Michael Jackson isn't up to much these days. Please make a note of it.
On Tuesday, the pop icon's rep sought to squash some of the latest rumors concerning Jackson's next career move, his recent return to the U.S. and his social standing with the National Basketball Association, issuing a press release that featured a laundry list of things that the Thriller singer has not been a part of.
As far as Jackson's performance itinerary goes, he is not planning to hit the road with his family, he won't be appearing on American Idol anytime soon and, despite recent stories suggesting that he has "been unsuccessful" in finding a suitable long-term project in Las Vegas, he is still weighing his options, according to rep Raymone Bain.
Crediting unnamed sources, Fox News reported Friday that Jackson and sister Janet Jackson had agreed to participate in a concert tour with their less wealthy siblings, including—well, all of them, really—brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Randy, Tito and Jackie, all of whom supposedly met up in Las Vegas last week.
However, you can cross that family reunion off your calendar, said Bain, who in recent weeks has also shot down the Idol speculation that Jackson would either perform or serve as a guest judge.
As for Jackson setting up shop in Sin City à la Celine Dion, a story that gained traction as soon as the elusive performer touched down stateside in December after spending a year and a half living abroad, Bain says that multiple options are still on the table.
"Mr. Jackson has been presented numerous proposals," she said, "proposals which he has not solicited, but were presented to him, several of which include performing in Las Vegas. Mr. Jackson is currently reviewing and evaluating each proposal. He does not believe that he is under any time constraint for making his decisions.
"Therefore, reports that he has been 'unsuccessful in finding a Las Vegas casino for his show, resulting in his having to turn to his family' are false." (The aforementioned Fox News report stated that Jackson has "so far been unable to get work in Vegas.")
In other career non-developments, Bain also refuted a Feb. 15 billboard.com item stating that Jackson had popped up as a guest artist, along with the Fugees' Pras, on New York rapper Temperamental's latest tune, "No Friend of Mine," which is streaming on the artist's MySpace site.
"Mr. Jackson has not recently released or recorded a single with Pras," Bain stated. Let alone with Temperamental, apparently.
However, according to many reports, Jackson has been working on a comeback album with the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, who recently called the onetime King of Pop "the smartest dude ever," a sentiment that has not been disputed by Jackson's camp yet.
Bain also took issue with a New York Post report that Jackson had "waited too long to call for tickets" for the NBA All-Star Game, which took place Feb. 18 in Vegas, and was in turn denied courtside seats.
"Mr. Jackson did not either solicit, ask to be given, or attempt to buy tickets to the [game]," Bain said. Instead, the "Leave Me Alone" singer declined invitations from "several owners of NBA teams, as well as players, to attend the game as their guest."
Meanwhile, a report that Jackson was evicted from Riverdance impresario Michael Flatley's Ireland home, where the singer briefly stayed last year, is also erroneous, Bain says, adding that Jackson never leased property from the mile-a-minute tap dancer.
So, in case you were wondering, that's what Michael Jackson isn't doing lately.