Tuesday (June 28, 2011) night, I had the utter pleasure of meeting the sweet, soft spoken La Toya Jackson at her book signing for Starting Over
, at the Barnes & Noble at The Grove LA. Over a thousand excited fans showed up for the rare opportunity to meet their idol, and many were seen leaving the scene in tears of joy after they had accomplished what they stood waiting in line for hours to do.
I went to the event as both press and a true fan and happy that I was able to express to La Toya my heartfelt appreciation for the wisdom, kindness and lightheartedness she displayed on the latest season of Celebrity Apprentice. If you watched her on that show, you know what I mean. If you didn’t, the gist of it is that La Toya always remained her humble self despite the fact that all of the women on the show ganged up on her, some in the most vile and disrespectful ways. La Toya never threw mud back and only expressed forgiveness when given a chance to speak. It was refreshing to see a woman being a lady on reality TV these days.
In her new tell-all memoir, La Toya pays tribute to her late brother, Michael Jackson, revealing intimate moments she shared with the deeply troubled pop legend.
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| Rick and Kathy Hilton With Latoya Jackson and Jackson’s manager, Jeffre Phillips |
La Toya was the first of MJ’s sibling to arrive at the hospital after Michael was rushed there two years ago, and as the informant on his death certificate, she noticed suspicious details and demanded a second autopsy. For the first time, she unveils shocking behind-the-scenes dealings that she believes led to her brother’s demise and she provides unprecedented insight into the destruction of one of the most dynamic artists in history.
La Toya claims there was a conspiracy to murder Michael. “People come into your life, wiggle their way in, control you, manipulate, control your funds, your finances, everything that you have,” she told Piers Morgan on CNN last week. She said her brother told her right before his death: “La Toya, I’m going to be murdered for my music publishing catalogue and my estate.”
La Toya has been consistent in her allegations since Michael’s passing. In her memoir, La Toya offers more detail on who wanted Michael dead in her opinion and reveals how much MJ himself knew about the plot. She told Morgan: “Michael told me that they were going to murder him. He was afraid for his life. I believe that when Michael walked in that house that night, whatever it was that greeted him, he knew that his end was upon him. And as soon as he had passed, some of the very people he had expressed suspicions about now controlled his estate.”
Although Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael’s private physician, will solely stand trial for MJ’s death, La Toya suggests he is not even at the center of the conspiracy to kill MJ. “I truly feel Dr Murray was simply the fall guy,” she told Extra. “I think it’s too easy to blame him. I think the investigation needs to go … further.”
Celebs who came out to support La Toya’s book signing:
Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Corbin Bleu (High School Musical)
Actor Flex Alexander, wife recording artist Shanice and their children Elijah Alexander and Imani Alexander
