MJ’s family divided over funeral

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London: Michael Jackson’s family is divided over the public memorial and funeral of the ‘King of Pop, his manager Tohme Tohme has revealed.

The Lebanese-born businessman was with the Jackson family at the UCLA hospital when the star died after a suspected cardiac arrest on June 25.

Jackson’s public memorial is scheduled for Tuesday at Staples Centre after the plan to hold a grand public viewing at the pop star’s fantasy-themed Neverland was cancelled.

Tohme said that Jackson’s four brothers and father Joe wanted a shrine for Michael at the Neverland Ranch but his mother and sisters shot down the idea, Daily Mail reported.

Jermaine had publicly expressed his wish about Jackson’s Neverland burial in an interview to CNN but he did not reveal as to why the family decided against it. “His brothers wanted the final resting place to be Neverland but the rest of the family didn’t want him there for some reason that’s not known to me,” Tohme said. “I tried with some members of the family to provide Neverland as his resting place and to turn it into something.

I believe Michael Jackson deserved to be in Neverland, a grand place like Neverland. He is the King of Pop and I think we will not see anyone like him in our lifetime.” Tohme said.

The businessman became close to Jackson and his family two years ago after he was brought in to help the pop star save Neverland, in Santa Barbara, from repossession. Jackson’s four brothers—Jackie, 58, Tito, 55, Jermaine, 54, and Marlon, 52 and his father Joe wanted an open coffin funeral similar to Jackson’s idol, soul legend James Brown.

They wanted his coffin to be driven through the streets so that his fans could throw flowers, as was done in the case of Princess Diana.

But the plan was dismissed by the pop star’s mother Katherine, 79 because she believes that an open coffin would be ‘ghoulish’ and harmful to Jackson’s three children.