Jackson Family Feuding Over Final Resting Place
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WENN.com
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Michael Jackson's mother is fighting against the late superstar's siblings' wishes to bury the King of Pop at his Neverland Ranch, insisting her son never planned to return to the California estate he abandoned in 2005.
The Thriller hitmaker deserted the sprawling property in Santa Barbara County after detectives investigating allegations of child molestation against the star raided the place for evidence.
Jackson was vindicated of all charges but he refused to go back to Neverland and instead spent the last years of his life moving from rented house to rented house.
Last week, his older brother Jermaine Jackson hinted the singer could be laid to rest in the grounds of his former home, revealing he's trying to win over his family with the idea - as well as authorities who ban burials outside cemetaries.
In a U.S. TV interview at Neverland, which aired last week, Jermaine said, "I love it here because I feel him here... This is his home, this is his creation. Why wouldn't he be here? I feel his presence. It's like he's on tour somewhere, or just out somewhere, and it will always be like that.
"I want my mother to come back here and feel what I feel, my brothers, my sisters... because it is so important. I mean, he built this place with love, you can feel it, you can see it. It's quiet, it's peaceful."
But the stars' mum Katherine Jackson is allegedly firmly against the suggestion, and her refusal is causing a family rift, according to reports.
A source tells RadarOnline.com, "Michael left Neverland for good, never to return. He felt violated by law enforcement after his molestation trial. He felt this place he had built had been tainted. Katherine continues to be her son's protector even after his death."
Jackson's body is currently being held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood, following his casket's centre stage appearance at his celebrity memorial service at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Tuesday.
However, a newly-released death certificate lists Forest Lawn as a "temporary" site for the star's remains, suggesting a final resting place has yet to be decided.
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