$1 Million Of Michael Jackson Memorabilia Stolen?
Michael Jackson's estate says a former fiance of one of his family members stole multiple items in the days after the singer's death.
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He may have been gone for thirteen years at this point, but Michael Jackson’s legacy and name are still living on in songs and headlines. Per TMZ, the late King of Pop’s estate is currently fighting to reclaim personal effects and memorabilia they claim were stolen by Jeffre Phillips, the former fiance of one of Jackson’s relatives, following the singer’s passing. The items are valued at an estimated $1 million, per the court filings.
The estate alleges that Jeffre Phillips, who was previously engaged to one of Michael Jackson’s siblings at the time, took unreleased songs and concert footage along with the other items. While the belongings were given an estimate of one million, it’s entirely possible that they could be worth even more due to the historical and pop culture significance of the items.
While the filings haven’t appeared before a judge yet, the estate says that they know where the items are, and that there are current plans to sell them. With the market being hot for Michael Jackson memorabilia as is, this sale could potentially be snapped up fast by an avid fan or collector. Representatives for the estate have made it clear they will not allow that to happen though, filing motions to have the items confiscated and returned to them.
Michael Jackson’s passing shocked the world in 2009, suddenly bringing to a halt the momentum he had been building for a massive comeback. Jackson had been planning and rehearsing his This is It tour, due to begin just three weeks before his untimely death. According to his estate, the items were stolen during the following days as the Jackson estate was in turmoil.
Among the items listed as stolen were various handwritten notes by Michael Jackson, featuring written lyrics and notes to family. Filings also list various other items stolen from a canvas bag to computers and cassette tapes that could probably pass for ancient artifacts at this point. Though no word was given as to the contents of the computers and tapes, it can be assumed they included even more unreleased work from the legend himself.
There have been surprisingly few releases for Michael Jackson in the past few years, which is somewhat rare for an industry that releases new Tupac music every couple of years. Whether it is due to the estate or the late singer’s wishes, fans may end up never seeing some of this music. In the meantime, there are always the old classics to go back to.
The star rose to fame early in his life as part of the Jackson Five, a group made up of himself and his siblings. He went on to be the breakout member of the group, selling out arenas for years to come with elaborate stage shows and performances. Jackson won multiple awards throughout his life for best-selling albums such as Thriller and Off the Wall.
While the King of Pop may not be at the forefront of culture today, it’s undeniable that artists today owe a huge debt to him. Michael Jackson is still cited as a massive influence and impact on modern-day artists, and his music videos defined just what a music video could be. Though the star has been gone for more than a decade, his memory will live on for fans and his loved ones.
