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Joseph Jackson's TV interview, continues to profit off Michael VIDEO

By April MacIntyre Jul 12, 2009, 17:46 GMT

06/28/2009 - Joe Jackson - “Good Morning America” reportedly paid Jackson around $200,000 for a series of interviews - part of a deal for a one-hour documentary on the Jackson family. © Ken McCoy / PR Photos

People surrounding Michael Jackson have profited from the singer, in life and in death.

Since Michael’s death, celebrity reporter Roger Friedman claims father Joe Jackson "has made at least a half million dollars off his late, famous son."

Sister La Toya Jackson has told the media she believes Michael's inner circle murdered her brother by enabling and facilitating gross abuse of prescription drugs, allowing those physically closest to Jackson to rob him blind over the years.

“Good Morning America” reportedly paid Jackson around $200,000 for a series of interviews - part of a deal for a one-hour documentary on the Jackson family.

Friedman reports that the British tabloids are topping the Americans, paying the father of the Jackson Five "at least $250,000 plus expenses to exploit Michael’s memory."

Los Angeles politicians meanwhile are reeling from a hefty tab left behind for the Michael Jackson memorial, and despite meager fan contributions, local Los Angeles news coverage reveals a deeply divided city council that is facing the wrath of residents in the cash-strapped city of broke California.  Los Angeles councilman Dennis Zine has called for a review into how the city's resources were used during last Tuesday's Jackson memorial at the Staples Center.

The event required the deployment of thousands of police officers, emergency services and a SWAT team that reportedly transported Jackson's casket.

Zine wants to call for the event's promoters (AEG) or producers who might provide "reimbursement to the city to replenish the public safety and other critical funds."  He claimed the actual cost of Jackson-related events may exceed four million dollars.

The Los Angeles Times ran an op/ed piece which also called out the Jackson memorial expenses, "it makes sense to call on AEG, which ran the show and owns the facilities, to foot the 1.4-million-dollar bill," although, it added, the claims need not have been made on the day of the event.

Friedman claims now that the body of Michael lay in a "borrowed" Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, "because the Jackson family hasn’t figured out which location would maximize their profits best."  Friedman further claims that "the horror of Joseph Jackson is only more heightened by the fact that he’s told reporters this week that he somehow foresees exploiting Michael’s children as performers in a bid to regain his glory days of the Jackson 5."

The evidence is presented in Friedman's article on Joe Jackson, that Michael hated him. "There is abundant evidence that Michael hated his father. One insider working on Jackson’s business affairs since his death, a person who hadn’t known Joseph Jackson previously, said to me last week, 'He killed Michael. Everything he did to to him led up to this. I’ve never met a more awful person.' "

Liza Minnelli, when interviewed by CNN's Larry King, also referred to Joe Jackson as "that father of his" in disgust, remembering how Michael had no childhood or free will as a younger man.

Lou Ferrigno, also on Larry King's show, shared he an Michael "had the same kind of fathers," which explained their unusual friendship, and how they coped with their abusive parents; Michael through his music, Lou through his bodybuilding.

Friedman also recalls Joe Jackson's shameless efforts to earn off of Michael's name, "Joseph is famous for coming up with schemes behind Michael’s back. To wit: On the day of Michael’s famous 30th anniversary solo show, Joe Jackson called a news conference and invited select journalists. I was one of them. It was obvious Michael had no idea this was going on. Mr. Jackson told us he was going to start selling footage of the Jackson 5 for profit."

Friedman interviewed Jackson: "I asked him about his parental philosophy. 'You have to be strict with kids,' he said. 'There’s nothing wrong with punishment as long as you know how to punish.'

Friedman asked Joe "what would be a typical punishment?"

“Beat his back,” Joe Jackson replied.

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