Prince of Brunei pays $10m to party with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson had a lot to smile about at the 25th birthday party of Prince Azim, he was reportedly paid $10million to attend the event.
Each year the son of the Sultan of Brunei holds a lavish birthday celebration and this year the prince - a lifelong fan of Jackson - pulled out all the stops to ensure that the King of pop made an appearance.
There’s a Bill Whitten-designed militaristic red coat with gold rope that belonged to Michael Jackson, and a 1987 contract detailing his $30 million purchase of the California ranch that became the infamous “Neverland.”
There’s also a frilly pink “Mae West” dress worn by Janet Jackson at age 8 during family performances at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1974.
In a worn telegram from July 6, 1984, Marlon Brando encourages Michael Jackson before a show: “Please try not to make an (expletive) of yourself and please for God’s sakes don’t fall in the orchestra pit.”
The items are to go on sale following a protracted court battle that ended two weeks ago when Michael Jackson’s lawyers reached a confidential settlement and dropped an effort to block the auction.
Richard Altomare, chief executive of Universal Express Inc., the Boca Raton, Florida, luggage transportation company that owns the items, said Jackson’s lawyers settled when they were convinced they had no legal claim to the goods.
“Despite his emotional attachment he had to accept he didn’t have it,” Altomare said.
As part of the settlement, Jackson was formally invited to attend, although it was unclear if he planned to do so.
Jackson, 48, has been living in Las Vegas planning his comeback after his 2005 acquittal in California on child molestation charges.
The collection’s former owner, New Jersey businessman Henry Vaccaro, took possession of the memorabilia in 2002 after a failed business venture wound up in bankruptcy court.
Ettinger would not speculate on how much the sale would net, although he said his company has fielded inquiries from as far away as Europe and the Far East.
Bidders can participate through liveauctioneers.com and eBay’s live auction site.
Auction staff unpacked and displayed more than 1,100 lots including rhinestone-studded costumes, faded documents and other mementoes at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The items are expected to fetch millions of dollars from bidders from around the globe Wednesday and Thursday.
“This really is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence,” said Arlan Ettinger, president of auction house Guernsey’s.
“I cannot imagine that somewhere down the road some other collection could come out of the woodwork and rival this. It’s not going to happen.”
Other guests at the party, which was held at the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel in Leicestershire, included Jerry Hall, Elizabeth Jagger, model Caprice, and actress Shannon Elizabeth.
Dionne Warwick, Belinda Carlisle and Mario Vazquez were among the performers.
Meanwhile workers pulled glittery suits and platinum records out of cardboard boxes ahead of what is being called the largest auction of Jackson family memorabilia ever.
There’s a Bill Whitten-designed militaristic red coat with gold rope that belonged to Michael Jackson, and a 1987 contract detailing his $30 million purchase of the California ranch that became the infamous “Neverland.”
There’s also a frilly pink “Mae West” dress worn by Janet Jackson at age 8 during family performances at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1974.
In a worn telegram from July 6, 1984, Marlon Brando encourages Michael Jackson before a show: “Please try not to make an (expletive) of yourself and please for God’s sakes don’t fall in the orchestra pit.”
The items are to go on sale following a protracted court battle that ended two weeks ago when Michael Jackson’s lawyers reached a confidential settlement and dropped an effort to block the auction.
Richard Altomare, chief executive of Universal Express Inc., the Boca Raton, Florida, luggage transportation company that owns the items, said Jackson’s lawyers settled when they were convinced they had no legal claim to the goods.
“Despite his emotional attachment he had to accept he didn’t have it,” Altomare said.
As part of the settlement, Jackson was formally invited to attend, although it was unclear if he planned to do so.
Jackson, 48, has been living in Las Vegas planning his comeback after his 2005 acquittal in California on child molestation charges.
The collection’s former owner, New Jersey businessman Henry Vaccaro, took possession of the memorabilia in 2002 after a failed business venture wound up in bankruptcy court.
Ettinger would not speculate on how much the sale would net, although he said his company has fielded inquiries from as far away as Europe and the Far East.
Bidders can participate through liveauctioneers.com and eBay’s live auction site.
Nicole Richie collapses too!
Hollywood best friends Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton made a pit stop at Ralphs supermarket yesterday. They packed on some goodies before they headed out to a Beverly Hills estate for a BBQ party.
Nicole who has been MIA, pulled a Britney Spears and was spotted walking barefoot carrying her bags into her SUV. She may be tiny, but she’s got enough strength to carry the goodies.
At the BBQ bash Mischa encountered some trouble when she was rushed to the hospital. But Mischa wasn’t the only one who needed medical attention. According to reports, later on in the evening Nicole collapsed at the same party. What’s up with all of Young Hollywood and their headlining ways?
Mischa Barton rushed to hospital
Mischa Barton is the actress who crashed off the ‘O.C.’ before it bit the dust itself. She has remained a paparazzi darling, mostly due to some Hollywood-type partying, and the occasional nip-slip, but mostly she has stayed wide of the A-list numbskullery that put Paris in prison and Lindsay in legal limbo. Well look out ladies, as Ms. B may be looking to join the Britney bunch.
According to ‘TMZ’, Barton was taken to an unidentified Los Angeles hospital after suffering a reaction to prescribed antibiotics Monday. Antibiotics? No, not exactly a crack attack, but Mischa made the most of her bronchitis meds by mixing them with alcohol while at a Memorial Day party – most certainly not on her doctor’s advice.
However, the jury is out on what got Mischa messed up. Perezhilton, a notorious Barton adversary, claims the party was held by a friend of Nicole Ritchie, another suffering starlet. PH says Barton got flattened by a cocaine/ mushroom mash-up, being chauffeured out on a stretcher to the ER.
Lily Allen comments on Lindsay Lohan’s latest incident
Singer Lily Allen has blasted actress Lindsay Lohan after being asked to vacate a table at a club so that the Hollywood star and her entourage could occupy it.
Allen claimed in a blog, which she posted on her MySpace page, that she was partying in Les Deux club in Los Angeles when she was asked to leave her table to make way for Lohan.
Allen wrote: “We went to this club called Les Deux and that was really fun until Lindsay Lohan arrived and had us thrown off our table.”
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“I know she’s a huge star and all and famous people deserve to sit down especially when they’ve been working so hard.”
Referring to Lohan’s recent arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence, Allen wrote: “Lindsay, our thoughts are with you as you go through this difficult time in your life (she got arrested this weekend). In the words of Timbaland and Timberlake, ‘What goes around’…”.
Kate Hudson clears things with Cameron Diaz
I’m starting to think Cameron Diaz is right about Hollywood being the equivalent to high school….
When Cam ran into Kate Hudson in New York the other day, Kate took the opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings about her and Justin Timberlake’s “friendship”. You see, Justin attended Kate’s New Year’s party, and there was lots of talk that the twosome hit it off big time.
The Daily News is reporting that when Kate and Cam met up outside the bathroom at the Waverly hotel, Kate told Cameron, “I didn’t sleep with your man, you know.’”
Obviously a huge relief to Justin’s ex, the source says “Cameron teared up, and they hugged.”
Awww. Now they can sit together in the cafeteria again!
Olsen Twins not happy with makeover
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, stars of the feel good, family friendly late eighties early nineties sit-com Full House, have announced that they intend to sue famed Hollywood makeover magnate Georgio Georgini for malpractice.
The twins went in last week for a total makeover and reportedly paid some ten thousand dollars each for the day long procedure.
“We look like dogs”, Mary-Kate told reporters, as she brushed back tears. Ashley admitted that she had requested that Georgini give her a “darker, more mysterious look.” However, she screamed, “there’s nothing mysterious about a dog.”
Georgini was unavailable for comment and several calls to his Beverly Hills office were unanswered.
Sienna late night parties upset neighbours
Sienna Miller has upset her neighbours by throwing all-night parties.
The actress, who lives in Marylebone in north-west London, is infuriating other residents with her wild bashes which last till morning. The parties are so big Sienna has even started hiring her own security team to control revellers.
One angry neighbour told Britain’s Independent newspaper: “She has parties with security guards outside that sometimes last until daylight. The music is so loud that it rattles our windows. When some one has gone round to complain, the music is turned down a bit and then turned up when they’ve gone. We’re going to call the noise police if it carries on.”
The parties have briefly stopped because Sienna is currently in Wales shooting new Dylan Thomas biopic ‘The Edge of Love’ - previously known as ‘The Best Time of Our Lives’.
But her exasperated neighbours are dreading her return because they are convinced the noisy bashes will start up again.
The source added: “I’m not looking forward to her coming back because the music will start up again.”
Sienna stars in ‘The Edge of Love’ with Keira Knightley and actor Matthew Rhys - who plays hard-drinking Welsh poet Dylan Thomas - and the trio are set to have a steamy onscreen threesome.
Lindsay Lohan arrested for DUI and possession of drugs
Lindsay Lohan was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Saturday after her convertible struck a curb, and investigators found what they believe is cocaine at the scene, police said.
Lohan, 20, and two other people were in her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 when it crashed on Sunset Boulevard around 5:30 a.m., Sgt. Mike Foxen said. It appeared the actress was speeding, Lt. Mitch McCann said at an afternoon news conference.
Officers at the scene found a “usable amount” of a drug tentatively identified as cocaine, McCann said. He declined to say where the drug was found other than to say Lohan was not carrying it.
Lohan, who spent time at a rehabilitation center earlier this year, was driven in another car to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, McCann said. The two other people in her car were not hurt.
Officers received a 911 call about the accident and arrested Lohan at the hospital for investigation of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, McCann said.
She was released from custody because she was admitted to the hospital, police said.
McCann declined to comment on Lohan’s blood-alcohol level. He said the case will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office where the actress could face more charges, including felonies. Her tentative arraignment date is Aug. 24.
The crash was Lohan’s third accident in about two years. In October 2005, Lohan and a passenger received minor injuries when her convertible hit a van in West Hollywood. Authorities said the van driver, who also received minor injuries, was at fault.
Months earlier, Lohan collided with a minivan when she made a U-turn as the van, carrying paparazzi, followed her from a Los Angeles restaurant. A photographer was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon but prosecutors declined to charge him.
That crash was credited with prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a law that set steep financial penalties for paparazzi who commit assaults while trying to obtain celebrity photos.
Lohan publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnik did not immediately return an e-mail requesting comment.
Lohan said in January that she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment. Her publicist confirmed in December that the actress was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Lohan told Allure magazine during an interview for its May issue that she decided to enter the secluded Wonderland Center at the suggestion of her therapist.
“It’s so weird that I went to rehab. I always said I would die before I went to rehab,” Lohan told the publication.
Lohan’s latest movie, “Georgia Rule,” is in theaters now. The actress’ other screen credits include “Mean Girls,” “Bobby,” “A Prairie Home Companion” and “Freaky Friday.”
