EXCLUSIVE: Family Fight Led Jacksons To Drop Charging Fans for Memorial Service
July 3 2009, Published 11:59 a.m. ET
After nearly a day of family members arguing, the Jackson family has dropped their plan to charge the public $25 to attend a memorial service for Michael Jackson at Staples Center.
RadarOnline.com broke the news of the family’s plan to charge the public and many fans were outraged. The family was not going to announce they were charging for several more days. Backed into a corner by the bad publicity, family members had heated closed door discussions and many arguments on Thursday. They blamed a close family associate for leaking the news and decided the only way they could save face with fans was to drop the plan to charge.
The family is in turmoil not over the memorial but also the will and how it will be administered by the executor, attorney John Branca. Randy, Jermaine and Janet are pushing their mother Katherine to fight certain aspects of the will involving how the money will be distributed. Other family members want them to leave Katherine alone because they believe she is too fragile for a battle. A family meeting is planned for Friday.