angel345 said:

I wonder if it's true that he has some sort of lung disease. Might explain alot. Just read that he's near death.

Didnt he say in Moonwalk that years ago he had some kind of lung problem that caused him to collapse during the 80's?

JackieBlue said:

i doubt that, there's no doubt he looks like shit at the moment tho. i think something's up, i just hope it's not too serious.

I actually remember reading in the late 70s(shows how old I am) about him being rushed to hospital due to him having problems with his lungs.

I just heard this on the radio.I have never been a fan of MJ.I always thought he was annoying , but as a human being I truly hope this is not true.

fantasticjoy said:

I don't know what was heard on the radio, but if this is true, how come the news didn't hit mainstream media first? When Bernie Mac or Paul Newman was sick and passed, it hit mainstream.

A fan just posted this on a MJ messageboard, it gives some background to the man who is claiming that Michael is gravely ill:


I wrote the article below for my site earlier today, it contains a lot of information about Ian's past, his claims, etc. I'd encourage anybody who is worried over these rumors to read it...

http://mjjr.net/news-i361-9.html

Tabloid...: Ian Halperin Promotes Sensational Book, Lies

Exclusively Written & Compiled For MJJ Repository
TSCM

By now, many have probably read or heard about the recurring media reports spawned by author/journalist Ian Halperin, in which he makes some very serious allegations about the physical health and well-being of Michael Jackson. Although Ian quietly posted these allegations approximately two weeks ago on his own personal site, it only recently garnered widespread media attention after it came to light that he was also penning a book on the singer. Within the past couple of days, Ian's story has become so popular that even Associated Press is now reporting on it. MJJR.net will be glad to spread some light on these falsehoods, but first some background information.

More than two weeks ago, Ian first made these outlandish Jackson-related allegations on his site while plugging In Touch Weekly magazine, in which a lengthier article subsequently appeared. Ian claims that Michael Jackson suffers from Antitrypsin Deficiency (a.k.a. Alpha-1) amongst other illnesses (including that he is "95% blind in his left eye"). Ian quoted an unnamed "close friend" of Michael Jackson as saying that "Michael wants to have the lung transplant but because of other illnesses he's fighting he's too weak to undergo such a major procedure. He's taking one painkiller after another. I've known him over 20 years and have never seen him in such a frail state. It's very sad," amongst other grossly sensational claims.

Today, Ian wrote a second entry about this so-called "exclusive" in which he quoted an unnamed female allegedly from Michael Jackson's camp as saying: "We're deeply worried about Michael's health. It has taken a huge toll on his family and everyone around him." Ian, in an attempt of saving face, also posted a public picture of Michael Jackson taken several days after these claims were first made (where Michael was shopping in Zorro-like attire), while erroneously claiming that he was "being supported by an aide because he was having trouble walking," and adding that according to the unnamed female, "Michael was urged by his people to make a public appearance to let the world know he's still alive." Finally, Ian made a blatantly false claim about an alleged quote by Jermaine Jackson.

Fact: In the picture depicted on Ian's site, the only "support" being given to Michael is that of security as fans gather around him (with one arm of security hastily placed behind Michael at the time the picture was snapped). What Ian didn't post was the half-dozen or so other pictures from that same day in which Michael is freely standing, shopping, greeting fans, accepting gifts, and walking on his own while carrying his own umbrella just as he has throughout the years. Michael Jackson was again photographed in public a couple days ago, and again he was walking on his own with no "support" in sight.

Fact: In Ian's latest blog entry, and in many of the new media reports he has provided information to, he states: "When Fox News contacted the singer's older brother, Jermaine, to confirm my report, he refused to deny it. Instead, Jackson told the reporter, 'he's not doing well right now. This isn't a good time.'" This claim is categorically false on all fronts. First, the alleged quote that he is referencing is actually from JULY 2007 and originates from gossip columnist Roger Friedman--who spread a similar story to Ian's more than a year ago. Thus, Ian is taking an 18-month old, unconfirmed quote from a gossip columnist and using it as new information to somehow substantiate his own claims--this is a testament to Ian's credibility (or lack-thereof).

Ian is no stranger to writing questionable and unsubstantiated material, and has been doing so since the 1980s when he was still a student reporter. In 1984, an athletic director at his college filed a $100,000 libel suit against him and another writer for making multiple allegations of improper conduct within the university's athletic department. Ian was later criminally charged with providing false testimony and lying under oath in the civil case after three different sources denied providing him with any of the information he claimed they had. Ian fled Canada to avoid criminal prosecution and remained in Great Britain for 2.5 years before returning to face the court. In 1990, the judge in the case said he was forced to close it due to a lack of corroborating evidence presented by the prosecution, although Ian did serve time in jail for fleeing the country.

Ian again stirred up controversy in 1994 when he helped co-author a book that alleged Kurt Cobain's death was homicide rather than suicide. The story Ian and his partner told, and the allegations they made changed significantly as their publicity tour continued, and their sources for the allegations were likewise heavily scrutinized by the media at the time. When the book was published years later, both of these authors admitted they weren't able to offer any solid evidence to implicate anyone in the alleged murder of Cobain, despite writing a book full of insinuations.

Likewise, when Ian published a book about singer-songwriter James Taylor in 2000, professional reviewers and others in the press questioned many of the quotes and statements he made throughout the book while also pointing out how he failed to provide sources for most of the far-fetched quotes--and how the book seemed shallow and offered very little new information about Taylor.

As mentioned earlier, in 2007 various tabloid outlets and gossip columnists including Roger Friedman and National Enquirer wrote similar claims about Michael Jackson--that he was severely ill with one or more failing organs and on his final days. In late-2005 into 2006, tabloid reports surfaced that he was in critical condition after a drug overdose and that his family was planning an emergency intervention to save his life. In 2004-2005 there were still other reports of suicide and overdoses; a widespread e-mail chain and virus at the time helped fuel such rumors. In fact, if you dig deep enough you will find similar stories dating back to the 1980s and beyond; none of which hold any more merit than the next. All of these earlier claims were slammed by Michael Jackson's family and representatives, and Michael Jackson's subsequent public appearances seemed to confirm that these "bed-ridden" stories were categorically false.

In this case, we have an author who is trying hard to come up with a sensational new angle for yet another unauthorized Michael Jackson book--as if the market isn't saturated enough as it is. We have an author who was sued for libel (and then for perjury) while still a student for printing information that his own sources refuted under oath. We have an author who enjoys the widespread publicity that comes with writing books about tragic events and major celebrities. Diane Dimond secretly worked on a sensational Michael Jackson book throughout the 2003-2005 trial and was shopping the material to publishers as early as late-2003. A major publisher ultimately released her book in late-2005 alongside a large media tour--and even then it only sold a mere 5,000 copies worldwide after 1-2 months of release. I predict that this book will sell even less than that, despite the heavy media attention Ian is enjoying at this time.

Source: http://MJJR.net/

CBS Morning show ran the story this morning that he is "gravely" ill and in need of a lung transplant.



lunch / lung edit
[Edited 12/22/08 10:08am]

xlad said:

Quote From Moonwalk:

''The problems on the set were really few and far between and it was great working with Diana so closely. She's such a beautiful, talented woman. Doing this movie together was very special for me. I love her very much. I have always loved her very much.

The whole Wiz period was a time of stress and anxiety, even though I was enjoying myself. I remember July 4 of that year very well, because I was on the beach at my brother Jermaine's house, about half a block away along the waterfront. I was messing around in the surf, and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe. No air. Nothing. I asked myself what's wrong? I tried not to panic, but I ran back to the house to find Jermaine, who took me to the hospital. It was wild. A blood vessel had burst in my lung. It has never reoccurred, although I used to feel little pinches and jerks in there that were probably my imagination. I later learned that this condition was related to pleurisy. It was suggested by my doctor that I try to take things a little slower, but my schedule would not permit it. Hard work continued to be the name of the game.

As much as I liked the old Wizard of Oz , this new script, which differed from the Broadway production in scope rather than spirit, asked more questions than the original movie and answered them too. The atmosphere of the old movie was that of a magic kingdom sort of fairy tale. Our movie, on the other hand, had sets based on realities that kids could identify with, like schoolyards, subway stations, and the real neighborhood that our Dorothy came from. I still enjoy seeing The Wiz and reliving the experience. I am especially fond of the scene where Diana asks, "What am I afraid of? Don't know what I'm made of . . ." because I've felt that way many times, even during the good moments of my life. She sings about overcoming fear and walking straight and tall. She knows and the audience knows that no threat of danger can hold her back.

My character had plenty to say and to learn. I was propped up on my pole with a bunch of crows laughing at me, while I sang "You Can't Win." The song was about humiliation and helplessness - something that so many people have felt at one time or another - and the feeling that there are people out there who don't actively hold you back as much as they work quietly on your insecurities so that you hold yourself back. The script was clever and showed me pulling bits of information and quotations out of my straw while not really knowing how to use them. My straw contained all the answers, but I didn't know the questions.

The great difference between the two Wizard movies was that all the answers are given to Dorothy by the Good Witch and by her friends in Oz in the original, while in our version Dorothy comes to her own conclusions. Her loyalty to her three friends and her courage in fighting Elvina in that amazing sweatshop scene make Dorothy a memorable character. Diana's singing and dancing and acting have stayed with me ever since. She was a perfect Dorothy. After the evil witch had been defeated, the sheer joy of our dancing took over. To dance with Diana in that movie was like an abridged version of my own story - my knock-kneed walk and "bigfoot" spin were me in my early days; our tabletop dance in the sweatshop scene was where we were right then. Everything was onward and upward. When I told my brothers and father I had gotten this part, they thought it might be too much for me, but the opposite was true. The Wiz gave me new inspiration and strength. The question became what to do with those things. How could I best harness them?

As I was asking myself what I wanted to do next, another man and I were traveling parallel paths that would converge on the set of The Wiz . We were in Brooklyn rehearsing one day, and we were reading our parts out loud to one another. I had thought that learning lines would be the most difficult thing I'd ever do, but I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone had been kind, assuring me that it was easier that I thought. And it was.

We were doing the crows' scene that day. The other guys wouldn't even have their heads visible in this scene because they'd be in crow costumes. They seemed to know their parts backward and forward. I'd studied mine too, but I hadn't said them aloud more than once or twice.
''
[Edited 12/22/08 8:56am]

trueiopian said:

And since he turns a cold into a world event, nobody is going to believe these rumors til he's dead from them.

newpower99 said:

You mean like a sandwich?

Mars23 said:

sorry . i was hungry i guess.

Mars23 said:

I was thinking the same thing.

noimageatall said:

Yeah, he does need to eat something. His body frame can hold at least 200 lbs.

Cinnie said:

Best post ever.

Sadly, I'm sure this offer has been made somewhere.

According to this gossip site (take that as you will):

"Daily News Gossip" http://www.nydailynews.co...ing_f.html

Michael Jackson is suffering from a rare lung condition and needs to undergo an emergency transplant operation, according to a report that continues to gain steam.

And his normally outspoken publicist hasn't denied the allegations.

The King of Pop may even be fighting for his life, New York Times bestselling biographer Ian Halperin tells In Touch magazine and Britain's Sunday Express newspaper.

Halperin, author of such tomes as "Love & Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain" and "Stalking Britney: Under Siege With Britney Spears," says Jackson has been diagnosed with Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, an occasionally fatal genetic condition.

"He's had it for years but it's gotten worse," Halperin told In Touch. "He needs a lung transplant but may be too weak to go through with it.

He also has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping. It's the bleeding that is the most problematic part. It could kill him."

According to Halperin, Jackson "can barely speak" and is having trouble seeing: "The vision in his left eye is 95 percent gone."

Jackson, who has lived largely out the public eye in recent years, shocked fans in July when he was photographed in wheelchair.

The 50-year-old also received help walking when stepped out in Los Angeles earlier this month wearing a Zorro-style face mask.

Jackson's rep was unavailable for comment Sunday, but the singer's brother Jermaine didn't deny the reports, telling Fox News, "He's not doing so well right now. This isn't a good time."

Cinnie said:

Well Imma donate one of my good eyes and one of my good weaves to him, so I guess that makes me his #1 now!

Even Fox News has said that the rumor is fake

If just for a second the eye thing is true (95% blind in one eye), would his dancing days be over?

spins would be outta the question, believe me, i'm that bored i just tried it with one eye closed.

bboy87 said:

Shocking.

Timmy84 said:

And when you know them muthafuckas are skeptical, that says alot

bboy87 said:

BASICALLY!

Timmy84 said:

And wouldn't he bed ridden,weak, and hooked up to some kind of machine?

He actually looks healthier. Somebody needs to send this Ian dude to Western Career College to learn about medicine

bboy87 said:

Also if dude's eye like blind, wouldn't he have an eye patch or something?

God, Ian is doing this to get attention anyway.

One of our local radio stations repeated this story this morning,advising fans that they should "pray for Michael" !

I think the story is nonsense and he needs to issue a statement NOW,denying it...before it gets out of hand (like the recent Janet Jackson rumors).

Jacko Not Sick, Except In Head

Michael Jackson is not suffering from any life threatening diseases. Everyone can relax. Reports of his ailing health have been extremely exaggerated.

Reports over the weekend that Jackson has some newly revealed sickness requiring a lung transplant are totally hokum, I can assure you.

Yesterday I spoke to one of Jackson's regular insiders who reported that the kooky former King of Pop is just fine, playing with his kids, and living large in a house he can't afford in Beverly Hills.

On top of that, it was just a few days ago that this columnist spoke with Darren Julien, the man arranging the big Jackson memorabilia auction in Los Angeles next April. Our conversation occurred just before the "news" of Jackson's illness broke. Julien told me that his dealings with Jackson and Jackson's manager, the enigmatic Dr. Tohme Tohme, and they were proceeding without incident. Jackson wasn't ill, and, Julien said, "seemed really organized" about the sale.

Over the years, Jackson illnesses have been identified as vitiligo, Lupus, addiction to prescription pain killers, and laziness. He's also a publicity hound who thinks that news of illness will make him sympathetic to the public. He learned this from Elizabeth Taylor, his one-time best friend.

More importantly, Jackson remains in financial peril thanks to his recent settlement of a $7 million lawsuit with Prince Adbulla of Bahrain. Additionally, Jackson just refinanced his Neverland ranch with Colony Capital LLC and Thomas Barrack because of his never ending need for cash. Apparently, he's used the money to squander it on a new expensive home rental rather than just return to Neverland or live in his parent's home in Encino, California, where he holds the mortgage.

But dying or in need of emergency surgery? Not Michael Jackson. It was just recently that he ventured outside his house wearing a Zorro mask to get attention. An easier way might be just to make an album or perform a concert.

http://www.foxnews.com/st...,00.html#1

NaughtyKitty said:

Faux News is such fucking filth!

I can't even take that article seriously considering that the source is Roger Friedman who has an obsession with Michael and makes up most of the things he writes about him. Friedman is the same one who was reporting recently that Michael was close to death, yet now he's singing a different tune . Oh please. I do believe Michael probably has some illness of some sort, but I doubt he's close to death or anything like some in the media are reporting.