Tarantino, Pitt's 'Basterds' earns glorious $37.6M

LOS ANGELES – Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino have landed their history lesson on World War II at the top of the box office.

Their war epic "Inglourious Basterds" took in $37.6 million over its first weekend to continue a late-summer revenue boost for Hollywood.

The haul for "Inglourious Basterds" was more than twice the receipts for the No. 1 movie over the same weekend last year, "Tropic Thunder."

Hollywood's busy season had been sliding for a month compared to last year, when the Batman blockbuster "The Dark Knight" dominated the second half of summer.

But this was the second-straight weekend that revenues rose, with "Inglourious Basterds" following a strong debut a week earlier from the sci-fi thriller "District 9."

Quentin Tarantino's war movie tops box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Director Quentin Tarantino scored the best opening of his colorful career with his World War Two thriller "Inglourious Basterds," which topped the weekend box office in North America after selling $37.6 million worth of tickets, its distributor said on Sunday.

The film stars Brad Pitt as the leader of a group of Jewish-Americans who carry out violent wartime acts of retribution across Europe. Pundits had forecast an opening in the $25 million range.

The film, which reportedly cost $70 million to make, marks a much-needed salve for the struggling independent studio Weinstein Co., which co-financed it with international distributor Universal Pictures, a unit of General Electric Co.

Bob and Harvey Weinstein released Tarantino's 1992 smash "Pulp Fiction" when they headed up Miramax Films. Since launching their new firm in 2005, the Weinsteins have failed to make much of an impact at the box office or the Academy Awards.

Tarantino's previous best opening was the $25.1 million start for "Kill Bill Vol. 2" in 2004. The film finished with $66.2 million in the United States and Canada. "Pulp Fiction" remains his biggest film overall with a domestic haul of $107 million. Data are not adjusted for ticket price inflation.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Jennifer Tilly, Justin Kirk join "Beats"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Jennifer Tilly, Justin Kirk, Jason Day and Thomas Sadoski are starring in "30 Beats," an indie feature inspired by Arthur Schnitzler's classic play "La Ronde."
"Beats" explores a series of amorous encounters among 10 people in Manhattan and will feature an international ensemble cast.
Alexis Lloyd, former head of film studio Pathe U.K., wrote the script and is directing the film. The cast includes Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Paz de la Huerta, Vahina Giocante, Ben Levin, Lee Pace and Condola Rashad.
Tilly will play a psychic who engages in weekly sexual encounters with a free-spirited Cuban messenger (Day). Sadoski is playing a political speechwriter whose personal life involves encounters with an actress (Giocante) and a dominatrix (Dapkunaite).
Tilly has been doing voice work for "Family Guy"; Kirk is one of the stars of TV's "Weeds." Day starred in the Spanish-language drama "Dioses," and Sadoski recently starred in the indie drama "The New Twenty."
(Editing by SheriLinden at Reuters)

Britney Spears shows her new figure on Letterman

NEW YORK – What would a President Spears administration be like? Apparently, very tasty.
Britney Spears appeared on David Letterman's "Late Show" on Tuesday to deliver a Top Ten list of ways the country would be different if she were president.
"Free pie for everybody," Spears declared.
For No. 10 on the list, Spears said she'd be "the first president since Nixon to wear eye shadow."
The pop star appeared eager to show off her buff new body. She delivered the list in a bikini.

British actor claims he fathered Jackson's daughter

LONDON (AFP) – Former child acting star Mark Lester said in a British newspaper Sunday that he donated sperm to Michael Jackson and believes he could be the biological father of the late singer's daughter Paris.
Lester, who played Oliver Twist in the 1968 film musical "Oliver!", told the News of the World: "I gave Michael my sperm so that he could have kids -- and I believe Paris is my daughter."
He said he was willing to take a paternity test to establish whether or not he is 11-year-old Paris' father.
The 51-year-old Briton became friends with Jackson and is godfather to Paris, and Jackson's two other children, Prince Michael, 12, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket.
"It's a been a secret for so long," Lester told the weekly tabloid.
"In 1996 Michael asked me if I would give him my sperm and I said yes. It was a gift to him, no money was paid, it was something I was honoured to do. He wanted children so badly."
Lester added: "I do feel a definite bonding with Paris and I think there's a definite possibility that she's part of me.
"I want to have contact with her, Prince and Blanket regardless of whether any or all of them are mine. I think it's cruel that I've now been excluded from them."
He said that since Jackson's mother Katherine had been granted custody of the children following the singer's death, all his phone calls and emails had gone unanswered.
Lester, who has four children himself, said there was a strong resemblance between his 15-year-old daughter Harriet and Paris.
He told the News of the World that Jackson first confided in him in 1996 that he was desperate to be a father.
Both were then aged 37 and Lester already had three children.
"He realised having kids was a natural thing but that he just couldn't do it," Lester said.
"I mentioned the fact there are alternative ways of going about it.
"I think he'd already tried using his own sperm but it hadn't worked for him, so I made an off-the-cuff comment saying, 'Try mine'."
Jackson agreed and the donation was arranged through a clinic in Harley Street, London, in February 1996.
Eight months later Jackson announced he had married nurse Debbie Rowe and three months later the couple revealed the birth of their first child, Prince.
Paris was born just over a year later, in April 1998.
Lester said he felt compelled to speak out because he feared being excluded from the lives of Jackson's children.
"This isn't what Michael would have wanted," he said. I feel I have to come forward, as my only way of saying, 'Please don't shut me out!'."
The paternity of Jackson's children is a hot topic for debate among Jackson's fans.
Magician Uri Geller, another long-time friend of Jackson's, backed Lester's story.
"As a close friend of Mark, I respect his own situation to reveal this information at this time," the 62-year-old told Sky News television.
"I am not surprised, I knew it all along simply because Michael told me."
Geller declined to specify exactly what he knew, but said he spoke to Lester on Saturday.
"I am with him on this because of the information he told me," he added.
"I can imagine the stress everyone is under, especially Mark, but I understand him and really feel for him."

ABC wants Paula Abdul to dance on over post-'Idol'

PASADENA, Calif. – ABC is joining the chorus of those seeking to hire Paula Abdul, who said she's quitting "American Idol."
ABC programming chief Stephen McPherson told the Television Critics Association on Saturday that he was "stunned" to hear she'd decided to leave the top-rated Fox series and that he's contacted Abdul, whom he called an old friend.
McPherson told Abdul he'd love to see her at ABC, home of "Dancing with the Stars."
Abdul announced last Tuesday she was leaving as an "Idol" judge following stalemated contract talks with Fox and the show's producers. She said she quickly started receiving "wonderful" offers.

Jackson's personal doctor was in financial trouble

LOS ANGELES – Dr. Conrad Murray was in dire financial shape when he signed on as Michael Jackson's personal physician earlier this year at $150,000 a month.
The Las Vegas cardiologist owed a total of at least $780,000 in judgments against him and his medical practice, outstanding mortgage payments on his house, delinquent student loans, child support and credit cards.
Court records chronicling Murray's woes in Las Vegas, where authorities searched his home this week as part of a manslaughter investigation into Jackson's death, might help explain why — beyond the chance to get close to a celebrity — Murray seized the chance to keep the pop star healthy through a series of concerts in London.
But more than that, the financial pressures on Murray could help prosecutors establish a motive if he ends up facing charges.
"Here he is, dealing with one of the most famous people in the world. There may have been a great deal of pressure to do what Michael Jackson wanted, give him the drugs he wanted, treat him the way Michael Jackson wanted to be treated, even if it wasn't in keeping with medical protocol," said Steve Cron, a criminal defense attorney and adjunct professor at Pepperdine University's law school.
Authorities investigating Jackson's death at his rented Los Angeles mansion believe Murray gave the star a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to help him sleep, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still going on.
Propofol is commonly used for surgery and is not meant as a sleep agent or to be given in private homes. Because of its potency, only trained anesthesia professionals are supposed to administer it, and patients are supposed to be constantly monitored.
If prosecutors bring charges, Murray's financial trouble "does potentially provide evidence of good motive for financial-based crimes, including prescribing when there is not a medical necessity," said Rebecca Lonergan, a University of Southern California law professor and former federal prosecutor of health care fraud cases.
Murray, 56, has not spoken publicly since Jackson's June 25 death. His lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor did not prescribe anything that "should have" killed Jackson.
Murray was hired through Jackson's promoter in May, as his bleak financial picture threatened to worsen. He was under court orders to pay more than $363,000 for equipment for his heart clinic, and was ordered in April to repay $71,000 in student loans dating to the 1980s. Two lawsuits claiming he owes $240,000 more for unpaid equipment are pending in Nevada courts.
Also, Murray's 5,268-square-foot home near the 18th hole of a golf course is in "pre-foreclosure" after he failed to make payments on his $1.66 million loan, records show. He stopped paying the $15,000-per-month mortgage in December and could lose the home by November, said Mary Hunt, the foreclosure officer handling the case.
Neither Jackson nor AEG Live, the promoter for the London concerts that was prepared to pay him $150,000 a month, paid Murray for the two months the doctor worked for the pop star, according to Chernoff.
"Dr. Murray has lost the ability to make a living as a result of this investigation," Chernoff said. "His hope is he can forestall foreclosure until he can once again begin working as a doctor."
Murray's cresting financial woes fit into a history of money problems. He filed for bankruptcy in California in 1992 and had a string of tax liens in California and Arizona between 1993 and 2003. Also, a former business partner in an energy-drink distribution venture claimed Murray owed him $68,000.
John Thomas, distributor of a drink called Pit Bull, said that in 2005 and 2006 Murray had the rights to distribute the product in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean island nation where Murray lived and worked before coming to the United States in the 1980s to study medicine.
The drink never gained popularity there. Murray paid his bill for a first shipment, then didn't pay for three subsequent shipments, Thomas said.
___
Ritter reported from Las Vegas. Contributing to this report were Associated Press reporters Juan Lozano in Houston, Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles and Tony Fraser in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and AP Researchers Judith Ausuebel and Barbara Sambriski in New York.

Lefevre `stunned' Howard has her role in `Eclipse'

LOS ANGELES – Bryce Dallas Howard is taking over as the villainous vampire Victoria in the third "Twilight" movie, and the actress who's played the part in the first two films says she was "stunned" and "hurt deeply" by the switch.
Rachelle Lefevre says she was unaware that Summit Entertainment, which is releasing the vampire saga, had chosen someone else to play her part in "Eclipse." Summit announced Howard as her replacement late Tuesday, saying Lefevre had scheduling conflicts that would make her unable to participate in the production.
But Lefevre said Wednesday that she was "fully committed" to returning as Victoria. She says her involvement in the drama "Barney's Version," starring Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman, would only last 10 days.
"I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules," she said in a lengthy statement.
"Although the production schedule for `Eclipse' is over three months long, Summit said they had a conflict during those 10 days and would not accommodate me. Given the length of filming for `Eclipse,' never did I fathom I would lose the role over a 10-day overlap."
Summit says Lefevre didn't inform the studio she would be shooting "Barney's Version" — which will require her to be in Europe during rehearsal and at least 10 days of principal photography on "Eclipse" — until July 20, even though she reportedly signed onto the project in early June. The studio says it made her representatives aware several days ago that taking part in "Barney's Version" could place her "Eclipse" job status in jeopardy.
"Contrary to Ms. Lefevre's statement, it is simply untrue that the studio dismissed her over a 10-day overlap," Summit said in its own statement Wednesday night. "It is not about a 10-day overlap, but instead about the fact that `The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' is an ensemble production that has to accommodate the schedules of numerous actors while respecting the established creative vision of the filmmaker and most importantly the story."
The news shook up the fervent fans of the "Twilight" series: Several are circulating online petitions urging that she return, and the top-trending topic on Twitter for a while Wednesday afternoon was "Bring Back Rachelle."
"Eclipse," based on the third book in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga, is scheduled to begin shooting in Vancouver in August. Part two, "New Moon," comes out Nov. 20.
Howard, while a newcomer to the "Twilight" franchise, is no stranger to blockbusters, having co-starred in "Spider-Man 3" and "Terminator Salvation." She also appeared in "The Village" and "Lady in the Water."

Angelina Jolie visits displaced Iraqis

Families tell actress they can't afford to send their children to school

Angelina Jolie speaks with a boy at a makeshift camp northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, on Thursday, July 23. Jolie was on a day trip in Iraq to bring attention to the plight of displaced people within the country.
BAGHDAD - Angelina Jolie on Thursday visited a settlement for displaced Iraqis in northwest Baghdad in her role as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR.

The actress met four families whose members said their children could not go to school and they could not afford to pay for medical treatment, the U.N. refugee agency said.

Jolie said during her one-day trip that there is progress in returning Iraqis to their homes after years of war, but more needs to be done, according to UNHCR.

"This is a moment where things seem to be improving on the ground, but Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives," the agency quoted Jolie as saying. It was the actress's third trip to Iraq.UNHCR estimates that 1.6 million Iraqis were displaced within the country by sectarian violence, and that 300,000 have returned home amid improving security. It says hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees live in neighboring countries, mostly in Syria and Jordan

Erin Andrews nude video scandal: Whose fault?

It was a gross, heinous invasion of privacy.

It was not the crime of the century, decade, year, month, week, day or even hour.

The intent of this column is not to minimize the horrible violation of privacy that struck America's favorite sideline Barbie doll, Erin Andrews.

This column will attempt to add context and reasonable perspective — two things generally lacking when a favored white woman is wronged in America — to the debate raging in the sports blogosphere about whether blogs contributed to the crime perpetrated against Ms. Andrews.

Surely by now you've heard. Someone secretly videotaped Erin Andrews while she was nude at a hotel(s) curling her hair and ironing her clothes. TMZ.com speculated rather persuasively the Zapruder in this fiasco might very well be one of Andrews' co-workers.

The video had been available (and ignored) on the Internet for months, but gained popularity this week when the influential Web site Deadspin wrote a post on the subject and linked to the Web site hosting the Andrews peephole footage.

Deadspin has been the world-wide leader in sexually objectifying Erin Andrews (ESPN actually trails Deadspin in this category) and in invading the privacy of athletes and members of the sports media, so it is not all that surprising that its editor, AJ Daulerio, would throw the match on gasoline poured by a peephole pervert.

Daulerio has since apologized, sort of.

Daulerio's original enabler and co-conspirator, Will Leitch, the former editor of Deadspin, offered his apology on Tuesday.

Of course, Leitch and Daulerio do everything they can to distance themselves from the crime. Leitch rambles on about how every "upright walking normal human being" he has spoken with is "profoundly disturbed" by this crime against white womanhood.

It's all so (freaking) dishonest and biased that I'm embarrassed I read it.

In the sports world, Deadspin eliminated the shame of privacy invasion for profit and made it mainstream. When Leitch and Buzz Bissinger had their infamous "Costas Now" confrontation, Leitch said the web site "humanized" its victims.

No, the site exploits private lives for profit, just like Hollywood paparazzi. Sometimes, it's a relatively harmless invasion of privacy. But sometimes it isn't.

I contend — and I'll explain — that Daulerio's invasion of Stuart Scott's and Michelle Beisner's privacy in 2007 is just as gross and heinous as what happened to Erin Andrews.

Everyone celebrated and/or blew off the crime against Scott and Beisner because Scott is not beloved by white men (or people like me who are turned off by his ghetto shtick).

But let me refresh your memory once again regarding Deadspin's original, unpunished sin. At a Super Bowl party Daulerio looked over Stu Scott's shoulder and read a text message that Scott sent to Beisner at 12:30 a.m. The message simply stated, "Lemme know."

Here's how Daulerio interpreted the text:

"Now, obviously, "Lemme know" is pretty non-descript. But at 12:30 a.m., in Miami, well, it means "Are you coming out tonight to f--- me or what?" Especially given who Scott was texting (I literally read the name right off his phone):

"Her name is Michelle Beisner, former Denver Broncos cheerleader and aspiring D-list Hollywood actress-type. Blonde. White Woman. Hey, nobody likes to start rumors about Stuart F---ing Scott, but if Michelle Beisner is his booty call, well, BooYa, my friend. Boo F---ing Ya."

Here's his post so you can read it for yourself.

Read this, this and this to get a sample of how then-Deadspin editor Leitch rejoiced in Daulerio's invasion of privacy.

OK, you might think no one is being videotaped naked in the Scott post. I'd argue that Scott and Beisner would've preferred to be videotaped naked rather than having an influential blog accuse the then-married Scott of adultery and Beisner of being a home-wrecking, booty-call-answering whore.

Why was Beisner unworthy of sympathy? Her privacy was violated. It couldn't be because she committed the felony of Befriending a Black Man While White and Attractive?

Deadspin has rewritten the rulebook when it comes to privacy and fairness as it pertains to athletes and sports media. The site is inherently unfair to minorities and random members of the media it chooses to dislike for whatever reason.

No one objects. The mainstream media have treated Leitch and Daulerio like they're Woodward and Bernstein. Sports Illustrated's magazine and web site served as Leitch's hype man. He was celebrated in a magazine profile. His good friend, Richard Deitsch, regularly broke out the cheerleading uniform at SI.com, tossing Leitch softball questions or plugging Leitch in monthly media rankings.

Do I believe Deadspin is evil? No. I like to laugh at my own stupidity and the hypocrisy and buffoonery of my peers and athletes. Most days I enjoy Deadspin. But the site, like everything else on this planet, is flawed, and Deadspin is flawed in ways the mainstream media should notice, analyze and criticize.

I've argued for the past two years the site is no different from ESPN, Deadspin's favorite whipping-boy institution.

For two days ESPN ignored the Ben Roethlisberger sexual-assault lawsuit. There has been no official explanation why the civil suit filed against Big (White) Ben is being treated differently from Shannon Brown's or Isiah Thomas' much-discussed sexual-harassment lawsuit or countless other he-said-she-saids.

ESPN plays favorites for a wide variety of reasons. It's unfair.

Invasion of privacy for profit is what we all do to some degree in this day and age of Internet, camera-phone journalism. We're in desperate pursuit of clicks and ratings. There was a time when athletes could visit nightclubs and whatnot without fear of being photographed or videotaped.

We respected their right to a private life even while in public. We judged and analyzed them by what they did on the field. We don't do that now, and the change has little to do with improved journalism. It's all about improved ratings and hits.

I'm just as guilty. The difference is I want us all to play by the same rules, regardless of color, willingness to befriend certain bloggers or business relationships. If we're willing to exploit athletes and their private lives for profit, let's not complain when we are exploited. Again, I just want the exploitation to be equal opportunity.

It's not right now.

The Pacman Jones stripclub video served no journalistic purpose. It was aired on ESPN and everywhere else solely to titillate and entertain. The raw footage didn't help us understand the crime. There was no interaction between Jones, his entourage and the club's bouncers.

There were black asses shaking and black entertainers demonstrating how fools depart from their money. It was a reality version of Spike Lee's underrated movie Bamboozled.

America couldn't get enough of the Pacman video until Erin Andrews was caught dropping it like it was hot in front of a hotel mirror.

ESPN won't cover that story. It's climbed up on some high horse and is passing judgment on the New York Post for running pictures of ESPN's sideline Barbie.

How do you think the world-wide leader in hypocrisy would handle it if Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova or Candace Parker had been videotaped? I bet the network would throw together a two-hour documentary on how the video was made. And Leitch and Daulerio would drop the profoundly-disturbed-and-remorseful act.

Pitt, Jolie go house hunting in New York with $25 mn

LONDON - Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt and his partner Angelina Jolie are considering to buy one of the most expensive properties in New York.
“I heard they’re ready to spend as much as $25 million,” contactmusic.com quoted a source as saying.
The couple, who have previously rented different properties at a cost of around $100,000 a month when working in the city, has been eyeing Apthorp, a 1908 property in Manhattan, which is being converted into lavish homes.
“The gated courtyard means they can get in and out of their car without being hassled by paparazzi. The building also has several other exits,” said the source.
The most expensive apartments boast up to 13 bedrooms and have 11-foot ceilings and wide hallways and will cost $15.5 million. But Pitt and Jolie want to buy two or three properties and join them together to create enough space for their six children.
“I heard they’re ready to spend as much as $25 million,” added the source.
The couple already own homes in Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Michael Jackson's death .....Dozens of doctors probed

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California's attorney general said on Wednesday his office has run dozens of doctors' names, some of them thought to be aliases, through its prescription drug database to aid police investigating the death of Michael Jackson.
Attorney General Jerry Brown said his office was not the lead agency in probing Jackson's sudden death -- a role it took in the fatal overdose of Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith in 2007 -- but was assisting other agencies as they try to track down prescription drugs that may have killed the King of Pop.
"We've found some things, but this is early on" to provide details, Brown told Reuters.
Brown's office monitors all over-the-counter prescription transactions in California, using a database that contains the name of each doctor, patient, medication and quantity.
He said his investigators were given "dozens" of doctors' names to run through its system by police probing Jackson's sudden death, although some are considered to be aliases.
The findings could be used to show that "there were drugs in quantities and character that are lethal in combination," which in conjunction with the official autopsy could lead investigators to determine exactly what killed the 50-year-old singer and dancer.
Brown declined to say if he thought murder or manslaughter charges could be brought in the case, but said those kinds of crimes could not be ruled out "any time you've got a dead body and you've got chemicals in large quantities."
Jackson died at his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest. Official autopsy results are pending toxicology tests, but rampant speculation has centered on Jackson's use of prescription drugs.
On Tuesday, an official from the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office visited the office of Dr. Arnold Klein, the singer's longtime dermatologist, to obtain Jackson's medical records as part of its investigation.
Brown, a former California governor who is said to be considering a run for that job again in 2010, said his office took the lead in investigating prescription drug use in Anna Nicole Smith's death because no other agency had done so.
In the Jackson case, he said, Los Angeles Police and coroners investigators were involved

Michael Jackson's Death Still Not Being Treated as Homicide

Los Angeles The investigation into Michael Jackson's death marches on, and with it, so do the rumors.
Despite several reports, the quest for answers has not turned into a homicide investigation.
"Nothing has changed," Los Angeles District Attorney's office spokeswoman Jane Robinson tells E! News. "It's still an ongoing investigation."
Likewise, the LAPD echoes that statement, simply saying the investigation continues.
Neither party is throwing the words criminal or homicide around, although the LAPD and the district attorney's office have spoken to each other.
"As far as [the LAPD] contacting us a few times, that's true," Robinson says.
She adds that reports that the investigation has become a criminal one are false, and that she cannot comment on whether or not the LAPD is approaching the death as a homicide.
A source close to the investigation tells E! News that they haven't ruled out homicide, but have made no conclusions. They continue to question and seek information from at least five doctors with knowledge of Jackson's health condition and treatments.
Hopefully, the results of the toxicology report being announced next week will provide us all—law enforcement, reporters and fans—with some much needed clarity.
—Additional reporting by Maureen Heaton

Michael Jackson's sister La Toya says he was 'killed'

LONDON (AFP) – Michael Jackson was killed by a band of greedy hangers-on, his sister La Toya alleged in interviews with British Sunday newspapers.
The King of Pop's sister spoke about her younger brother's death and the aftermath with The Mail on Sunday and the News of the World weeklies.
"I believe Michael was murdered, I felt that from the start," the 53-year-old said.
"Not just one person was involved, rather it was a conspiracy of people. He was surrounded by a bad circle. Michael was a very meek, quiet, loving person. People took advantage of that.
"Less than a month ago, I said I thought Michael was going to die before the London shows because he was surrounded by people who didn't have his best interests at heart.
La Toya said she had ordered a private autopsy.
Jackson, one of the world's most popular entertainers, died on June 25 at the age of 50.
"Michael was worth more than a billion dollars. When anyone is worth that much money, there are always greedy people around them. I said to my family a month ago, 'He's never going to make it to London'. He was worth more dead than alive."
Murder under Californian law can include killings that are not premeditated.
La Toya accused a "shadowy" group of cutting her sibling off from his family and friends and forcing him to sign up for 50 comeback concerts at London's O2 Arena, shows billed "This Is It".
They saw him as a "cash cow" and "got him hooked on drugs... I think it shocked his system so much it killed him," she claimed.
"I am not going to stop until I find out who is responsible. Why did they keep the family away? It's not about money. I want justice for Michael. I won't rest until I find out what -- and who -- killed my brother."
La Toya said Jackson was found in the bedroom of his physician Doctor Conrad Murray.
"Michael walked from his room to Doctor Murray's room. What happened in there we don't know," she said.
La Toya said she was driving to see Jackson in hospital when her mother screamed down the phone: "He's dead!".
"I nearly crashed my car," she said. "My legs went weak... They took me up to the area where Michael had been taken. Mother was crying and Michael's kids were crying."
She also claimed jewellery was missing from his house and no cash was found, despite the fact he regularly kept more than a million dollars around.
La Toya said the family had an open coffin viewing before the public memorial in Los Angeles' Staples Center arena.
She put one of his sequined gloves in the coffin, while his daughter Paris, 11, put a one half a heart-shaped "mood necklace" around his wrist, keeping the other piece.
La Toya said it was Paris's idea to speak at the memorial.
Of Jackson's children, she said Paris wanted to be an entertainer, Prince Michael was "assertive", while Blanket was "very funny, a real prankster like his father."
La Toya said her brother would "absolutely not" be laid to rest at his Neverland ranch and added that Jackson's brain, removed in the autopsy, had been put back in his body.
La Toya said Jackson wanted to give up music and become a film director.
"The first one was to be a horror film called 'Thriller'," she said. "'This Is It' really was the end. He didn't want to perform any more."
She said Jackson updated his will roughly every five years, "so we expect another one to emerge from 2007".

Michael Jackson's sister La Toya believes He was effectively Murdered

Michael Jackson Remains King Of U.K. Charts

As Cascada's "Evacuate The Dancefloor" (All Around The World/Universal) started a second week atop the new U.K. singles chart yesterday (Sunday), Michael Jackson's catalog sales enjoyed another healthy week in the market. Although his tally of Top 40 singles fell from 13 to 11, it now includes a "new" hit for the Jackson 5, while his album chart presence increased from three to four of the top five, six of the top ten and nine of the top 20."The Essential Michael Jackson" (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment) began a second week at No. 1 (with sales of 113,000, according to Official Charts Company data), with English act Florence and the Machine's debut album "Lungs" (Universal Island) entering at No. 2. Jackson's "Off The Wall" took over as his best-rated studio album of the posthumous wave of interest in his work, climbing 10-3 to overtake "Thriller," which improved 6-4. Motown/Universal's 2008 compilation "The Motown Years," by Jackson and the Jackson 5, re-entered at No. 5, having reached No. 34 last September.The singer's "Number Ones" collection fell 3-7 as Cascada's album, named after their current chart-topping single, arrived at No. 8. The 25th anniversary deluxe reissue of "Thriller" joined the top ten, climbing 18-9, as "King of Pop" fell 5-14. Another UMTV/Universal release by Jackson and his brothers, "The Very Best Of," climbed 23-15, and "HIStory — Past Present & Future Book 1" jumped 33-17. "Boxed," a new package containing Kings of Leon's first three albums for Hand Me Down/Sony Music Entertainment, entered at No. 20."Thriller" is likely to figure in the U.K. charts a third time soon, as Sony Music Entertainment has a July 20 release scheduled for a five-disc box including it along with Jackson's other vintage albums "Off The Wall," "Bad," "Dangerous" and "Invincible."The Cascada single stayed ahead on the singles chart as La Roux's former No. 1 "Bulletproof" (Polydor/Universal) moved back 3-2, swapping places with Jackson's "Man In The Mirror." Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" (Interscope/Universal) also edged back 5-4, with "Diamond Rings" (Jive/Sony Music Entertainmemt) by 18-year-old London "grime" star Chipmunk, featuring Emeli Sande, new at No. 6.
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Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (Interscope/Universal) raced 39-10, Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" (Jive/Universal) 20-11 and Pitbull's "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" (Positiva/EMI) 28-13. Arctic Monkeys' "Crying Lightning" (Domino) debuted at No. 12.Most of the Jackson singles that raced up last week's chart fell back, although "They Don't Care About Us" climbed 32-28 and the Jackson 5's version of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Lovin' You," their original b-side of "I Want You Back," appeared at No. 36 after it was performed by 12-year-old Welsh singer Shaheen Jafargholi at last week's Jackson memorial. Jafargholi had previously sung it on the last series of "Britain's Got Talent," prompting its first-ever appearance on the U.K. singles chart for a week at No. 54 in late April, but this is its first Top 40 showing.Jackson has the top four titles on Billboard's European Top 100 Albums, led by "King of Pop," while "When Love Takes Over" (Positiva/EMI) by French DJ David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland climbed 3-1 on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.

Michael Jackson comeback

Angelina's ballerinas: Ms Jolie takes Shiloh and Zahara to a dance class

By Daily Mail Reporter

Mother of six Angelina Jolie treated her two eldest daughters to a girls' day out in Los Angeles yesterday.

The Wanted star, who was this week named Hollywood's top earning actress, took Shiloh, 3, and Zahara, 4, to a dance class in Studio City.

The adorable duo, who wore matching black leggings, took part in a session called 'The Princess Series', and couldn't resist a twirl or two as they made their way home.

Girls' day out: Angelina Jolie took daughters Shiloh and Zahara to a dance class in Los Angeles yesterday

Wearing a strapless maxi-dress, casual flip flops and aviator sunglasses, Angelina walked hand in hand with her daughters after their day of fun.

It was a rare public outing for the family, who have largely kept out of the spotlight in recent months.

In fact, the absence of the famous brood from the spotlight has sparked some concern, particularly for Angelina and Brad Pitt's twins Knox and Vivienne.

The pair, who turn 1 on July 12, have been seen in public just once this year when they were whisked through a Tokyo airport in January.

An American tabloid magazine claims the couple's youngest children both suffer from medical issues.

Fancy footwork: The girls couldn't resist a little twirl as they made their way home

'They're both hypersensitive,' Life&Style magazine quotes an insider as saying. 'Knox has trouble holding down his food. He spits up nearly every meal.'

The source claims Vivienne suffers from allergies: 'Right now, she's on a lactose and gluten-free diet, and she's still underweight.

'Angelina and Brad reportedly feel that the twins are better off behind closed doors for now.

'Because of their delicate state, Knox and Vivienne need to be kept away from anything they could possibly be allergic to. That's a lot easier to do when they're home and in a controlled environment.'

Still, Angelina, 34, recently said she and Brad, 40, hope to expand their family, which also includes Maddox, 7, and Pax, 5.

She said last month: 'We love children, we want a big family, so we never - you know, never say no.'

Where are the twins? Vivienne and Knox have not been seen since January when they were whisked through Toyko airport with the rest of Angelina
and Brad's brood