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Singer left behind more than $400 million in debt. 
Michael Jackson
Photo: Time Life Pictures/DMI/Time Life Pictures/Getty Im Between album sales, movie profits, licensing arrangements and lucrative deals for Cirque du Soleil shows, the estate of late King of Pop Michael Jackson has raked in more than $300 million since the singer's shocking death in June 2009. According to TMZ, legal documents released on Thursday reveal that executors of MJ's estate have managed to make a major dent in the more than $400 million in debt that Jackson owed at the time of his death. The first accounting from the executors shows that they have already spent around $159 million paying back various debts, income taxes and other expenses, which include providing support for the pop star's mother, Katherine Jackson, as well as his three young children. "Although there remain unresolved creditor claims, pending litigation and additional challenging business, tax and legal issues, and the estate is not yet in a condition to be closed, the executors have made substantial progress in reducing the estate's debt," the documents state, according to a Reuters report. Two of Jackson's longtime confidants, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, were named as administrators in a will sign by the pop icon. In addition to paying to make "substantial improvements" to the Jackson family's Havenhurst estate in Encino, California, the executors also spent an undetermined amount of money on "last illness and funeral and memorial service expenses." Those costs included a $900,000 payment to the Forest Lawn Memorial cemetery where Jackson is buried and $35,000 on expenses described as "costume for memorial." TMZ reported that not only did the famously cash-strapped Jackson have more than $400 million in debt, but his estate also owed more than $40 million to concert promoter AEG tied to the scuttled This Is It Tour, for which MJ was rehearsing when he died unexpectedly. They've also paid $27.2 million in taxes and $4 million in mortgage payments on Jackson's properties. Despite the solid sales of the Michael album and millions of units of the singer's back catalog being sold, as well as the box office of the "This Is It" movie and DVD sales, the estate is not nearly out of the woods. TMZ noted that the administrators have received more than 65 creditors' claims, some of which are subject to "extremely high" interest rates, and there are several outstanding lawsuits against the estate in several countries. Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658290/michael-jackson-estate.jhtml Eliza Dushku Robot flick nabs $13.5 million from Tuesday-night screenings.
By Morgan Schwartz 
Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whitely in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount NEW YORK — The "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" red carpet in Times Square on Tuesday evening was packed with fans, stars and possibly a few Autobots eager to see the third installment of Michael Bay's explosive franchise. Theaters across the country were similarly swarming during evening screenings on opening night, with the alien robot flick nabbing $13.5 million in pre-midnight and midnight screenings, according to Deadline.com. And though the atmosphere in front of the screening that MTV News attended was excited, several in the crowd were cautious about their hopes for the flick. "I've actually had lower expectations since the second one," Joseph Dornoff told us before he walked in. "So, I'm not expecting anything from it." His friend, Patrick Farace, who has been anxiously waiting to see the third film since he heard of its release, also shared his hope to see "a better plot than the last one, amazing action. I'm excited to see Shockwave — he's the new villain." Judging by the reaction in the audience, "Dark of the Moon" surpassed many people's expectations. Fans clapped, cheered and possibly even shed a tear as the Autobots battled the evil Decepticons in their quest to bring home planet Cybertron to Earth. Although the third film featured the same basic good vs. evil fight peppered with romance as the first two, everything seemed to be bigger in this one. The battles between Megatron, Sentinel Prime, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime were the clear fan favorite. "[It's great] when Optimus comes by and just starts ripping everybody apart," said Wesley Arocho after the movie was done. "This action is made even more exciting by the fact that for the first time, audiences got to view it in 3-D." "The 3-D was great. All the special effects were great," Carlos Barrozi added. "It was better than past movies. It didn't hurt your eyes. You were able to watch it without wanting to take your glasses off," said Briana Brink-Rivera. Two friends, Mustafa Ahmed and Munawar Ali Mohd, even went so far as to say seeing the epic Chicago action in 3-D was "a dream come true." Even Sam Witwicky's (Shia LaBeouf) love life seemed to be hotter in the third film. When asked which of Sam's love interests they preferred, newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley or former franchise hottie Megan Fox, brothers Brandon and Bryce McCright responded simultaneously, "Rosie!" If the response on opening night is any indication, Bay and company can rest assured that they've redeemed themselves after "Revenge of the Fallen." Now, the only question that remains is: Can we expect a fourth? Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Related Videos Related Photos Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666622/transformers-dark-moon.jhtml Bar Refaeli Beyoncé Bianca Kajlich Bijou Phillips Blake Lively 'It was confusing to me,' director tells 'RapFix Live' in response to the MC encouraging rappers to tell their own stories.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Kara Warner 
Michael Rappaport
Photo: MTV News Despite all of the controversy surrounding "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest," ATCQ's Q-Tip has encouraged fans to see the documentary, which opens July 8 in select cities. The Queens MC has bucked at how the group was portrayed in the film, and during a visit to "RapFix Live" this past March, Tip encouraged other rap artists to tell their own stories. The doc's director, Michael Rapaport, who has weathered criticism from Tip in the past, appeared on "RapFix Live" Wednesday (June 29) and admitted that he was confused by the rapper's comments on the live stream. "We crack the mold, we break the rules. We define this culture that we in right now, this Western culture, the sh-- that's moving around the world, whether it be Tribe to Lil Wayne, Drake to Kanye, I don't care," Q-Tip said to Sway back in March. "This hip-hop sh-- is our sh--, and when we start moving in, control your stories, man. Tell your stories — that's what I learned from this." "I don't understand what [Q-Tip] was talkin' about with 'telling their own stories,' " Rapaport told MTV News. "I don't know if it was like, 'Hip-hop artists should direct movies about hip-hop artists,' or maybe he was saying, 'I should direct a documentary about myself,' which has never been done before." Rapaport argued that a filmmaker doesn't need to be a hip-hop artist to effectively document the culture on film and used "Goodfellas" and "Casino" director Martin Scorsese to illustrate his point. "Martin Scorsese does movies about gangsters, and if you've ever been around Martin Scorsese, he's the furthest thing from a gangster, so I don't understand the thing about 'tell the stories yourself,' " Rapaport said, sounding perplexed. "I don't know if he meant, 'We're from hip-hop, it should be a hip-hop director' or — I don't know who would go under the auspices of being a hip-hop director. Or if it was a racial thing like, 'We're black and shouldn't have a white director.' It was confusing to me." The filmmaker did acknowledge that despite the back and forth between him and the rapper, he did appreciate Q-Tip asking fans to support the movie. Whether the two can reconcile is up in the air. According to Rapaport, the last time he heard from Tip was through email and it seems that the message was less than encouraging. "I haven't talked to Q-Tip," he said. "Last time I heard from Q-Tip he sent me an email and he said, 'All you gotta do is stay white and be privileged.' " What do you think of Michael Rapaport's response to Q-Tip on "RapFix Live"? Sound off in the comments. Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666641/michael-rapaport-q-tip-a-tribe-called-quest.jhtml Cat Power Catherine Bell Chandra West Charisma Carpenter Charli Baltimore 'I have not been approached to fill in for Robert Plant on the Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be,' singer says.
By Chris Harris 
Chris Cornell
Photo: MTV News Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell has spoken out for the first time about rumors that he's been asked to fill in for Robert Plant on a proposed Led Zeppelin reunion tour. The trek would feature original guitarist Jimmy Page, original bassist John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham taking over on drums for his late father, John Bonham. Cornell has been mentioned — along with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, White Stripes mastermind Jack White and Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy — as a potential Plant fill-in. Plant has already said that he wouldn't take part in the tour. "I have not been approached so far to fill in for Robert Plant on the upcoming Zeppelin tour, but that isn't to say I won't be," Cornell told MTV News. "I've heard that from about 200 people now, and it might be one of those situations where it's just an online rumor or it might be true. But if you see anyone from Led Zeppelin around, let me know. I think I should actually fill in for Jimmy Page on the Robert Plant/ Alison Krauss tour." Cornell's denial comes just a day after Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford confirmed reports that frontman Steven Tyler recently met with Zeppelin for an impromptu jam session. "They did it for fun," Whitford said during an appearance on the syndicated show "Todd N Tyler Radio Empire." "I actually think Jimmy wanted Steven to come over and play a little bit because I think he was trying to light a fire under Robert." Rumors of a Zeppelin reunion tour have abounded since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider added fuel to the fire last month when he revealed that the group was thinking of touring, with or without Plant. According to Snider, the rest of the band told Plant, " 'We're all rehearsed, we're ready to go. Here's a gazillion dollars on the table. If you don't do it, we're going out with this kid [Myles Kennedy].' " "And he can sing the sh-- out of Zeppelin," Snider added. "They're going to hope that Robert, at the last minute, will go, 'OK,' and step in." In a recent interview, Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought to take over for Plant. "We are trying out a couple of singers," he said. "We want to do it. It's sounding great, and we want to get on and get out there." But Jones insists that he, Page and Bonham aren't interested in finding a Plant clone. "It's got to be right," he said. "There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be onboard." Of course, even if Zeppelin were to approach him, Cornell might be too busy to take over vocals for the band. His upcoming Timbaland-produced solo LP, Scream, will be released within the next few months. Cornell told MTV News last month that some of his fans might consider Scream something of a departure, but he doesn't see it that way. "It makes me happy that there's this perception that I have a group of fans that I'm now sort of throwing a curve at and what their reaction will be," he said. "But I've been in this situation so many times already. When I put out [1999's] Euphoria Morning, my main goal was to create an album that sounded like nothing I'd done in Soundgarden, and I did that. I also had that with Temple of the Dog, where I showed up with songs that weren't necessarily riff-based. And then, of course, the pairing of me and members of Rage Against the Machine had everyone sort of speculating about what that would sound like. "It feels like I've done this so many times that when it's presented to me as being a departure, I feel that's a misconception," he added. "I feel like that's my theme at this point." Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598367/chris-cornell-debunks-led-zeppelin-rumors.jhtml Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli Nicki Minaj, Ke$ha, Selena Gomez also make fashion splash on red carpet, as showgirl style rules at the Las Vegas event on Sunday night.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards
Photo: Jordan Strauss/ Getty Images On Sunday night, some of the biggest names in the music industry hit up the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas and decided that sparkles and sequins make for the perfect additions to any red carpet get-up. Well, it is Sin City after all. Taylor Swift always seems to bring some of that Nashville sparkle to any red carpet. She arrived at the show in a pale-hued, sequined Elie Saab gown. Nicki Minaj showed off her signature sense of style in her baby-blue, body-hugging spandex Mark Fast catsuit. Selena Gomez turned up the style dial in a sexy, cut-out black Dolce & Gabbana gown that she paired with red strappy sandals with sparkly bow detailing. Like Gomez, Ke$ha opted for some cut-out detailing in her sparkly, slate-gray dress with tulle skirt. Rihanna looked white hot in her men's tailored Max Azria suit, which she kept sexy and feminine by not buttoning her shirt all the way. Fergie went S&M chic in her little black bandage-type dress by Hervé Léger. Nicole Kidman also wore black. She paired a casual braid hairstyle with a long black gown and Keith Urban. British pop cutie Kyle Minogue looked funky in her little black lacey dress. Inside the show, Britney Spears sat in the audience wearing a skimpy black dress of her own, her hair in loose curls, with little-to-no accessories. While some stars kept the color scheme low-key, Keri Hilson decided to stand out in her billowy little yellow dress paired with a turquoise-colored belt. Kelly Rowland showed off some of her best assets in a body-hugging, bright pink bandage dress. The fellas also looked tight on the carpet. Joe Jonas wore all black with white sneakers, Ne-Yo paired his periwinkle suit with a Yankees cap and Justin Bieber wore black tuxedo pants with a gold-lamé tuxedo jacket. Which stars' styles caught your eye at the Billboard Music Awards? Tell us in the comments. Related Photos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1664386/billboard-music-awards-taylor-swift-rihanna.jhtml Esther Cañadas Eva Green Eva Longoria Eva Mendes Evangeline Lilly Official 'Hollywood Tonight' remix coming to Miami Music Week.
By Akshay Bhansali 
Chuckie
Photo: Jason Ano/ One and Only Productions Leaving the South by Southwest festival, Lavo New York and Las Vegas' Marquee in his wake, house DJ Chuckie has his sights set on the week ahead. With Miami Music Week now upon us, Chuckie plans to seize the opportunity to debut new material. Fans will be tickled to know the Dutch producer has tracks in the can with Kelly Rowland and T-Pain, but when MTV News caught up with him Friday in New York, Chuckie shared the achievement of which he's most proud. "I did a Michael Jackson remix, which was really scary — to touch Michael Jackson vocals," Chuckie said. "I did this remix for this track 'Hollywood Tonight.' I couldn't say it for a minute: The label called me, and they said, 'You can't say nothing about this. It's kind of a secret project.' It's gonna come out anytime now." "Hollywood Tonight" was originally produced by Teddy Riley for Jackson's posthumous Michael album, and Chuckie's mix of the song will be the sole official remix of the track. "I will play it Miami," Chuckie revealed. "I told them this is the best week to launch the remix. So it feels really good. I'm the only one remixing that Michael Jackson track, and they are considering it a single. For me, especially, it's an honor to remix the King of Pop because he died on my birthday." So, will the mix be a thundering Chuckie Dutch house banger or will it have a melodic progressive house feel, like his Marquee remix of Diddy-Dirty Money's "I Hate That You Love Me"? Well, according to the "Let the Bass Kick" producer, fans will be getting a healthy dose of both. "I had to bring in the raucous," Chuckie confessed. "Yeah, I did the Chuckie flavor, but then again, I wanted to make it really musical, so I went progressive (house) on it." Chuckie will be performing twice at Miami Music Week: at the Cr2 Records Party at Wall Lounge on Wednesday, and then headlining "No Sugar Added" at Nikki Beach on Friday. Are you excited to hear Chuckie's remix of Michael Jackson's "Hollywood Tonight"? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660345/michael-jackson-chuckie-remix.jhtml Bijou Phillips Blake Lively Blu Cantrell Bonnie Jill Laflin Bridget Moynahan 'It was confusing to me,' director tells 'RapFix Live' in response to the MC encouraging rappers to tell their own stories.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Kara Warner
Michael Rappaport
Photo: MTV News Despite all of the controversy surrounding "Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest," ATCQ's Q-Tip has encouraged fans to see the documentary, which opens July 8 in select cities. The Queens MC has bucked at how the group was portrayed in the film, and during a visit to "RapFix Live" this past March, Tip encouraged other rap artists to tell their own stories. The doc's director, Michael Rapaport, who has weathered criticism from Tip in the past, appeared on "RapFix Live" Wednesday (June 29) and admitted that he was confused by the rapper's comments on the live stream. "We crack the mold, we break the rules. We define this culture that we in right now, this Western culture, the sh-- that's moving around the world, whether it be Tribe to Lil Wayne, Drake to Kanye, I don't care," Q-Tip said to Sway back in March. "This hip-hop sh-- is our sh--, and when we start moving in, control your stories, man. Tell your stories — that's what I learned from this." "I don't understand what [Q-Tip] was talkin' about with 'telling their own stories,' " Rapaport told MTV News. "I don't know if it was like, 'Hip-hop artists should direct movies about hip-hop artists,' or maybe he was saying, 'I should direct a documentary about myself,' which has never been done before." Rapaport argued that a filmmaker doesn't need to be a hip-hop artist to effectively document the culture on film and used "Goodfellas" and "Casino" director Martin Scorsese to illustrate his point. "Martin Scorsese does movies about gangsters, and if you've ever been around Martin Scorsese, he's the furthest thing from a gangster, so I don't understand the thing about 'tell the stories yourself,' " Rapaport said, sounding perplexed. "I don't know if he meant, 'We're from hip-hop, it should be a hip-hop director' or — I don't know who would go under the auspices of being a hip-hop director. Or if it was a racial thing like, 'We're black and shouldn't have a white director.' It was confusing to me." The filmmaker did acknowledge that despite the back and forth between him and the rapper, he did appreciate Q-Tip asking fans to support the movie. Whether the two can reconcile is up in the air. According to Rapaport, the last time he heard from Tip was through email and it seems that the message was less than encouraging. "I haven't talked to Q-Tip," he said. "Last time I heard from Q-Tip he sent me an email and he said, 'All you gotta do is stay white and be privileged.' " What do you think of Michael Rapaport's response to Q-Tip on "RapFix Live"? Sound off in the comments. Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666641/michael-rapaport-q-tip-a-tribe-called-quest.jhtml Busy Philipps Cameron Diaz Cameron Richardson Camilla Belle Carla Campbell Queen B takes fans behind the scenes of the year spent making her new album in special airing Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Beyoncé in her "Year of <i>4</i>" special
Photo: MTV Beyoncé released 4 on Tuesday (June 28), and she's taking fans behind-the-scenes of her new album in the MTV special "Beyoncé: Year of 4," set to premiere on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET/PT on MTV and BET, and at 7:30 on VH1 and Palladia (encore presentations will air later on MTV.com, MTV Hits and MTV Jams). The special was filmed during Beyoncé's year off, as she set out to discover what she wanted next in her career. It kicks off as B wraps up her I Am Tour, and finds herself at a crossroads before eventually giving into her mother's advice to take some time off. "My life was award shows and tour buses and hotels and it kind of goes by so fast ... I couldn't even hear it anymore," she says of her whirlwind schedule. "I'm just thinking about the next shoot ... the next video ... the next tour." Fans are with Queen B as she travels, hangs out with family, friends and husband Jay-Z, and takes time to reflect on her crazy successful career. "I never even realized I needed a year off," she later says. "And I never realized I don't know how to take a year off." During this reflective time in her life, Beyoncé also began working on her most eclectic album to date, mixing genres and styles to make 4. The special also takes a look at her career as she takes charge of her business. "It was very risky for me to set out on my own," she says. "Sometimes we don't reach for the stars, sometimes we are satisfied with what people tell us we're supposed to be satisfied with, and I'm just not going for it." 4, B's fourth solo album, is a mix of sassy uptempo tracks like the lead single "Run the World (Girls)," soft ballads like "1+1," as well as sassy midtempo songs like "Best Thing I Never Had." She worked with producers and artists like The-Dream, Kanye West and Andre 3000 for the release. "Being able to take viewers behind the creative curtain of one of the world's most amazing and talented artists, Beyoncé, in the lead-up to her album release is a pure thrill," Van Toffler, President, MTV Music Group, LOGO and Film, said in a statement. "This honest and intimate special provides her audience and fans a rare opportunity to witness a true, musical genius at work and the stories that defined and inspired her incredible new album." Tune in to "Beyoncé: Year of 4," airing Thursday, June 30, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on MTV and BET, and at 7:30 p.m. on VH1 and Palladia. Encore presentations follow on MTV.com, MTV Hits and MTV Jams. Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666569/beyonce-year-of-4.jhtml Brittany Murphy Brittany Snow Brittny Gastineau Brody Dalle Brooke Burke 'I've never been afraid to fall,' she says in the special, which debuted Thursday on MTV.
By Jocelyn Vena 
Beyoncé in her "Year of <i>4</i>" special
Photo: MTV It's a good time to be Beyoncé. The singer just released her latest album, 4, and fans were taken behind the scenes of its completion in the special "Beyoncé: Year of 4," which debuted Thursday (June 30) on MTV. The intimate special opens with black-and-white footage of the singer swimming. "I'm always happy when I'm surrounded by water," she says. "I think I'm a mermaid or I was a mermaid. The ocean makes me feel really small, and it puts my whole life into perspective. ... It humbles you and it grounds you and it makes me feel almost like I've been baptized. Am I the same Beyoncé? Absolutely not." The special is footage of B's life, complete with montages of the frenzy surrounding her: Video shoots, rehearsals, studio time and photo shoots all pepper her life as she prepares to release her fourth solo studio effort. However, she is quick to point out that, before she got back to work, she needed to decompress in a major way. "After I finished the last tour, I was a bit overwhelmed and overworked, and my mother was the person that preached to me ... 'You really need to live your life and open your eyes and you don't want to wake up with no memories,' " she explained. Beyoncé shows what she did on her off-time, which included playing aunt and wife. "I was able to spend time with my family and pick my nephew up from school, and it gave me time to reflect," she said. In that reflection time, Beyoncé made a major business decision: Her father, Mathew Knowles, would no longer serve as her manager. While explaining the decision, fans are taken back in time thanks to vintage video of the Knowles family. "A real change meant separating from him," she said. "It was scary, but it empowered me, and I wasn't going to let fear stop me." Fans are once again on Beyoncé's whirlwind world tour as she continues work on her album. "I am a workaholic, and I don't believe in 'no,' " she said. "If I'm not sleeping, nobody's sleeping." "My focus is not bigger; it's quality, and I want to make sure it's something I'm proud of years from now," she says later on. "It's very difficult managing myself. Every night when I go to sleep, I ask hundreds of questions. I'm making mistakes, and I'm learning from them. I've never been afraid to fall — and I say all these things, but now I'm being tested." As the special closes, Beyoncé shoots her "Run the World (Girls)" video and continues work on her album, including meetings with record executives. It all ends with B swimming once again, as she says, "I'm learning to drown out the noise. I only have to follow my heart. I run my world." What did you think of Beyoncé behind-the-scenes world? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos Related Artists Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666719/beyonce-year-of-4.jhtml Ana Paula Lemes Ananda Lewis Angela Marcello Angelina Jolie Anna Faris |
