Michael Jackson’s Mom Gets Temporary Custody

The question of who will get Michael Jackson’s kids has been quickly, if only temporarily, resolved. The children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket, have been being looked after by Michael Jackson’s parents, Katherine and Joseph Jackson and Katherine had made a request to the courts that she be granted custody. The courts granted her wish yesterday by giving her temporary custody until the next hearing, which will be held on August 3.

What this mostly means is that the children will not be going to Debbie Rowe, who is the biological mother of Prince and Paris. Even though Debbie accepted a massive payout 10 years ago to give up all maternal rights, she had still expressed interest in taking the children to live with her now. I had originally thought that Debbie may be the best choice simply because Katherine is an elderly woman and may not be able to care for small children, even in just a couple of years.  But, I stand corrected. The woman has obviously proven that she can take care of the kids and of course, no one wants to make them any more unsettled than they already are. From US,

“Katherine Jackson was granted temporary guardianship of Michael Jackson’s three children today in Los Angeles Superior Court, Usmagazine.com has confirmed.

A hearing is set for Aug. 3 to determine if she’ll become their permanent guardian.
Judge Mitchell Beckloff rejected Katherine’s request to serve as the temporary guardian of the children’s estate.

TMZ.com first reported the news Monday.

Katherine Jackson filed a petition Monday asking the court to appoint her as guardian of Jackson’s three children. The petition states the kids have “no relationship with their biological mother,” Debbie Rowe, according to the site.

Michael has two children with ex Rowe –Prince, 12, and Paris, 11. His third child, Prince Michael II, 7, was born to a surrogate (the mother’s identity was never revealed). The court filings Monday list her whereabouts as “unknown.”
Us confirmed last week that the children have been staying with Katherine at the family’s Encino, Calif., estate since their father’s June 25 death.

On Monday’s Today show, the Jacksons’ attorney Londell McMillan said there isn’t “anybody who thinks that there is someone better” than Katherine Jackson to have custody.

Said McMillan, “She is a very loving host of other grandchildren.”

Over the weekend, Katherine was spotted at a Los Angeles Target stocking up on toys, sleeping bags and other supplies.

McMillan added that the family hasn’t heard from Rowe, who gave up her custody rights to the children after she and Jackson divorced in 1999.
In a statement over the weekend, Rowe’s attorney, Marta Almli, said: “Ms. Rowe’s only thoughts at this time have been regarding the devastating loss Michael’s family has suffered. Ms. Rowe requests that Michael’s family, and particularly the children, be spared such harmful, sensationalist speculation and that they be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace.”

So from the sounds of it, Debbie Rowe may have never even wanted custody rights. I mean, if they can’t even find her, it’s going to be kind of hard to let the kids go live with her. And from her statement, it doesn’t sound as though she’s going after the kids. She doesn’t even mention anything like they should be with their biological parent. I would assume that the next hearing would be to make this decision permanent and that the month’s wait is really just an unofficial waiting period. What I’m most surprised about in all of this is that these kinds of proceedings are even necessary. Did Michael not leave a will? And did he not within that will state where he wants his children to go? I find it hard to believe that someone with so many assets, and so many details that would be left up in the air should he pass, wouldn’t have a will that would specifically state where the children are to go. These are questions that leave me puzzled.

Bump Watch: Gisele Bundchen

I don’t really know football and I’m not really ‘into’ the world of supermodels so I don’t really know too much about Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen in their respective careers. But I do know a little bit about them as a couple, and the fact that they are happily awaiting their own little bundle of joy. Gisele’s pregnancy was announced in May, after people speculated about whether or not they really were married until they actually tied the knot in March. In a real ceremony. That was confirmed by the couple.

But no one has to confirm this news as Gisele’s baby bump is already clearly showing. Even though the news is still new, it’s not surprising she’d pop out early because she’s so freakin skinny. And even though this will be Gisele’s first baby, she’s spending time getting ready to be a mummy by spending time with her stepson, John. From Pop Sugar,

“Gisele Bundchen carried her sleepy-looking stepson John into their home on Friday as they continue a week of spending time together in LA. She didn’t have him with her on Saturday for an afternoon of shopping, when she visited a children’s store and picked up a few bags of goodies. Gisele still has months to go before her own bundle of joy is due, it looks like she’s getting a head start on feathering her nest for John and his future brother or sister.”

Aw, it looks like she’s ready to me! She’s got the kid snuggled just right and he looks perfectly content to be there! Congratulations to Tom and Gisele again - this pregnancy might be more fun to watch than I thought it would be!

Gene Simmons Thinks Adam Lambert Ruined his Own Career

I understand that everyone thinks that Gene Simmons is some kind of brilliant business man but, I just don’t get it. I don’t get him. Every time Gene Simmons opens his mouth, I’m only reminded of how stupid he is and how he has no idea how the world works. I know, I know. He’s far more experienced than I am and has seen and done many more things that I have. But that doesn’t mean that he’s smarter than me, even though he clearly thinks he’s the modern genius. And I’m sorry, every time, and I do mean every time I hear something come out of Simmons’ mouth, I want to scream. I want to find him to tell him just how stupid I think he really is.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can tell you what started it all. Gene Simmons has recently given an interview with AOL and has decided that it’s his business to tell Adam Lambert, and the world, just what he thinks of the declaration of homosexuality that Adam made in Rolling Stone Magazine. Now, let’s be clear. I’m no Adam Lambert fan either. And when he gave that interview, I thought it was the stupidest piece of news I had read in a long time. When Adam stood up and told the world that he was gay, I don’t think anyone was shocked and I certainly don’t think anyone cared. Well, except for Gene Simmons, who is convinced that by making such an announcement, Adam has single-handedly ruined his career. From Pop Crunch,

“Gene Simmons is convinced American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert “ruined” any shot he has at a career in mainstream music after publicly confirming his rumored homosexuality in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine earlier this month.

“He’s enormously talented, best talent ‘American Idol’ has had, but I think he killed his career because now the conversation is not about his talent but about his sexual preference. He’s done. You’re forcing people to deal with issues they may not be interested in,” the former Kiss star explained in an interview with AOL over the weekend.

“Life is unfair, and the masses don’t all live in L.A. They live in Wisconsin and Nebraska, and you’re on crack if you think the same rules apply there. My advice is still the same, shut the f*** up, just sing and let people say whatever they want. But I do wish him the best because he’s got all the talent in the world,” says Simmons, who performed onstage with Lambert during the season finale in May.

“If only the world was not homophobic, but it is. I would be the first one to vote for equal rights for gay women and men, and get the church and the state to stop telling everybody how to lead their lives, but do I think he’s killed his career? Oh, in an instant. I hope I’m completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next Beatles and proves me wrong.”

Okay, so there are a few things wrong with this. First, it’s going to be a little hard for Adam to become ‘the next Beatles’ when he’s a solo artist and the Beatles were made up of four people. I also don’t think Adam telling the world that he was gay will have any effect on his career. I think Adam won’t make it because he’s too eccentric, he’s too weird, and in my humble opinion, he’s just not that talented. But it will have happened this way whether Adam told the world what they already knew or not. Gene Simmons is so stupid.

Britney and Her Man Trade Hair Color

Uh oh. Remember the last time we saw Britney dye her hair so that she could stay true to her brunette roots? Yep, that’s right. It was right before she went cuckoo crazy. Once she got back on the road to good health, she dyed her extensions back to the normal blonde that we’re all used to seeing and I think many of us took this as meaning that she really was getting back to good. But now she’s gone and done it again! Britney has dyed her hair back to brown and her boyfriend Jason Trawick, who I’ve mentioned before has as many different looks as Brit herself, has taken on her blonde color.

The two were seen out doing some shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond while Britney performed some spur-of-the-moment dance moves in the parking lot and boyfriend/agent watched with a big, sloppy smile on his face. I guess she’s pretty excited about those new sheets and towels. Remember the last time Britney became personally involved with someone who was involved in the business of Britney Spears? Yep, that’s right. That wonderful person was Sam Lufti, who was Britney’s manager and also acted as her only friend during her period of cuckoo craziness. Never mind the fact that he was mostly to blame for a lot of it. And I’m not saying that Jason is going to turn out to be another Sam. But there are a lot of disturbing similarities here.

So what do you think about the hair? I personally always prefer Britney as a blonde, regardless of her mental state at the time. I just think it looks better on her. But I don’t think Britney looks like a piece of trash either. I think she’s looking like a normal girl enjoying a nice day with her boyfriend. It’s nice to see her so happy. Thanks to Gossip Rocks for the pic and caption.

Vanessa Recoups Quick from Nick

Just days ago I was yawning as I wrote about the breakup between Nick Lachey and his girlfriend, Vanessa Minnillo. Both of these people had me bored to tears and I couldn’t understand why the media was calling it a ‘high-profile breakup.’ For heaven’s sakes, they’re not Brangelina. But, I may stand corrected. On the front that this breakup was boring and uninteresting anyway.

Because it seems that Vanessa has wasted no time in getting over her love-Lach as she has already hooked up with someone else - Topher Grace. Topher, up until recently, has managed to stay pretty much out of the tabloids, even though he played one of the starring roles as Eric Foreman in That 70’s Show. I have a feeling if this continues, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Topher. From Radar Online via Celebitchy,

“Just days after announcing her breakup with Nich Lachey, beautiful Vanessa Minnillo seemed to heal her broken heart very, very fast - with Topher Grace!

And it all happened right before our Radar eyes.

The party of the year took place Saturday night at Seth MacFarlane’s and while we were enjoying the outdoor casino and the orchestra (yes, that’s right an orchestra) we saw Vanessa and Spider-Man 3 star Topher chatting. Topher then started rubbing her arm, and Vanessa whispered in his ear and they exchanged phone numbers.

Before long they were on the dance floor and putting the “dirty” in dirty dancing. Vanessa took off her shoes and held them in one hand, wrapping her other arm around Topher’s neck and the next thing we knew she was kissing him on the neck!

In a bit of perfect timing the DJ spun “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon and Vanessa turned her back to Topher, and did a super hot grind/dance while he played with her hair. The music switched to The Jackson Five’s ABC and that’s when Vanessa and Nick, er Topher, (sorry, it’s so hard to make thetransition, for us, not her) starting MAKING OUT right on the dance floor!

Yup, we tried not to stare but we pretty much were staring. Ok, we were staring pretty hard. Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday they left the party — together. We’re so happy when love blooms right in front of us.”

So whatever happens between these two, it’s clear that the relationship between Vanessa and Nick was long over before these two officially called it quits. That much is clear if she’s taking guys back to her house after a party, just days after splitting with her long-term boyfriend. I don’t think this thing with Vanessa and Topher will last but it sure is fun to watch stuff like this! And as for Nick, I have a feeling that we’ve been talking about him for too long already.

Janet Speaks about Michael at the BET Awards

I didn’t watch the BET Awards last night but gathering from what I’ve read in the blogs and online dailies, it was all about Michael, Michael, Michael, as it should have been. It started with Jamie Foxx doing a montage of Michael Jackson moves while dressed in full Michael gear, complete with a red leather jacket and white glove. Later in the ceremony, Janet Jackson got up to speak about her brother.

I have to admit, I’m not a huge Michael or Janet Jackson fan but when she spoke last night, it was not about being a celebrity or having a professional music career. It was all about a sister talking about her brother who passed away far too soon. And there’s something wrong with you if you weren’t touched while she was speaking. You can view her speech, courtesy of the Daily Blabber, here. During the speech, it’s obvious that Janet is trying extremely hard to keep it together as she says some very touching words about Michael and about how her family is dealing with the loss. As Janet prepares to leave the stage, it’s almost as though it’s just too difficult for her to speak anymore, which I imagine it was, and she is escorted off the stage.

Michael’s dad, Joe Jackson was also present at the ceremony and spoke to the press before and after the event. Although he appeared very strong at the event and from the sounds of it, held it together amazingly well for a man who lost his son a few days ago, Jesse Jackson, a family friend has also recently spoken about what a difficult time this has been for Michael’s parents. From Contact Music,

“Family friend Reverend Jesse Jackson, who is not related to the family, said: “Katherine and Joe are strong but they are grieving. Michael is the first loss of any of their children, which compounds it. They are grieving over the suddenness of the loss of Michael. It was so sudden. And I say ’sudden’ because he had passed his health test, he was rehearsing every day for his UK concerts and was in full training for the big tour. The tour was sold out.

“There was a real joy with Michael in recent months. So there is real grief now. He was at the top of his art. He was the best who ever did it.”

Michael - who is survived by three children, Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II - was due to perform 50 comeback shows in London, beginning next month.

Jesse added Michael’s family are “concerned” about the manner of his death.

Although he does not point the finger at Michael’s personal physician Dr. Conrad Murphy, he admits the family were worried by his behaviour.

Conrad has undergone a three-hour interview with the Los Angeles Police Department, with his representative later saying: “Investigators say the doctor is in no way a suspect and remains a witness to this tragedy.”

No parents should ever have to bury their children, no matter the circumstance. I think that’s one of the most devastating things about the entire story. Our thoughts go out once again to the family as they continue to move through the grieving process and try to make peace with losing their father, their son, their brother, and their friend.

A Tweet from Moron Mayer

I hate John Mayer. I mean, I really, really hate John Mayer. I don’t think he’s that talented, I don’t think he’s that good-looking, and I know for damn sure that he’s obnoxious as all hell. Mayer first tried to make his name in the tabloids (because that’s all he really cares about) by bed-hopping from girl to girl and when that became old, he settled down for a few months with a big-name celebrity, Jennifer Aniston. God only knows what she was thinking but thankfully, she put a quick end to that the second time around for them. But still, John Mayer used that entire relationship as a celebrity stunt, constantly tweeting about their status and their relationship. When they broke up, the idiot held a press conference. A press conference!!!

Now that he no longer has Aniston on his arm though, it seems that he is desperate to make us pay attention to him. So, Mayer did what Mayer knows best - he went to Twitter and told us all why he was still single. Apparently, this is all he has left and the man is obviously grasping at straws. From Gossip Girls,

“Rolling around town in style, John Mayer was spotted out for a weekend cruise in Calabasas on Saturday (June 27).

Dressed casually in a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers, the “Gravity” singer ended up making a pit stop at a local gas station - filling up his new Ferrari before continuing along on his way.

Seemingly always plugging away with messages on his Twitter account, Mayer tweeted the previous night about his thoughts on why he’s single.

Never short on humor, John tells, “I’m going to be honest. The reason I’m single? I can’t stop rubbing my feet together in bed. I’m like a cricket.”

Yeah, that’s why. Never mind the fact that you’re a complete moron. Or the fact that you have no idea how to treat women respectfully. It’s the foot thing for sure.

Is Something Wrong with Vivienne and Knox?

Well I guess because we aren’t speculating right now about whether or not Angelina Jolie is pregnant and because things seem to be okay for a moment between her and Brad, the tabloids have turned their focus to the twins and creating drama surrounding their health. Apparently, if you are a celebrity, you must parade your children out and about every chance you get in order to prove that they are healthy. You will be ridiculed and mocked for exploiting your children while doing so but if you don’t, Life & Style will create stories about your children are gravely ill.

This seems to be exactly the situation. Because little Knox and Vivienne, who will turn one next month, haven’t been seen in -gasp!- 6 months, they must be chronically ill. Please. This story is as fake as the one that had some believing that Angelina was flashing her pregnant tummy from the window of a Cannes hospital room. From Life & Style,

“Nearly everywhere Angie and Brad have gone, their four oldest children — Maddox, Pax and the boys’ sisters, Zahara, 4, and Shiloh, 2 — have been seen with them.

Noticeably absent, however, have been the couple’s two youngest kids, twins Vivienne and Knox, who’ll turn 1 on July 12. In fact, the twins have been spotted in public only once since January: when they were rushed through an airport near Tokyo while being closely guarded by their parents.

Since then, they’ve remained in hiding — leading to speculation that something could be wrong.

Now Life & Style has learned that Brad and Angelina have been seriously concerned about the twins’ health. The babies are suffering from serious digestive problems, says an insider close to the family. “They’re both hypersensitive,” the insider tells Life & Style.

“Knox has trouble holding down his food. He spits up nearly every meal.” Vivienne, meanwhile, has food and environmental allergies, explains the insider: “Right now, she’s on a lactose and gluten-free diet, and she’s still underweight.”

Angelina, 34, and Brad, 45, have been so worried, they’ve had the twins undergo genetic testing and have been adamant about keeping them behind closed doors. In truth, the real reason Brad and Angelina have been reluctant to take the twins out has to do with their own fears, says the insider.

“Because of their delicate state, Knox and Vivienne need to be kept away from anything they could possibly be allergic to,” the insider explains. “That’s a lot easier to do when they’re home and in a controlled environment.”

Babies spit up. Babies have allergies. Babies have digestive problems. It’s all very common and it’s all really nothing to worry too much about. And I’m sure that with Brad and Angelina’s 407 children, this isn’t the first time that they have seen it. Maybe they haven’t been going out as much because now they have 407 children and it makes it sort of difficult. Maybe they aren’t going out as much because they simply don’t want to parade their children around or because they’re exhausted. I think it’s ridiculous that just because Brad and Angelina have been a little camera-shy with the twins lately that some jump to the assumption that they’re horribly ill.

Eddie Van Halen gets Married

It has been a pretty depressing weekend in news with the deaths of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, which both happened on Thursday of last week. Ever since it’s been pretty sad news and statements coming out but now, we take a break to celebrate!

I really didn’t care back in October when Eddie Van Halen announced his engagement to Janie Liszewski but the news of their wedding ceremony yesterday brings some much-needed relief, hope and happiness. The two got married among 100 of their closest friends and family, including Eddie’s ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli. The bride was gorgeous and the groom wore flip-flops. The rest of the details come from People,

“Guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen is no longer a solo: Saturday night he married Janie Liszewski, his girlfriend of three years.

The ceremony took place in the garden of his seven-acre estate in the hills above Studio City, Calif., starting at 7 p.m., when Liszewski walked down the aisle to Van Halen’s “When It’s Love,” performed by the Sonus Quartet.

The 54-year-old groom’s 18-year-old son, Wolfgang, served as best man, while brother Alex Van Halen, an ordained minister, officiated at the 20-minute, nondenominational service. Among the 100 guests: Van Halen’s ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli (they divorced in 2006, after 25 years of marriage.)

The bride, 39, was given away by her mother under the watchful eye of Kano, the 15-year-old Pomeranian who walked Liszewski down the aisle. This was her first marriage and Van Halen’s second.

Liszewski wore a champagne and pink custom-designed Hanna Hartnell gown with matching Bulgari earrings and bracelet. Her sister, Jennifer, served as maid of honor. Eddie and Wolfie dressed casually in Sy Devore cotton pants, un-tucked buttoned-down shirts and flip-flop sandals – as did the bride and wedding attendants.

The couple wrote their vows and designed the rings – Janie’s, a platinum band beside a nearly three-carat diamond engagement ring; Ed’s, a gold band with yellow diamonds.”

People also has other details such as how there was a non-alcoholic bar and the bride and groom toasted with cider in honor of Eddie’s year and a half of sobriety. A beautiful ceremony celebrating a beautiful thing. And no doubt, a very welcome relief this weekend when happy news was very much needed.

The Jackson Family Makes a Statement

As the world still sits in shocked awe over the death of Michael Jackson that happened on Thursday afternoon, no one can begin to imagine what it’s like in the Jackson household. Many of his family members and other people close to him, such as his doctor and even Michael himself, thought that this day was soon to come but it turned out being far, far too soon. Now, not only have LaToya, Janet, their dad Joseph Jackson, and all the other members of the Jackson family had to deal with their own grief but added to that, the responsibility of being the ones to tell Michael’s kids about the death of their father.

Through all of this, just days after Michael’s death, the family has issued a statement about the kind of person he was, and how grateful the family is for the support that has been shown. The statement comes from People,

“The Jackson family issued a statement Saturday, conveyed by family patriarch Joseph Jackson. In full, it reads:

In one of the darkest moments of our lives we find it hard to find the words appropriate to this sudden tragedy we all had to encounter. Our beloved son, brother and father of three children has gone so unexpectedly, in such a tragic way and much too soon. It leaves us, his family, speechless and devastated to a point, where communication with the outside world seems almost impossible at times.

We miss Michael endlessly, our pain cannot be described in words. But Michael would not want us to give up now. So we want to thank all of his faithful supporters and loyal fans worldwide, you – who Michael loved so much. Please do not despair, because Michael will continue to live on in each and every one of you. Continue to spread his message, because that is what he would want you to do. Carry on, so his legacy will live forever.

In addition, Joseph Jackson wishes to personally convey: “My grandchildren are deeply moved by all the love and support you have shown for them and their father, Michael Jackson.”

Joseph Jackson & Family”

What the world, and more so his family, hoped would be a quick autopsy on Friday that would allow for the mourning and closure process to begin, has been delayed due to suspicions about prescription medication that Michael may have been taking. There have been different stories ranging from Michael being more doped up than his doctor had ever seen him the day of his death, and other stories that had Michael popping handfuls of prescription meds every day. And that he’d been doing so for several weeks prior to his death. Both of these stories seem that they could probably be true but all the official word is saying right now is that no cause of death can be determined and that additional tests need to be done. From US,

“Michael Jackson’s autopsy is complete, but the L.A. County Coronor’s Office says more tests are necessary to determine the official cause of death.
During a press conference this afternoon, Craig Harvey, the chief coronor investigator, said the cause of death was deferred because additional tissue studies and testing — including toxicology, neuropathology, pulmonary and others — must be completed. These tests should be completed in four to six weeks, he said. Once those are completed, the ongoing case can be closed.
Still, the autopsy, which took three hours to complete, revealed that Jackson’s body suffered no external trauma and there was “no indication of foul play,” Harvey said.

He added that Jackson, however, had been taking “some prescription medications” but could not confirm what those drugs were.
Although some reports claim Jackson may have overdosed on Demerol, Brian Oxman — who has served as the family’s attorney for more than 20 years — told Usmagazine.com he couldn’t comment on the types of medications Jackson was taking.

“It is something which is private to Michael, and we’ll have to wait for the toxicology reports before we jump to any kind of conclusions,” he said. “I only know that I warned that his day may come. And lo and behold, here we are.”

I always think it’s so unfortunate when such a sad thing can’t just be kept private and see a quick end. Obviously, it’s Michael Freakin Jackson and so the world is going to want to know what’s going on and I think the family fully understands that this was a man that touched so many lives. But I can’t imagine how much harder it makes it for them to grieve. And the fact that toxicology reports and such are still required is obviously something that nothing can be done about. But still, it would have been nice if the autopsy could have come back conclusive and the Jackson family could begin to move forward with their lives.