Michael Jackson’s friends and family have gathered to bid farewell to the King of Pop at Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary in Glendale, California.
Dozens of stars including Elizabeth Taylor, Macaulay Culkin and his girlfriend, Mila Kunis, the Reverend Al Sharpton, Corey Feldman, Miko Brando, Michael’s ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley and Chris Tucker are seated among Michael’s family at a service being held in the outdoors.
The ceremony, which is just starting, was originally due to begin at 7 PM and was scheduled to last just one hour.
Most of the Jackson family, however, arrived over an hour late to the service — around 8:15 PM — in a 26-vehicle convoy, CNN footage showed.
Joe Jackson arrived before the rest of the Jackson family, a little before 8 PM.
While waiting for the service to begin, the Reverend Al Sharpton kept Michael Jackson fans updated from inside the service using his Twitter account.
“I am sitting at the burial services of michael jackson. I am talking to actress lisaraye mc coy who was at NAN when MJ came and tom mesereau,” Sharpton Tweeted.
“Tom represented MJ in the child molestation case. We are all discussing his battles. This is a real moment for those who witnessed what he… What MJ went through was so unfair, yet he succeeded. In the end, he was the biggest artist ever. He faced the headwinds but he made it,” he continued.
Michael’s children – Prince Michael I, Paris and Blanket — are seated in the front row as is Michael’s mother Katherine and father Joe.
A host of dancers believed to be from Michael’s “This Is It” tour are dressed in military-style outfits and are serving as ushers at the event.
Janet and La Toya Jackson have arrived and are also seated in the front row.
Michael Jackson died on June 25 in Los Angeles at the age of 50.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.