More People From Around the Edges of MJ's Life....Their Involvement

JANET JACKSON
Janet was shooting the recently released Tyler Perry comedy Why Did I Get Married Too? when her brother died. She made several high-profile TV appearances over the last year, starting with a performance of "Scream" at the MTV Video Awards in September. Later in fall 2009, she opened the American Music Awards, followed by an eight-minute medley on the "American Idol" season finale this spring, which found her praised for her newly slimmed-down form and vigorous dancing, if not her lip-synching. Her struggles with keeping fit will be detailed in a self-help book, True You, scheduled for this fall. Jackson recorded a new ballad for the Married Too soundtrack, "Nothing," but is currently without a recording contract. She also ended her seven-year relationship with producer Jermaine Dupri last year. This month, perhaps signaling sides being taken in family disputes, she tweeted her support for brother Randy's public statements, writing: "It's time the fans know the truth and ur one of the very few I trust n doing so. I got ur back all the way bro."


JERMAINE JACKSON
Jermaine was hailed for his performance of one of Michael's favorite songs, Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," at the Staples Center memorial. Less acclaimed: his role in the reality mini-series "The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty," along with brothers Jackie, Marlon, and Tito. The show ran for six episodes on A&E in December and January and was widely criticized as manipulated and/or exploitive. Though production had originally wrapped before Michael's death, reshoots allowed most of the show to revolve around reaction to the tragedy. (A proposed second season appears to have fizzled out.) Jermaine has been the most interviewed Jackson in the last year, talking with Matt Lauer at Neverland last year and Larry King at the Forest Lawn mausoleum this week.


RANDY JACKSON
Randy is the family's most active Twitterer, and he recently used his account to air differences with other members of the clan. On June 15, Randy walked into a hospital in Pasadena complaining of chest pains, but he later tweeted he was fine. On June 23, he took some disputes public, offering a hint at what might have given him agitation. "Let's start with my family," he wrote. "There is a common concern about their lack of support and unity...Right now, my struggle is trying to get my family together on the 5th of June at Forest Lawn...I'm putting myself in the hot seat. I have nothing to lose." He added, I am not in support of the Gary event/trip or whatever it is," referring to Katherine's plan to attend a tribute in the family's Indiana hometown.


DEBBIE ROWE
Though there was initial speculation that Jackson's second wife might want to take on their children after the death, she never publicly expressed any interest in custody, reaching a settlement with Katherine Jackson in August that allowed only for supervised visitations.


DR. ARNOLD KLEIN
Jackson's dermatologist and "closest friend" has been quite vocal about the star's private life. The admitted former sperm donor played it coy on the issue of whether he was the true biological father of Prince and Paris Jackson--saying only that he was not their dad "to the best of my knowledge." But there was no equivocating this spring when declared that Jackson was gay, backing up the story of a former employee, Jason Pfeiffer, who claimed he and Jackson had a years-long sexual relationship. Among the Jackson loyalists denouncing Klein for this supposed betrayal of trust were Jermaine Jackson (using four-letter words) and Elizabeth Taylor (using Twitter).


JASON PFEIFFER
"Michael was not ashamed of his sexuality," said Pfeiffer, the former office manager for dermatologist Arnold Klein, alleging in May that he'd had a "passionate and sexual" relationship with Jackson for years. "I believe he was probably my soulmate." Klein affirmed that he'd discovered the two men shirtless and approved of their relationship, saying, "Was he gay? Yes...When you see two people looking at each other, you know what's happening. I was just very happy for both of them."


ELIZABETH TAYLOR
The golden-age film star and longtime Jackson pal took to her Twitter account to announce after a preview screening of This Is It that the documentary "is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen." In May, she took to Twitter again, this time to lash out at his chatty dermatologist for alleging that Jackson was gay. "Dr. Arnie Klein declared on May 2 that he did not betray Michael Jackson by saying publicly that he had a homosexual relationship with someone in Arnie's office. It seems he supplies not only women [Debbie Rowe], but men too.....how convenient. Just what we want in our doctors. And then to say he did not betray Michael's confidence. No wonder he has death threats. I thought doctors, like priests, took an oath of confidentiality. May God have mercy on his soul."