Michael Jackson's Family Doesn't Appreciate View From the Top

Randy Jackson "dismayed" by aerial footage of Thursday's burial service, asks outlets to refrain from airing video

By Natalie Finn Sep 05, 2009 1:42 AMTags
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Wait, so the Jackson family didn't want Michael Jackson's elegant, star-packed interment service caught on tape?

Not according to Randy Jackson.

In a statement released this afternoon, the King of Pop's youngest brother says that he is extremely disappointed that there was such an intrusive media presence at Forest Lawn last night, where Michael was laid to rest within the cemetery's Grand Mausoleum.

Not including the cameramen who were allowed to be there, of course.

"As a family, we are all aware of how Michael's life, and his death, touched so many around the world," Randy said. "It is why we held a public memorial in my brother's honor. And it is the reason we chose to release a small amount of footage leading up to yesterday's ceremony at Forest Lawn.

"I was dismayed last night and again today at the coverage I saw on television of our ceremony for Michael. We had asked the media to respect the privacy and the sanctity of this event; to give us one moment of privacy to mourn as a family out of the public spotlight.

"Unfortunately, despite a no-fly zone around Forest Lawn, many media organizations decided to ignore our wishes. They employed helicopters that not only surreptitiously recorded our private family ceremony, but also severely disrupted it."

Apparently the nonstop feeds of the Jackson family driving all the way from Encino to Glendale weren't enough to satiate the people's right to know. And TMZ is reporting that the reception following the service at a Pasadena restaurant—which no Jackson family members attended—was caught entirely on camera and could be used on the Jackson brothers' upcoming A&E series.

"I therefore ask today that media organizations airing helicopter footage of the ceremony we held for my brother immediately pull that footage from their air and refrain from airing it in the future," Randy concluded.

Meanwhile, no security issues or fan-involved incidents were reported around Forest Lawn, which was ringed with cops and security personnel last night. Probably because those who weren't members of the media didn't feel as if they had anything to prove.

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From what we saw (from the ground), the Jackson service looked as if it was going to be lovely. We have some preservice shots in our Mourning Michael Jackson gallery.