BREAKING NEWS: Jackson Family En Route To Forest Lawn For Michael’s Private Service
July 7 2009, Published 1:16 p.m. ET
The Jackson family is now en route from their home in Encino, CA to Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles for a private service to honor the late King Of Pop, Michael Jackson. It’s a 12-mile journey from the family’s home to Forest Lawn.
Several Limousines – carrying Jackson’s parents, siblings, and other family members – left the family’s home in Encino, California shortly before 8 a.m. PDT. The caravan is being escorted by police.
As RadarOnline.com reported earlier, in a surprising and stunning move, Jackson will not be buried Tuesday morning at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, as was first thought.
Instead, a source tells RadarOnline.com that the body of the King Of Pop –- enclosed in a $25,000 gold casket -- will be transported around 9 a.m. PDT to the Staples Center in L.A. where a massive public memorial will be held later in the morning.
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Here’s how the day will play out: our source tells RadarOnline.com at 8 a.m. PDT Tuesday, a private memorial will be held at Forest Lawn for Jackson. His family will be in attendance. The source says, at this time, arrangements have not been made for Jackson to be buried there, so it will likely not happen on Tuesday morning. Instead, the source says several different scenarios could play out. The body could be stored at Forest Lawn until it is eventually buried there. Another possibility: Jackson’s body could be cremated and his remains laid to rest at his beloved NeverLand Ranch near Los Olivos in Santa Barbara County.
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After the private service Tuesday morning, Jackson’s body will be brought by limousine to the Staples Center, in time for the start of the 10 a.m. massive public memorial that will be broadcast live on television worldwide. Thousands of people will attend the 90-minute memorial, including a slew of stars such as Lionel Richie, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Usher, John Mayer, Queen Latifah and Stevie Wonder, among others.
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The source also tells RadarOnline.com that if traffic is bad around the Staples Center, the body could possibly be transported – not by limo – but by helicopter to the memorial.
At noon PDT, the body will be brought back to Forest Lawn for the time being.
Ironically, on this date back in 1988, Jackson was at the top of his game. He had the number one song in the country, Dirty Diana.
