''
Jackson's plans for the coming weeks may remove him from the center of the publicity storm. He is heading for England to fulfill some contractual obligations, his lawyer has said. Authorities in Santa Barbara County approved the trip.
Backerman said he doesn't know what Jackson will be doing during the trip. There have been reports that he will be promoting his latest CD, ``Number Ones,'' which is doing in better in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States.
Ben Todd, deputy show business editor at The Sunday Mirror in London, called British fans' response to Jackson ``amazing.''
``You don't get worse publicity than he had and even then the album went straight to No. 1,'' Todd said. ``Despite the allegations, despite his increasing eccentricity and despite the fact he hasn't released a decent album for 10 or 15 years, his fans are incredibly loyal.''
