Cash-Strapped Jacko Could Lose Neverland

Last-minute deal keeps King of Pop's ranch from public auction

(NEWSER) - The King of Pop will live another day as the rancher of Neverland. Michael Jackson made a last-minute deal today to refinance his notorious California homestead and will retain ownership, the AP reports. The 2,500-acre property had been scheduled for a public auction next week after Jackson—who hasn't lived there since being acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005—defaulted on his $24.5 million loan. More»

Package includes 10 recordings, audio rights

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson has landed a record deal that would be the envy of most living superstars. The mega-agreement between Sony and the Jackson estate will involve 10 records—containing both unreleased and repackaged songs—over the next 7 years and guarantees the estate close to $250 million, insiders tell the New York Times . More»

Sony postpones release of This Is It until January

(NEWSER) - Sorry Michael Jackson fans, but Sony has canceled Christmas, pushing back the This Is It DVD release until late January. You can thank movie theaters, who complained that releasing the DVD so soon after the movie would cut into ticket sales, which E! points out, have already topped $200 million worldwide. The DVD lands a few days before the Grammys, which are on Jan. 31. More»

Two-disc compilation will include one new song

(NEWSER) - The world hasn’t heard the last of Michael Jackson. On October 28, Sony Music will release This Is It, a two-disc compilation album tying into the upcoming Jackson documentary of the same name. The album will include one brand-new song—the title track—along with previously unreleased versions of old songs and a spoken word poem. More»

(NEWSER) - A new "conspiracy" video making the rounds on YouTube purports to show Michael Jackson being escorted from a coroner's van after his death, reports the Telegraph. The poster claims to have received the video from a "trustworthy" source, though there is absolutely nothing on the video that supports the claim or even places the scene in time or location. The tape appears to be another indication of fans' inability to accept the loss of a superstar. More»