Morning Links: Jackson memorial costs L.A. $1.4 million

The final tab for the Michael Jackson memorial is in, and it cost Los Angeles taxpayers $1.4 million for security, traffic control and other services. That amount included $1.1 million in overtime costs for over 4,000 police officers who provided security at the Staples Center, the cemetery and all points in between. The remaining amount covered clean-up costs, according to city officials.

The city set up a Web site, complete with a PayPal account, for fans to make donations to help pay for the memorial. So far, it has raised just $17,000.

• • •

Ken Ehrlich, producer of the Jackson tribute, says that daughter Paris-Michael's loving message to her father was not planned. Ehrlich told CNN that most of the memorial was unscripted, saying that the Jacksons insisted they wanted it to be a memorial service and not a "TV show." 

Ehrlich says that it was not planned for Paris to step to the microphone, but she did so on her own and spoke the oft-highlighted words, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say that I love him so much."

• • •

Long-time Jackson plastic surgeon Dr. Albert Klein has been rumored to be the biological father of Jackson's oldest children. Klein was on a couple of talkers yesterday, where he sort of denied he is the father.

"I can't say anything about it, but, to the best of my knowledge, I am not the father of these children. ...I can't answer it in any other way. I don't want to feed any of this insanity that is going around," Klein told Good Morning America's Diane Sawyer.

Klein admitted to Larry King later in the day that he did donate sperm at one time to a sperm bank, but he could not speculate as to whether Debbie Rowe and Jackson sought it out for use; and to the best of his knowledge, they consummated their marriage.

Maybe he should have sung it: "Michael Jackson was my patient, And I'm just a guy who made a sperm donation, But the kid is not my son ... or daughter... I think ... "

• • •

Neighbors of the Jackson's Encino home have had enough of the crowds. The Encino Neighborhood Council was meeting over what they called "concerns over continuing impacts from sightseers and media in the weeks and months ahead." Part of Hayvenhurst Blvd. was closed to allow fans to congregate by the Jackson home, where they created a memorial to Jackson, but the  Neighborhood Council wants life and business to return to normal.

• • •

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office is still holding a piece of Michael Jackson's brain. The autopsy of Jackson included taking a portion of Jackson's brain for testing, particularly because of the possibility of drug overdose as cause of death. Protocol requires that the organ be allowed to harden before it is examined, and the office has told the Jackson family that they can bury Michael with or without the piece, but if they want it buried, they will have to wait. This may be the reason why Jackson has not been buried yet.

• • •

Actor Rupert Grint -- Ron Weaseley of the Harry Potter films -- has recovered from his bout of swine flu. Grint spent a few days in bed, but says it was scary to him, at first. "It was quite scary when I first found out I had swine flu. I thought, 'Am I going to die?' But it was just like any other flu, really."

• • •

Actress Kelly Preston has accepted an invitation to speak at a women's conference in California in the fall, where she is expected to talk publicly about the death of son, Jett. Preston will be part of a panel called 'Grief & Resilience,' and will appear with Elizabeth Edwards and actress Susan St. James.

• • •

Actor Edward Furlong is divorcing. The  Terminator 2 actor is divorcing his wife of three years, actress Rachael Bella. Furlong and Bella met on the set of an independent film.

-- Dave Valenzuela

Comments

[Mark]

Rot in hell MJ, AKA Mr. potato head. There is a special place for child molesters in hell.

[Lloyd Marshall, Jr.]

These are five things we should learn from MJ's life(Biblical refernces added free of charge)...

1: Beware how you treat your body.(1 Corinthians 6:13-20; 9:27)

2: Beware the company you keep.(Proverbs 13:20; 1 Corinthians 15:33)

3: Beware the places you go, and the scenarios you put yourself into.(Proverbs 4:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:22)

4: WHO are you trying to please?(John 12:43; 1 Corinthians 10:31)

5: In all things, let wisdom and understanding guide you.(Proverbs 4:7)

[Lloyd Marshall, Jr.]

One more thing: How about Stephen Spielberg, Oprah, Liz Taylor, and all these other entertainers with the big money come together and reimburse the city of LA for the memorial? They claim to support the little guy; let's see them put their money where their mouths are.