Thursday, 5 March 2009

Michael Jackson sues to stop auction of personal items

Singer files law suit

Michael Jackson could perform at London's 02 arena in February 2010

Fans of Michael Jackson hoping to bid on his gold records and spangled socks may have to change their plans.

On Wednesday the struggling King of Pop – who is expected to announce a series of concerts this week – sued a Los Angeles auction house where more than 2,000 items from his Neverland estate were to have gone on the block over the course of five days in April, the Associated Press reports.

Included in the sale, first announced in December, are paintings, Jackson's American Music Award for Thriller, a Rolls Royce, a gilded throne and a basketball singed by Michael Jordan.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that Julien's Auction House promised to send Jackson, 50, an inventory of the sale items, and that the singer hadn't approved the removal of every item on the list.

In the legal papers, Jackson's MJJ Productions describes some of the items removed from Jackson's former home near Santa Barbara as "priceless and irreplaceable."

Auction house founder Darren Julien has denied the pop singer's claims. The lawsuit, he told the AP, is a "total surprise to us, because Jackson had been apprised of everything since the day we started. His manager ... has approved everything ... Up until two days ago we were working with his managers." Julien added that he would contact the Jackson camp before responding to the lawsuit.