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Forget the Gosselin 8. Could we be getting the Jackson 3?

Earlier today, Us Weekly claimed that Michael Jackson's family was at odds over whether his trio of kids, Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket, should be included in The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, the reality show in the works for A&E and tentatively set to air in December.

Thankfully, a rep for the network now tells E! News that the kids "are not part of the show."

That statement directly contradicts the Us report, which quotes an unnamed source saying that Michael's eldest sister, Rebbie, is opposed to having his 12-, 11- and 7-year-old going Gosselin. We're not sure of the math, but the magazine does cite the show's executive producer, Jodi Gomes, as saying that they "have 23 castmembers with the last name Jackson"—supposedly including Janet Jackson and family matriarch Katherine.

"They've done a great job opening up about losing a brother," Gomes says.

UPDATE: In a new statement to E! News, an A&E spokesman seemed to allow for the possibility of the kids to be seen, if the family OKs it (and that remains a big "if")...

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Hey, Janet Jackson, we are feeling your biz-casual getup for the Giorgio Armani fashion show in Milan. We endorse your use of the sandy browns and prep school argyle. We do. 

But what's up with the elephant pants? You are way too fierce to be going to a runway show looking like a 1972 substitute teacher draped in unhemmed slacks!

If you're going the route of Executive Janet—instead of the Chesty Leather-Clad Tigress Janet—may we suggest a fitted pencil skirt to complement your professionally patterned sweater vest? Or perhaps some hip huggers that don't drag on floor?

You can cover it up (sorry FCC!), but don't slum it down, girl!

_________

Rate A-list perps in our Fashion Police gallery!

The night was supposed to belong to Janet Michael Jackson. The MTV Video Music Awards certainly started out that way.

But after Madonna's heartfelt speech about the fallen star and Janet's stunning performance, a new feud was born, dominated the evening and then petered out just as quickly.

Yes, we're talking about Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

Sweet Swift won the award for Best Female Video, besting Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry. Hooray!

Shortly after she began her acceptance speech, West jumped onstage and pulled the microphone from her hand, saying, "I'm really happy for you, I'll let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time."

Jaws dropped, confusion took over, and Tay-Tay left the stage with nary another heard word.

"I was standing onstage and I was really excited because I had just won an award, and then I was really excited because Kanye West was on the stage," Taylor told E! News in the press room. "And then, um, I wasn't so excited anymore after that."

The next time West's name came up during the telecast, all of Radio City Music Hall booed.

And then Beyoncé saved the day.

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The claws were out tonight at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

First there were the ones Kanye West dug into Taylor Swift's big moment, then there was whatever caused Lady Gaga to get all bloodied up, then there was that thing Beyoncé Knowles wears when she's trying to be Sasha Fierce, and, of course, there were a few werewolves.

But the night didn't start out quite so barbed.

Madonna opened the show at Radio City Music Hall with a heartfelt speech about her relationship with Michael Jackson, as well as that of his fans. The highly anticipated tribute performance followed with well-known dancers (and So You Think You Can Dance choreographers) Mia Michaels, Laurie Anne Gibson, Wade Robson and recent Emmy winner Tyce Diorio doing the King of Pop's classic moves to a mix of "Thriller," "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal."

Then it was Janet Jackson's turn.

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Tom Munro for Haper's Bazaar

Janet Jackson is all smiles on the October cover of Harper's Bazaar, but inside she speaks out about losing her older brother and what he meant to her.

"You have to forgive me, because it's really hard to believe he's passed," she says while recounting her favorite memories of her late brother.

Among the things she remembers most fondly is his warm sense of humor.

"He loved to laugh...Sometimes his humor would be corny, sometimes dry. He loved the Three Stooges, he loved slapstick, he loved Eddie Murphy in his silly comedies. He loved to have fun. He loved to play."

This playfulness was in full effect the last time Janet saw Michael, a couple of days before her 43rd birthday on May 14.

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Well, it was only a matter of time before the Jackson family was on the receiving end of some good news.

As luck would have it, that time is now, as a years-old $120 million lawsuit filed against Janet Jackson by a man who claims the mourning pop star's bodyguard roughed him up in a nightclub has finally been dismissed.

On June 25, New York State Supreme Court Justice Jane Solomon tossed the portion of Leonard Salati's case that included the singer and her bodyguard, citing a lack of evidence.

Salati had claimed that during a February 2004 incident at Marquee, one of Jackson's bodyguards put him in a choke hold when the had-it-coming opportunity-grabbing fan approached the singer and attempted to both slip her his number (as if) and kiss her on the cheek (see previous parenthetical).

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•  Janet Jackson attended the BET Awards to pay tribute to her brother Michael Jackson. Father Joe Jackson also made an appearance and a statement on behalf of the family.

•  When the star's autopsy was ruled inconclusive pending the toxicology report due in six to eight weeks, the family requested a second go-round before they take possession of his remains for a burial.

•  Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, claims he did not give or prescribe his patient Demerol or Oxycontin and, after a three-hour interview, the LAPD has deemed him no more than a witness in their investigation. Meanwhile, Jackson's former nanny Grace Rwaramba tells the British press of Michael's prescription drug use.

•  As A-listers continued to share their mourning moments, ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley blogged about a prophetic conversation she once had with Michael in which he predicted his own untimely demise.

•  Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon were joined in the afterlife by TV pitchman Billy Mays.

•  This weekend wasn't all bad! E!'s own Kendra Wilkinson tied the knot with Philadelphia Eagles footballer Hank Baskett. And Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz welcomed a baby girl, Paloma Louise Lebenzon, with husband Noah Lebenzon.

•  Lastly, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen took home some major bank—a whopping $201 million—some of which ought to go toward making sure the third time's the charm for that poor flower kid trying to meet Megan Fox.

As if Thursday's events weren't enough of a kick in the butt, let's all take a moment to remember how short (and sweet) life is as we peruse our gallery of Shocking Pop Star Deaths.

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Rather than mourn Michael Jackson's death, the celebrities who took to the stage at the 2009 BET Awards celebrated the memory of the King of Pop with pumped-up performances, heartfelt words and a surprise appearance by the star's sister Janet Jackson.

The ceremony, held at the Shrine Auditorium, kicked off with a tribute to young Michael, as '80s idols New Edition dressed in funky '70s-era clothes to sing the Jackson 5's "ABC" and "The Love You Save."

Host Jamie Foxx emerged wearing an outfit reminiscent of Michael Jackson's famous "Beat It" gear: red leather jacket, cropped black pants, high white socks and black loafers. The Oscar winner then performed a dance sequence from Jackson's video, moonwalking (and stumbling) across the stage to honor the pop superstar.

"We are here for the greatest. There's no need to be sad," said Foxx to a star-studded audience that included Diddy, Tyra Banks and Lil Wayne.

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Minus a brief statement read by Jermaine Jackson yesterday, none of Jackson's famed siblings have opened up about Michael Jackson's sudden passing.

But the family is coming together.

Janet Jackson touched down at the private plane-accommodating Van Nuys Airport this morning, after which she was squired away in a black SUV.

"Janet Jackson is grief-stricken and devastated at the sudden loss of her brother," her manager, Kenneth Crear, said last night. "She is in preproduction on a film and is flying immediately to California to be with her family."

Earlier today, Variety reported that Janet has signed on to reprise her role of relationship counselor Patricia in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too, due out April 2, 2010.

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She may have beat vertigo, but not even Janet Jackson can overcome the current economic crisis.

Or so say the promoters, at least, of the now-scrapped Japanese leg of her Rock Witchu world tour, who have blamed the global credit crunch for the postponement of five upcoming gigs.

Concert promoter Kyodo Yokohama said the 42-year-old pop star was forced to scuttle concerts set for several major Japanese cities, including Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya, "due to the impact of the economic crisis."

Jackson was expected to kick off the Asian dates on Feb. 14. The gigs will now be rescheduled for sometime later in the year, ostensibly to give the market time to bounce back, and will be announced in March.

It's the latest instance of Jackson being unable to rock wit her fans. Last year she nixed several dates on her North American tour due to illness, later diagnosed as vertigo.

ANG/Fame Pictures

The nonfather has spoken.

Jermaine Dupri has taken to his punctuation-eschewing blog to deny rumors that he and longtime love Janet Jackson have broken up and that the pop diva is pregnant, as she was so labeled by a recent magazine cover.

"As you all know Janet is a very private person the only reason you see her as much as you do on my YouTube vlog is because of me LOL," Dupri wrote (in all caps, incidentally).

"But I hear yall and your questions. So hear you have it… No she is not pregnant and yes we're still together."

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