Michael Jackson Doctor Pleads Not Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter

Conrad Murray's trial slated to start March 28.
By Gil Kaufman


Dr. Conrad Murray appears in court on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California
Photo: Irfan Khan-Pool/ Getty Images

Michael Jackson's former personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray entered a plea of not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the pop star at his arraignment on Tuesday morning (January 25).

According to the Los Angeles Times, when asked by judge Michael Pastor how he pleaded to the charge, Murray said, "Your honor, I am an innocent man." When Pastor interrupted and asked Murray what his plea was, the cardiologist said, "Therefore, I plead not guilty."

The brief hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court ended with Pastor setting a March 28 date for the start of a trial in the case. Murray faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted, and the Times noted that he surprised the judge by invoking his right to a speedy trial, which meant the case would have to begin by late March. Pastor noted the rarity of a defendant asking to have a speedy trial, then set jury selection for the week of March 28 and said he was inclined to allow television coverage of the trial that the defense expects will last two months.

Lawyers for Murray have maintained his innocence all along, saying he did not do anything that "should have" caused the 50-year-old pop icon's death. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined that Jackson died of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol mixed with a cocktail of other sedatives.

Murray has admitted to administering propofol to Jackson in the hours before the singer's death, but the defense appears to be gearing up to claim that it was Jackson who administered the final, fatal dose of the drug after he woke in a panic from a fitful night of sleep.

During a preliminary hearing earlier this month to determine if there was enough evidence to hold Murray over for trial, the physician's attorneys said that there was evidence Jackson injected or drank a fatal amount of the drug when the doctor was not looking.

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Lady Gaga's Born This Way Big Debut: Where Does It Rank?

Gaga's latest posted the 10th-biggest week in SoundScan history.
By James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

By now, you're probably aware that Lady Gaga's Born This Way is the #1 album in the country, selling an impressive 1,108,000 copies in its first week of release. You're probably also aware that her first-week tally is the highest in more than six years, since 50 Cent's The Massacre moved more than 1,140,000 copies back in March 2005.

But what you might not be aware of is just where Born This Way's big debut ranks among the all-time greats. According to Billboard, since the debut of the SoundScan era in 1991, only 17 albums have sold more than 1 million copies in a week ... and Born This Way's bow lands on the very edge of the top 10.

Ahead of BTW on the list are a myriad of albums from early-2000s teen-pop sensations, including two released from 'NSYNC — No Strings Attached, which holds the record for the biggest one-week sales number in SoundScan history (it sold a whopping 2.4 million copies in 2000), and the follow-up, 2001's Celebrity, which sold 1.89 million in a week — the Backstreet Boys' Black & Blue and Millennium, and Britney Spears' Oops! ... I Did It Again.

Eminem also placed a pair of albums in the all-time top 10 — 2000's The Marshall Mathers LP and 2002's The Eminem Show — and 50 Cent and the Beatles are represented too. In fact, the top 10 is dominated by male artists: Only Spears (and now Gaga) have made the cut. And of the 17 albums to break the million mark in the SoundScan era, only five are by female artists, including Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard" Soundtrack, Norah Jones' Feels Like Home and Taylor Swift's Speak Now also accomplished the feat.

So while Born This Way's debut is certainly massive, it's by no means the most massive ... Here's a look at the list of albums that have sold more than 1 million copies in a week, with sales data courtesy of Nielsen SoundScan. (And yes, Limp Bizkit is on the list.)

» 'NSYNC, No Strings Attached, 2000: 2,416,000
» 'NSYNC, Celebrity, 2001: 1,880,000
» Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000: 1,760,000
» Backstreet Boys, Black & Blue, 2000: 1,591,000
» Eminem, The Eminem Show, 2002: 1,322,000
» Britney Spears, Oops! ... I Did It Again, 2000: 1,319,000
» The Beatles, 1, 2001: 1,259,000
» 50 Cent, The Massacre, 2005: 1,141,000
» Backstreet Boys, Millennium, 1999: 1,134,000 million
» Lady Gaga, Born This Way, 2011: 1,108,000
» Usher, Confessions, 2004: 1,096,000
» Garth Brooks, Double Live, 1998: 1,085,000 million
» Whitney Houston, "The Bodyguard' Soundtrack," 1993: 1,061,000
» Limp Bizkit, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, 2000: 1,055,000
» Taylor Swift, Speak Now, 2010: 1,047,000
» Norah Jones, Feels Like Home, 2004: 1,022,000
» Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III, 2008: 1,006,000

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United in the media ahead of PDX match

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller': Story Behind The 'Glee' Cover

MJ classic is mashed up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Heads Will Roll' for post-Super Bowl episode.
By Aly Semigran


"Glee"
Photo: FOX

Madonna, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and now, finally, Michael Jackson. The cast of "Glee" has covered plenty of icons during their first two seasons, but it's taken 33 episodes to get around to the King of Pop.

With a huge catalog of Jackson songs, the singing, dancing students of McKinley High paid homage to the late singer with one of his biggest staples (and, arguably, the greatest music video of all time) with their take on "Thriller."

The groundbreaking single from Jackson's best-selling album of the same name was mashed up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" for the post-Super Bowl episode (titled "The Sue Sylvester Bowl Shuffle"), featuring a zombie-fied "Glee" cast.

Bound to become a smash all over again (though with its nonstop rotation at Halloween parties and wedding receptions until the end of time, it's never truly gone away), here's a brief history of the dance/pop classic.

Released on January 23, 1984, "Thriller" was the seventh, and final, single to be released from Jackson's smash record. According to the RIAA, the album (released by Epic Records) has gone gold 29 times, narrowly edging out the Eagles' Greatest Hits 1971-1975 for the title of best-selling album of all time.

In 2009, MTV News estimated that the Thriller album was poised to go triple diamond, meaning 30 million records sold in the U.S. alone.

After Thriller's other singles (including "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something") dominated the charts, it was time for the spooky, undeniably original track to take over. The song "Thriller" also appeared on many of Jackson's other albums, including the compilations HIStory and Number Ones.

Clocking in at a little under six minutes (though the radio edit was closer to four-and-a-half), the song features pop-music mainstays like synthesizers but shakes things up with its spooky sound effects, including creaking floors, howling and thunder.

The song was produced by Quincy Jones and written and composed by Rod Tempterton and spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #4.

But it's the music video for "Thriller" that truly made it the phenomenon it was in the '80s and continues to be today. Less a music video than a mini-motion picture, the video (over 13 minutes long and directed by John Landis) won three MTV Video Music Awards and has been named the best music video of all time by many outlets, including VH1 for the special "VH1: 100 Greatest Videos."

The chiller features Jackson in that iconic red leather jacket on a date with his girlfriend (played by Ola Ray) before things go terribly awry. After all, as Jackson (whose disclaimer at the start of the video reads, "This film in no way endorses a belief in the occult") sings in the opening line, "It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark." Cue werewolves, zombies, Vincent Price's soliloquy and one of the most memorable dance sequences ever.

The video was (no pun intended) a monster hit. As the Los Angeles Times notes, "At the height of the song's popularity, MTV would run the 14-minute 'Thriller' video twice an hour."

Choreographed by Jackson and Michael Peters (who, as the LA Times also reported, appears in the video as one of the zombies) and with makeup by Oscar-winner Rick Baker (also an undead "Thriller" extra) was made with a huge budget of an estimated $500,000.

Still, the efforts paid off. Landis (who told the "Today" show back in 2009 that no one wanted to give them the funds to make the risky vid) made the accompanying 45-minute documentary about the venture, called "The Making of Thriller." Featuring the behind-the-scenes wizardry, as well as the music video in full, it would go on to move more than 10 million copies.

Since then, the signature song and video have seen their share fair of tributes in movies (notably in the 2004 comedy"13 Going on 30") and TV ("South Park," "Family Guy," "30 Rock," among others), not to mention the countless flash mobs that have gone viral. (Remember the prisoners in the Philippines who became overnight phenomenons on YouTube?)

Even with the "Glee" number, this likely won't be the last incarnation of "Thriller." Billboard reported in October that a "Thriller" film is in the works. With a plot allegedly revolving around Price's narration, Kenny Ortega, who directed Jackson's last effort, "This Is It," will reportedly helm the project.

Since Jackson's untimely passing on June 25, 2009, the song and video's legacy continue to live on. In the week following Jackson's death, "Thriller" was the best-selling track in the U.S., with sales of 167,000 copies on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles chart.

Then, in December 2009, "Thriller" was the first music video to ever be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It seems "no mere mortal can resist ... the thriller" after all.

What did you think of the "Thriller" mash-up on "Glee"? Let us know in the comments!

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Lady Gaga Fans Get Emotional About 'Inside The Outside' Special

'This interview was so sweet, I cried. She gives me hope for humanity,' one fan tweets about the MTV doc.
By James Dinh, with additional reporting by James Montgomery


Lady Gaga
Photo: MTV News

As her quest for world domination proceeds, Lady Gaga teamed up with MTV for an exclusive sit-down chat about her extraordinary journey to pop music royalty for the "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside" documentary, which premiered on Thursday night. In it, Gaga discusses her early career struggles and whirlwind rise to fame, a tale that has all of her Little Monsters abuzz after watching it.

Reactions to the hour-long special have been strong, with an overwhelming response coming in from fans who were selected to attend our special after-show live stream, users on the MTV News site and the social networks in between.

One of those Monsters chosen to visit MTV studios Thursday night was Adrianna, who told MTV News that she was personally touched by Gaga's account of her bullying incident. "I was been bullied all through high school, and I kind of want to thank those people in an awkward way because I wouldn't be the same person, just like Lady Gaga wouldn't be the same person," she shared. "We wouldn't be as strong and confident with ourselves if it wasn't for those people."

Decked out in Gaga-like leather gear, Adrianna explained that Mother Monster is a role model to those who may still endure bullying, and that ultimately she is an inspirational star.

MTV News' Facebook page was also flooded by a wave of Little Monsters who couldn't help but gush about the doc. Users like Jimmy Aleman got emotional watching the special, saying, "I saw it :) It made me cry. She is a true woman." And Rossi Ruska Coles appreciated the pop star's defiant story, writing, "Thank you for this great one hour, the true and real Gaga! Love her and her self-identity!"

Chifi55 also got in on the fun by commenting on MTV News' site, saying, "She's so honest and true ... You just can't believe how amazing and loving and kind she is. She was nothing and became the world's greatest pop star ... There is no one who deserves it more than her!"

Despite the 140-character limit, Gaga fans were also quick to hit us up via Twitter to share their thoughts on "Inside the Outside." Superfan Ryan Lee tweeted, "I cried watching the special. Whoever made it should win an award because they captured the beauty of the angel that is Lady Gaga."

HausOfKels revealed she also couldn't hold back tears, writing, "This interview was so sweet, I cried. She gives me hope for humanity. Her message changed my life + made me stronger. xo #MTVGAGA."

And it wasn't just Little Monsters who tuned in to the MTV special, but also some non-fans, including sayjay41297, who admitted she's been transformed. "I didn't know all that much about Gaga, but now I'm really inspired and I think I've just became a Little Monster. #mtvgaga," she wrote.

Like sayjay41297, RickG63 shared a similar reaction to the doc, but had one minor complaint, tweeting, "Fantastic show, but her interviews are never long enough. Thank you for the show. It was great to see. Now you know why we love Gaga."

Did "Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside" shed a new light on the pop star for you? Share your comments below.

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Michael Jackson's Family Upset With James Durbin Over 'American Idol' Pepsi Quip

'We were shocked to see this,' read the Jacksons' message; Durbin tweeted an apology on Thursday.
By Gil Kaufman


James Durbin performs on "American Idol" on Wednesday
Photo: Michael Becker/ Fox

Some people might argue that it's patently unfair to take rank amateurs, put them on the biggest show on TV and then expose them to potential worldwide ridicule every week. Because it's one thing to tune in to "American Idol" from your living room or play shows at the local wings joint, it's another thing entirely when you get up on that stage and open your mouth with tens of millions watching and listening.

James Durbin learned this lesson the hard way this week when he made what he thought was an innocent crack about not setting himself on fire during his pyro-tastic cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" on Wednesday night.

Asked by host Ryan Seacrest if he was worried about dancing around among the flames shooting up from the piano onstage, Durbin joked, "I have a lot of hairspray in my hair to keep it from jumping around — so much so, the one thing I was worried about was having a 'Pepsi moment.' "

The seemingly innocent crack was a reference to the 1984 on-set accident in which late pop icon Michael Jackson was badly burned during the shooting of a Pepsi commercial by some wayward pyro effects. The serious burns he suffered in the incident allegedly led to his longtime addiction to pain medication and prescription drugs.

The Jackson family was not amused by the quip and sent a statement to TMZ on Thursday.

"We were shocked to see this. It's nothing to make light of and everybody should be focusing on who was responsible for Michael's death," read the statement. Family patriarch Joseph Jackson also was reportedly miffed that "Idol" producers did not cut the comment from the West Coast feed of the show.

Durbin defended his slip-up in a tweet, which has since been scrubbed from the singer's official "Idol" Twitter feed, that explained, "For anyone talkin ... I said pepsi NOT MJ! I have no disrespect for Michael. I grew up singing his art. I guess youll take it how you want it." He later added, "Talkin about MJs passing is too soon. Making a reference to an incident 25 years ago..not too soon. The stab was at pepsi people."

It's worth noting that Pepsi's bitter rival, Coca-Cola, is the main "Idol" sponsor, a fact that Seacrest reminded Durbin of in an awkward moment after the comment on the show.

What did you think of James Durbin's "Pepsi" quip? Tell us in the comments.

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Justin Bieber Responds To Marg Helgenberger Calling Him 'A Brat'

'It's kinda lame when someone you met briefly comments on you,' he tweeted after 'CSI' star's interview.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber on "CSI"
Photo: CBS

Justin Bieber apparently reads what people say about him. On Monday (May 9), he took to Twitter to react to comments by "CSI" star Marg Helgenberger, who called him a "brat."

"I probably shouldn't say this, but he was kind of a brat," Helgenberger said in an interview with French radio show Le Grand Direct des Medias on Friday when asked about the teen phenom's time on the set.

She continued, offering specific examples from when Bieber filmed guest appearances on "CSI." "He locked one of the producers in a closet," she said. "And he put his fist through a cake that was on the craft services table."

Bieber's response? "It's kinda lame when someone you met briefly and never worked with comments on you. I will continue to wish them luck and be kind. #killemwithkindness," he wrote. "Even last week they had me scolded on a plane in the news because i wasnt in my seat fast enough. She was right and i sat down. That's news? I know who i am and sometimes people r just going 2 say what they want. Keep ur head up and be the man ur mama raised. #killemwithkindness.

"Rumors are just that ... rumors," Bieber continued. "In the end if you just be kind and be yourself people will know who you are. That goes for anyone i think. as for now ... we are in the JUNGLE!! Dont spread gossip and dont spread rumors about others ... im a kid and i know that. #respect."

He then tweeted a link to a video clip of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from "The Lion King."

Reps for both Bieber and "CSI" had not responded to MTV News' request for comment by press time.

MTV News spoke to "CSI" producer Carol Mendelsohn last year, after Bieber had taped his first appearance on the show. (He appeared again earlier this year.) She had only kind words about the actor.

"I thought that he did a really good job. We only had Justin for a day, for 10 and a half hours, and he had a lot of work crammed into those 10 and a half hours," she said, adding, "It's hard for any accomplished, mature actor to come on the set and fall right into character and do your work, so kudos to Justin."

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