TMZ has learned Michael Jackson was involved in negotiations to buy a $38 million 15 bedroom, 16.5 bath Bel Air mansion just before he died, and the deal was 7 years in the making.
Sources connected to the situation tell us MJ fell in love with the 18,020 square foot estate back in 2001 and actually entered into escrow -- but the deal fell through because Jackson ultimately couldn't afford the place.
But recently, Michael was trying to work out a new deal with the owners in the hopes of coming into enough cash to score the place after his "This Is It" concert series in England.
A source tells TMZ: "Jackson brought his kids to see the house and they fell in love with it ... They begged him to buy it."
The kids' favorite part? We're told they were all fired up about a secluded area under the house which was nicknamed the "Bat Cave."
Sources say Jackson had hoped to use the land to recreate as much of Neverland as he legally could, but as we all know ... he never got the chance.
This video is probably as real as the existence of unicorns -- but the clip, claiming to show Michael Jacksonwalking out of the back of a Coroner's van after his "death," is making the rounds on the Internet today.
According to the LiveLeak post: "I checked the license plate number and it looks like the King of Pop is jumping out of the same van, his dead body has been in. I got the original video tape from a trustworthy source. I know him for years. And I am sure it´s real and Michael is alive."
We've learned the DEA is hot on the trail of finding out who got the powerful anesthesia that may have killed Michael Jackson.
As we first reported, law enforcement sources tell us they believe Propofol was the primary cause of Jackson's death. One of the vials of Propofol found at Jackson's home was manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals. The DEA contacted Teva to track down the vial in question.
Our sources say Teva looked at the lot number of the vial and found some of the vials in the lot went to AmerisourceBergen -- a distributor of the drug. We're told the DEA contacted AmerisourceBergen a few days ago and asked for all sales records of Propofol over a recent two-month period.
We're told the DEA is looking to match doctors or other health care providers that obtained the drug with doctors who have some connection to Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson's former nanny, Grace Rwaramba, fulfilled most of her high school fantasies when she became a part of MJ's life -- as her old high school yearbook spells out multiple times.
Michael Jackson is mentioned four separate times in her 1985 senior yearbook from The Academy of the Holy Family in Connecticut. In one section, classmates predicting Rwaramba would marry the singer and have her "own generation of Jackson 5."
Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson's longtime dermatologist and friend, spoke to photogs outside his home this morning about Jackson and buzz about him in the media.
The LAPD wants to speak with Klein about drugs and Michael. Klein said, "There are no allegations about me. I guarantee it." There are also reports that he's the biological father of Jackson's kids.
So for the last few months we've been catching Michael Jackson leaving a medical building in Beverly Hills. Now we know who Jackson has been seeing.
Jackson has been going to the office of Dr. Arnie Klein -- dermatologist to the stars -- and he's been going there several times a week lately. Klein and M.J. have a long history together. Klein has treated Jackson's vitiligo -- a pigmentation disorder.
In 1993, when Jackson was under criminal investigation the first time for alleged child molestation, cops searched Klein's office and seized medical records after news reports suggested Klein may have bleached Jackson's genitals so Jacko's accuser wouldn't be able to ID the singer's private parts. The claim was never proven.
By the way, in the 90's Klein had a nurse by the name of Debbie Rowe. She married Jacko and had two of his kids via artificial insemination. They later divorced.
Flashing his mortal face and human arm, Michael Jackson left his home away from home -- a medical building -- wearing an updated version of his infamous '80s red leather jacket.
The 50-year-old former King of Pop is slowly transforming back to his old self.
The woman who used to speak for Michael Jackson when he got sued ... is now suing him -- joining the long line of people who claim they were stiffed by the King of Pop.
In a statement, Raymone Bain explains, "Mr. Jackson has elected not to honor the financial obligations of our contractual relationship, despite my numerous attempts to amicably resolve this matter.I am sincerely disappointed in Mr. Jackson's failure to honor his obligations."
Bain repped Jackson for many years -- shouldn't she know this is how he rolls?
Calls to Jacko's new people have not been returned.
The chick who starred as Michael Jackson's female date in the "Thriller" video is suing Jacko and his production company -- claiming she hasn't been paid royalties from the legendary video.
We spoke to Ola Ray's attorney, who tells us the former Playboy Playmate is suing for breach of contract because she claims she never got her cut of the "Thriller" profits.
We're told Ola's not sure exactly how much she's owed -- her accountants will figure that out.
If the swine flu has an extended incubation period, Michael Jackson is the most protected man in America ... but he's also just gone over the deep edge, even for him.
Jacko took his kids shopping at Ed Hardy yesterday, and in a move stranger than his get-up, he took off with one of the store's tatted-up mannequins!
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We've just obtained photos of the ambulance Michael Jackson's chauffeur allegedly smashed into yesterday -- and it looks more like a scrape-and-run than a hit-and-run.
As you can see in the photos, there's obvious damage on the left side of the ambulance, including the driver's side mirror which is hanging on by a thread. The EMT told us the sudden impact caused injuries to him and his partner -- who were sitting in the ambulance at the time.
If you had your eye on the gloves from "Edward Scissorhands" or the actual gates of Neverland Ranch, we have some disappointing news for you -- the auction of Michael Jackson's crazy stuff ain't happening.
As part of a settlement between Jackson's production company and Julien's Auction House, Jackson gets to keep the nearly 2,000 items that were to be auctioned off beginning next week.
Terms of the settlement are confidential, but the attorney for the auction house tells us "everyone is happy."
The auction house had previously said they spent $2 million organizing the sale and it was guessing the items could have fetched $12 million.
Is it wrong to buy gigantic metal gates from a very creepy man? Apparently not, according to the one person who bid at least $10,000 to buy the gates from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch via the singer's online auction.
Some of the items also up for grabs: A gigantic, five-foot tall statue of Geppetto holding Pinnochio, the claws from Edward Scissorhands and even an autographed basketball from Michael Jordan.
It's nice to know Jacko is still sticking to his guns by refusing to represent himself as a normal human being who doesn't own scary things.
Millions of kids still wanna be like Mike -- and according to the American Cancer Society, that's a bad thing. The ACS is fuming over several photos TMZ posted earlier of MJ playing softball with a fat stogie hangin' out of his mouth. Now, the ACS has unleashed a mouthpiece of their own, their former president Cary Presant MD, who told us, "When high profile athletes publicly display unhealthful habits they can mislead young people to emulate their behavior. According to the American Cancer Society tobacco use in this country is responsible for 1/3 of all cancers and remains the most preventable cause of death in our society. 8.6 million Americans suffer from chronic smoking-related disease. Since 1964 smoking has cause more than 12 million premature deaths in the U.S."
At the movies this weekend, it's all about 300 Spartans preparing for glory, but for the Z List, it's all about five celebrities who should be sorry.
Ann Coulter: The blonde bombshell of right wing punditry was officially inducted into the exclusive boys club of Michael Richards, Mel Gibson and Isaiah Washington, as major fallout continued to build in the wake of her derogatory description of Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards. A number of newspapers have dropped her column, she's lost a bunch of website sponsors, and all of a sudden, perhaps for the first time, even her fans are looking past the long legs and long locks. Hasn't Coulter learned anything from Hollywood's terrible trio? You don't deem it a "schoolyard taunt;" you apologize, as quickly and as contritely as you can.
The kids' favorite part? We're told they were all fired up about a secluded area under the house which was nicknamed the "Bat Cave."
We've learned the DEA is hot on the trail of finding out who got the powerful anesthesia that may have killed Michael Jackson.
If you had your eye on the gloves from "Edward Scissorhands" or the 
