Michael Jackson’s extravagant funeral cost more than US$1 million, new court papers show.
The singer’s final farewell – held at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California and attended by his entire family and celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Lisa Marie Presley, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight – cost approximately US$1.1million and included a US$35,000 suit for Michael Jackson’s remains, a US$25,000 gold casket and US$30,000 for security.
The largest cost incurred for the funeral was an US$855,730 bill for the crypt in which Jackson’s remains are interred along with fees for its upkeep and that of 11 adjacent crypts that could not be subdivided and were purchased as one unit.
Additional fees included US$16,000 for flowers, US$21,500 for the post-service reception at the Villa Sorriso restaurant, US$11,716 for invitations and programmes, US$2,000 for usher costumes, US$450 for embalming and US$15,000 for the event planning company Bush Tompkins who designed the funeral.
The expenses were all in addition to the lavish public memorial service hosted at Los Angeles Staples Center.
But in a rare show of unity, the Jackson family and the executors of the King Of Pop’s estate all agreed that it was only fitting that he receive a ceremony fitting with the opulence of his life.
The legal documents, which were filed just days before the funeral, were unsealed earlier this week.
They reveal Jackson’s estate petitioned the court in September to approve the immediate release of the funds from the pop star’s fortune to pay for the proceedings.
The documents state: “Although the costs of the funeral and related expenses are significant, they are entirely commensurate with Michael Jackson’s worldwide status as an entertainer and the world’s grief over his death.
“Mrs Jackson and her family wish to honor her son by a funeral that seeks to offer solace to his multitude of fans and by which the family may also be comforted.
“As the court is well aware, the funeral arrangements and proceedings are being watched with intense media scrutiny. The interest and attention mandate the need for careful planning, including most especially the extensive security and police activity.”
The motion was quickly granted by the judge and included a payment of US$49,000 to Janet Jackson, who paid all of the initial costs to keep her brother’s body at the Forest Lawn mortuary.
source: Splash News
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