EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson's Tomb is Empty! King of Pop's Body 'Was Secretly Cremated to Foil Grave Robbers'

Michael Jackson's mother Katherine is said to have broken her silence to reveal the King of Pop's crypt at Forest Lawn cemetery is empty.

In a worldwide exclusive, RadarOnline.com can reveal the Thriller sensation's body was not in the coffin at his star-studded July 7, 2009, burial service, held a dozen days after he was killed by a drug overdose.

Shockingly, Michael's corpse was kept on ice for months – before Jackson matriarch Katherine allegedly settled a family feud and had her beloved son's remains cremated to thwart ghoulish efforts to rob his grave.

"Everyone thinks Michael is buried at Forest Lawn, but he's not," an insider told us as fans marked the 17th anniversary of Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.

They added: "The family has kept the secret for safety reasons and to fulfill Michael's wishes. But Katherine has privately revealed the truth to trusted friends."

Moonwalker star Jackson died aged 50 after a lethal cocktail of prescription medications, including the anesthetic Propofol.

His personal doctor Conrad Murray served two years in the slammer on an involuntary manslaughter rap for causing the tragedy that shook the world.

Millions watched the emotional public memorial service for Michael at Los Angeles' Staples Center, where the superstar's body was temporarily kept in the flower-draped golden casket on stage.

After months of family infighting, Katherine decided to burn Michael's remains, according to the source.

"The family fought for months about what to do," confides the insider. "Katherine was paranoid and scared someone would steal his body, so he was secretly cremated to foil grave robbers."

On September 3, 2009, the Jackson family held a private burial service at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California – where sources say Jackson's empty casket was entombed in a structure known as the Great Mausoleum.

"Michael was used to putting on a show, so the family wanted the monument at Forest Lawn because so many Hollywood legends have been buried there," confided our source.

The Gloved One's true final resting place actually is beneath a beautiful pear tree, known as the Giving Tree, on his California ranch.

"Michael's ashes were scattered at his beloved Neverland, which was very special to him," revealed the source. "The Giving Tree was his favorite spot on the property. He would spend hours there writing.

"The family wanted him to rest in peace in a familiar place."

Jackson sold the 2,700-acre property near Santa Barbara before his death for $22.5million and it went back on the market for $67million.

Neverland was rebranded as Sycamore Valley Ranch, stripped of its amusement rides and exotic animals, and sold in December 2020 to billionaire investor Ron Burkle for $22million.

Burkle – a former financial advisor to Jackson – purchased the 2,700-acre California property as a land banking opportunity.

Following the 2003 police raids on the property and his 2005 child molestation acquittal, Jackson abandoned the compound and stated he would never return.

After his death in 2009, the estate underwent significant changes.

Our source said about his three children – Prince, Paris and Blanket – and his alleged secret resting place on the land: "The kids can go to the property whenever they want to visit him."

Many believe Jackson's body is entombed inside the private, highly secure Holly Terrace Grand Mausoleum.

Because security is tight and the mausoleum is closed to the general public, visitors cannot get directly to his specific crypt.

But many fans continue to visit the grounds each year to pay their respects and leave tributes at designated exterior viewing areas.