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LOS ANGELES: 2008 has not been a good year for King of Pop.
A slew of financial problems plagued the troubled 50-year-old from being forced to sell his Neverland ranch to being sued by an Arab prince for reneging on a recording deal.
Now in the first of his two latest blows, Michael Jackson’s biographer claims he is going blind in his left eye and is in need of a lung transplant.
According to author Ian Halperin via The Sun, the pop legend “has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have a lot of trouble stopping”.
Halperin, who caused a stir by writing a book theorising that Kurt Cobain was murdered, insists that Jackson has been suffering from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency or A1AD for several years. The condition depletes a protein that protects both the liver and the lungs.
“For years, Michael has been working with his doctors to make sure it doesn’t progress. He has been on many medications that have stabilised him,” said Halperin.
The singer was last spotted in public two weeks ago in Los Angeles, wearing a Zorro-like mask as he headed into his doctor’s office and made the shopping rounds.
Earlier this year, he was photographed in a wheelchair pushed by aides, and just last month, Jackson did not make the trip to Britain to testify in a now-settled lawsuit with the Arab prince because he was too ill. He also shot down speculation that he would join his brothers in a reunion tour next year.
And on Wednesday, he was hit with another law suit from a woman by the name Billie Jean Jackson - just like his hit single - who claims to be the surrogate mother of Jackson’s son Blanket.
She has filed a suit in Los Angeles to seek US$1 million and joint legal and physical custody of the six-year-old child whose real name is Prince Michael II.
However the King of Pop insists Blanket was a product of artificial insemination.
Back in 1987, the courts threw out a US$150 million paternity suit filed by Billie against Michael.
Now, unless Billie Jean is planning on settling on the iconic sparkly glove used in (ironically) the "Billie Jean" music video or the large iron gates of his Neverland Ranch, she should have sued Jackson when he had more cash last time!
- CNA/jk
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