Skin peeling but smile in place, MJ appears in court

Jackson said in three hours of grilling from a hostile lawyer that it was the promoter and not he who cancelled the shows and that he even practised for them by dancing in front of his bathroom mirror.

About 100 fans waiting outside the courthouse screamed and chanted Jackson’s name from behind barricades and reporters watched his heavily guarded entry into and exit from the packed courtroom, where some 30 people won seats in a lottery for a rare, up-close glimpse of the star.

Jackson entered the courtroom wearing black slacks, a red corduroy shirt, black eyeliner, and what appeared to be pink lipstick. He had skin flaking from his nose and sported a wispy goatee. He appeared bemused during much of his testimony, often smiling or laughing to himself between questions. During a lull in the proceedings he appeared to dance around in his seat to a song in his head.

Concert promoter Marcel Avram sued Jackson for breach of contract and fraud for allegedly backing out of two New Year’s eve shows. The lawsuit says Jackson signed a deal with Avram in 1999 to perform four concerts, including two millennium concerts but pulled out of the later citing recording commitments. (Reuters)