So how much pop was in the King of Pop's funeral?
After the world-televised seating of family and famous friends, most of Michael Jackson's Sept. 3 funeral took place behind the closed gates of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The event's costs, however, were only made public yesterday, when court papers were released Tuesday as lawyers continued to wrangle over other estate details in court.
According to the papers, more than $1 million went into the event, including the solid bronze casket with 14-karat gold-plated handles and the party following the ceremony — all of which needed court approval for Michael Jackson's estate to cover the costs. That's a lot of "This Is It" ticket sales.
The papers also show that sisters Janet and LaToya Jackson were owed reimbursements of $49,000 and $2,437, respectively, for fronting immediate funeral costs. As Katherine Jackson's lawyer states in the court papers, while the costs are "significant, they are entirely commensurate with the decedent's worldwide status as an entertainer and with the world's grief over his death."
