Controversial King Of Pop Photo Published Online
The Photo Was Published On ETonline.com And Used By Media Outlets
Jun 26, 2009
The photo of Jackson is the last image published before his untimely death, Thursday, June 25,2009. The photo shows Jackson in an ambulance being worked on by paramedics who were attempting to revive the King of Pop.
Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. at the UCLA Medical Center. He was 50-years-old.
An autopsy has been ordered to find out the exact cause of death.
Photo Upsets Fans
After the photo was published on ETonline.com, some fans disapproved of the photo being published.
A fan sent a tweet to "E! News" host, Giuliana Rancic via Twitter.com asking, "Please don't show the photo of Michael on the stretcher like that other entertainment site - rise above. Thank u."
Rancic responded, "No, we won't."
Both CNN and Fox News aired the photo during their live coverage of Jackson's death.
There was a similar reaction from fans and celebrities alike when "Entertainment Tonight" released a video of Heath Ledger after his death last year.
Heath Ledger Drug Video
Shortly after the unexpected death of Academy Award winning actor, Heath Ledger in January 2008, "Entertainment Tonight" aired clips of the actor at a Hollywood drug party at the Chateau Marmont hotel.
The low quality video which looked to be captured through a window, showed Ledger talking to people at the party who were partaking in what appeared to be cocaine.
"I shouldn't be here at all," Ledger says in the video clip shown by Entertainment Tonight. "I'm gonna get so much s*** from my girlfriend," he said referring to Michelle Williams, his ex-fiance and mother to his daughter, Matilda Ledger.
In the video, the only drug mention by Ledger was talk of smoking joints.The video did not show Ledger partaking in any drugs.
The clips prompted Ledger's publicists to reach out to celebrities, producers, and studio executives to contact "Entertainment Tonight" about not showing the rest of the video.
In the ABCNews.com article by Russell Goldman, Stars Pressure Shows to Pull Ledger Video, Kelly Bush, CEO of ID, the public relations firm that represents Ledger, shared what the email sent contained.
"Tonight 'Entertainment Tonight/The Insider' are previewing an extremely distasteful segment regarding Heath Ledger. The segment centers around a two-year-old video ET purchased for a large sum of money in the hopes of stirring up a salacious and exploitive story about Heath, which would win them big ratings on the first day of sweeps. The two outlets did not even have the courtesy to wait until after Heath's burial to broadcast this segment. They intend to air the full segment tomorrow. For the sake of his grieving family and friends, his child, and common decency, we hope to pressure 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'The Insider' to do the right thing and pull the spot. This is not journalism, it is sensationalism."
According to ABCNews.com, actors Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Josh Brolin and Ellen Page contacted producers of "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" to ask them not to air any more of the video.
A spokesperson on behalf of both shows released the following statement, "Out of respect for Heath Ledger's family, 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'The Insider' have decided not to run the Heath Ledger video which has been circulating in the world media."
Television Coverage Of Michael Jackson's Untimely Death
Both MTV and VH1 have been airing the music videos of the King of Pop, since the announcement of his death.
"Entertainment Tonight", "E! News" and "Access Hollywood" are expected to be continuing coverage on Jackson's death, as well as the cable news networks, CNN and Fox News.
