July '09 Notes from Norm — Norm Clarke Column

Saturday 07-11-09

Doctor recalls trip to Jackson's suite

A Las Vegas doctor who was summoned to Michael Jackson's suite came away convinced that intimidation by his handlers was part of their modus operandi to feed his addictions.

The request for a house call came in November 2003 through a friend of one of his patients: Jackson was sick. Could the doctor treat him?

When the doctor arrived in The Mirage suite, the residence "had been trashed."

After their introduction, Jackson said he had a sore throat and a cough. The doctor said he quickly determined it was a ploy to get prescription drugs.

"The whole thing was staged," said the doctor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "It was all a lie. They just wanted drugs. They wanted me to call in all these pills under someone else's name."

Jackson's man in charge "started giving me a rough time. He was trying to intimidate me. I said, 'I can't do that.'"

That irritated the handler, who said, "What you mean, they always do that."

The physician said he stood his ground.

As he got ready to leave, the doctor, still shaken, told Jackson's rep, "I'll see what I can do."

The handler "came up to me and put a finger in my chest and said, 'You do that.'"

As he left the premises, the physician shook his head in disbelief. "I was waiting for someone to jump out of bushes and say 'You've been punked.' I felt I was on 'Candid Camera.'"

In retrospect, it was a set-up from the moment he walked in, he believes.

It started with Jackson giving his daughter, Paris, then 5, "a face, a gesture," and she said, "I love you, Daddy." Then Jackson turned to his oldest son, Prince Michael, 6, who said, "I love you, Daddy."

The doctor was convinced the interaction was rehearsed for his benefit.

After the tense standoff, Jackson's handler didn't get what he wanted and the doctor never heard from them again.

But the way the doctor was treated wasn't the only thing that bothered him.

Six years later, he's convinced Jackson had "classic signs of autism," the brain development disorder that includes the triad of poor social interaction, poor communication and limited interest.

Autism disorders can include the Asberger syndrome, which is associated with cognitive development, being abnormally intense or focused, unusual eating behavior and severe insomnia.

The doctor's experience with Jackson raises several questions: How widespread has the practice of doctor-shopping become in Las Vegas? Will the investigation into Jackson's prescription drug abuse lead back to the Las Vegas medical community, given Jackson spent a good deal of time here in recent years? Will the intense scrutiny uncover more leads in Danny Gans' drug-related death?

Doctor-shopping "has become very common," he said.

The meeting with Jackson wasn't the first time the physician felt pressured to accommodate a VIP.

He treated a high profile casino executive who wanted sleeping pills. A week later, the executive wanted a refill and a week after that he requested another refill "and I said no -- and my services are no longer required."

The sad thing, he said, is that someone else filled the void.

"It's Elvis Presley all over again."

The Scene And Heard

The magic community is abuzz over rumblings that a major development is in the works regarding Steve Wyrick's Fourth of July "Death Drop" stunt that went up in flames. Lot of insurance and liability questions flying around. Legal teams scrambling. ...

The "Sports Scribes" show featuring Review-Journal sportswriters Steve Carp and Ed Graney is on KDWN radio, as mentioned here Friday, but that's 720 AM on the dial. The show runs weeknights, 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., starting Monday. The publicist for the company producing the show e-mailed a mea culpa for the frequency mix-up.

Sightings

Lee Majors, the star of "The Six Million Dollar Man" and Farrah Fawcett's ex, dining at Charlie Palmer Steak (Four Seasons) on Friday. ...

UFC legend Royce Gracie, among the attendees at the induction of Chuck Liddell and the late Charles "Mask" Lewis, co-creator of Tapout clothing line, into the UFC Hall of Fame on Friday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Gracie was the winner of UFC 1 in Denver in 1993. ...

The Travelocity gnome, spotted Friday at Mandalay Beach, the roller coaster at New York-New York and frolicking with the dolphins at Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat ...

Sunday 07-12-09

Jackson benefit concert scheduled

A Michael Jackson benefit concert is being held Aug. 29 at the Palms, on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.

Talent singing the songbook of Jackson and the Jackson 5 will "run the gamut from cast members in current shows on the Strip to the big guys, along with some bands," according to "Jersey Boys" star Erich Bergen, who is co-producing the event with local writer/blogger Steve Friess of VegasHappensHere.com.

All proceeds will go to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, with a focus on music education in Nevada public schools, Bergen said.

The event will be held in The Pearl, the Palms' 2,500-seat concert venue.

There will be other components to the tribute, Bergen said. A Twitter feed has been set up @VegasLovesMJ for fans who want to keep up with the latest developments.

Meanwhile, KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs reported Saturday, citing an informed source, that Jackson's body has been moved out of music producer Berry Gordy's crypt to an undisclosed location.

Jacobs wrote on her Twitter site that Jackson's sister, LaToya, a former resident at Regency Towers in Las Vegas Country Club, was in charge of her brother's body and picked out everything he wore in the viewing casket. Jackson's body was not in the casket at Tuesday's memorial, according to a number of published reports.

According to Jacobs' source, a white glove was placed in the casket, but Jackson was wearing two black gloves, black pants beaded with black beads; a pearl-beaded white jacket he wore to the Grammys and an over-sized gold belt that resembled a championship boxing belt.

Embossed on the jacket were cherubs with large wings, according to the source.

Jackson's hair was styled with big curls.

Jacobs said she has confirmed that Jackson's brother, Jermaine Jackson, could be meeting with Wynn Las Vegas executives as early as next week to discuss a show featuring most of the Jackson 5.

SHAQ ATTACK

Is Shaquille O'Neal crazy enough to bring his immenseness to the UFC cage?

UFC president Dana White sent a Twitter tweet to the 7-foot-1, 325-pound NBA giant on Friday that read: "After u win another championship this year let's talk."

O'Neal continues to lobby for a shot in the cage, White said Saturday during a break in the UFC 100 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Asked if he would rule out the possibility, White said, "I would sit down and talk to him."

Size wouldn't matter, he said. "We've got a lot of little guys that wouldn't be worried about a guy of that size."

If it happened, White has no doubt about one outcome.

"It would do a lot of pay-per-views," he said.

O'Neal has been training in mixed martial arts for some time.

UFC veteran Frank Trigg, who has worked as an analyst for the sport, agrees that bringing Shaq into the UFC would be huge. But as an ambassador, not as a fighter.

"He's a super athlete as a basketball player, but it would be like when Michael Jordan jumped into baseball. They would kill him.

"As an ambassador, that would be a big deal for us."

Sightings

British tough-guy actor Jason Statham, at UFC 100 on Saturday. ... "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell and Olivia Newton-John, among the celebrities at and on Lake Las Vegas this weekend for the 60th birthday of Nigel Lythgoe, former executive producer of "American Idol" and currently executive producer of "So You Think You Can Dance." The weekend event has included yacht cruises on the La Contessa. ... Rock band Duran Duran, in the private dining room Friday at Nove Italiano (Palms) with a party of 18. At N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) on Friday: Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil and his wife, Lia; UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies. ...


Monday 07-13-09

Meghan McCain wild about Vegas Like her father, John McCain, who's no stranger around Las Vegas craps tables, Meghan McCain has developed a special affinity for Sin City as well. And judging from her recent Twitter postings, the senator's 24-year-old daughter has inherited his maverick gene and has Vegas in her blood. "Off to Vegas tomorrow!" she wrote on her Twitter site on Wednesday. "Hope there are no pics taken, but if you do, make sure my ass looks good." At 4:20 a.m. on Thursday, apparently on her way, she typed, "VEGAS BABY!!!" At 2:37 p.m. Friday, she told her 51,000-plus Twitter followers, "my blackberry was exploding this morning -- thought someone got something on a camera phone at the craps table but no, Young GOP news." She was referring to her debut column in TheDailyBeast.com, which began: "I woke up this morning in Las Vegas (tonight I'm playing roulette and betting on red) with a slew of emails about the likely election of Audra Shay as the new head of the Young Republicans on Saturday. "You can probably guess," she added, "how I feel about a woman who thinks comparing President Obama to a terrorist and referring to blacks as 'mad coons' is funny." Five hours later, she wrote: "everything about this city is a turn on. meow. wish you were here!" By Sunday, the perky blonde blogger sounded so smitten with our city that she might have a new voting address in mind. "I want to move here. when I call strangers baby and darling, they say it back, unlike in nyc where people get confused." She added, "Its also socially acceptable to wear 6 inch heels and false eyelashes to breakfast. Viva Las Vegas baby." The Scene And Heard Speaking of mavericks, this won't surprise anyone who's seen Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban take on the NBA establishment: Cuban was so impressed with Brock Lesnar's post-UFC 100 antics after his dominant win over Frank Mir on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center that he jumped on his BlackBerry and Twittered: "lesnar post fight speech prob best ever in all sports."... Lesnar might have a word or two the next time he sees one of his doubters, Jake Rossen, who covered UFC 100 for the mixed martial arts Web site, Sherdog.com. Rossen offered this prediction on his blog minutes before the main event: "There's a lot of fuss made about Lesnar's strength and bulldozer style, but I really have my doubts that A). He's learned enough in three years to avoid a submission from Mir and B). Any one of his limbs are stronger than Mir's entire body. Fighting is a science: Mir holds an advanced degree, and Lesnar is still dissecting frogs." Sightings British actor Jason Statham and Holly Madison, chatting at Strip House (Planet Hollywood Resort) Saturday after he saw her perform in "Peepshow," which he attended, seeing her as a UFC 100 ring girl ... Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, riding the monorail from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur after the UFC fight. ... Donnie Wahlberg and his New Kids on the Block band mate, Joey McIntyre, partying at Playboy Club (Palms) on Saturday. They performed their hit song, "Single."... Former "La Cage" headliner Frank Marino, celebrating what a spy said appeared to be "a deal" at Sinatra (Encore) Saturday. I'm hearing he's got a Labor Day weekend deal at the Imperial Palace for an all-new show. If it flies, he's back in business after his two-decade run at the Riviera abruptly ended. ... "Gossip Girl" actress Leighton Meester, dining at Rare120 (Hard Rock Hotel) with boyfriend actor Sebastian Stan. She later got on stage at Body English and sang some of her songs. UFC star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson also got on stage and made it rain. ... Laura Prepon of "That '70s Show" and boyfriend Scott Michael Foster of "Greek," with friends at Blush Boutique Nightclub inside Wynn on Saturday. Also in the house: UFC lightweight Roger Huerta. ... Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, hosting an official after-fight party in honor of his induction to the UFC Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Playing Field Lounge in Planet Hollywood Resort. Attendees included actor Michael Clarke Duncan and NFL great Michael Strahan. ... At Tao (The Venetian), scene of the official Tapout after-fight party: Tapout owner "Sky Skrape," John "Magician" Dodson and "Ultimate Fighter" Season Eight winner Efrain Escudero. Also sighted at the club was actor Statham, who was celebrating a friend's birthday. ... At Lavo (Palazzo) on Saturday: Jon Fitch, celebrating his UFC win over Paulo Thiago with champagne and Macallan 12 on the rocks.

Tuesday 07-14-09

Norm took the day off

Wednesday 07-15-09

Terry Fator dating former assistant

Ten days after announcing he was getting a divorce, Mirage headliner Terry Fator confirmed Tuesday that he is dating his former on-stage assistant.

The singing ventriloquist, who won "America's Got Talent" in 2006, and Taylor Makakoa went public with their relationship Monday when they were seen holding hands at a Susan G. Komen breast cancer benefit party in Rhumbar at The Mirage.

Asked to clarify the relationship on Tuesday, Fator's public relations company, Kirvin-Doak, released a statement saying, "Terry Fator met Taylor Makakoa while she was performing in his show, but she actually left the show in March. The two just recently started dating."

She has not rejoined the show, according to a Kirvin-Doak rep.

Makakoa appeared in his opening night show March 14 wearing a star-spangled Wonder Woman-like outfit. Go to this Web link for a video of her on RawVegas.com: http://tinyurl.com/lqvm5x

During an interview with Vegas Confidential that night, the Hawaiian beauty gave her age as 18 and identified herself as Taylor Dew. She had attended the media night event with family members.

Fator, 44, called reporters on July 4 to announce he was getting a divorce from his wife, Melinda, after 18 years of marriage.

He confirmed that they had split in January and that she filed for the divorce in Texas in February. They have no children.

During his Fourth of July call, Fator said the dissolving marriage "wasn't the pressures of a career. It was more personal matters. Just some things we were unable to see eye to eye."

Fator's wife broke her silence later Tuesday, saying she was "blind-sided" by his request for a divorce. She told Alicia Jacobs, entertainment reporter at KVBC-TV, Channel 3, that she and Fator agreed 20 years ago not to have children, but he came to her earlier this year and said he had changed his mind.

Melinda Fator said she was not shocked that her estranged husband was dating Makakoa because they had spent considerable time together in the last year performing on the road.

MEDIA UPDATE

KLAS-TV, Channel 8 reporter Edward Lawrence reported Tuesday that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is having a public 70th birthday bash at the Golden Nugget on July 31. ...

Former co-anchor Shelley Bruner, who left KVVU-TV, Channel 5, in February, is moving to the entertainment world. She's joining David Saxe Productions as vice president of communications starting July 20. Saxe owns V Theater at Miracle Mile Shops/Planet Hollywood as well as a 15,000- square-foot production studio in downtown Las Vegas. ...

Colleen Budin, former reporter/weekend anchor at KLAS and a 16-year TV veteran, has opened a public relations company, ThinkMedia Now. Her Web site is www.thinkmedianow.com.

The Scene And Heard

Embattled U.S. Sen. John Ensign's run of bad news has finally turned the corner. It started with his wife, Darlene, being involved in a traffic accident while backing up their SUV. Most of the damage was to Ensign's bicycle, which was attached to the back of the SUV. The good news: Ensign, a hard-core cyclist, reportedly got a new $7,000 bicycle out of the mishap. ...

Here's some news that won't be welcomed at the World Series of Poker: Joan Rivers is returning to Las Vegas in August and September, for the first time since she lambasted poker players as "white trash" and "mafia" while berating poker star Annie Duke on "Celebrity Apprentice." Rivers is appearing at The Venetian Showroom Aug. 27-29 and Sept. 3-5. ...

Sightings

NBA Commissioner David Stern, having lunch at Simon at Palms Place on Tuesday..

Jered Weaver, who upped his record to 10-3 with the California Angels with a win over the New York Yankees on Saturday, dining at N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) Sunday. ...

Thursday 07-16-09

Model speaks on Fator relationship

The Las Vegas model linked to Mirage headliner Terry Fator doesn't understand what the fuss is all about.

Officially, they've had one date, she said. He's separated, she's single -- why all the media hoo-ha?

"I'm a little surprised anyone cares," said 21-year-old Taylor Makakoa Dew, suddenly in the glare of the biggest spotlight of her young life.

"We didn't expect this," said Dew, "this" being all the media interest after the two were sighted twice out in public over the weekend.

So what is the big deal, anyway?

It started with Fator's odd-time announcement, on the Fourth of July, that he was in the process of getting a divorce from his wife, Melinda, after 18 years of marriage.

A week later, Fator and Dew, his onstage assistant for about a year, were spotted hanging together at a UFC 100 party at Planet Hollywood Resort on Saturday -- not a real date, she said, because they arranged to meet there with friends.

On Monday, they were seen holding hands at a Susan G. Komen charity event at Rhumbar at The Mirage.

I got a ton of negative calls and e-mails about their relationship.

I take part of the blame for misstating her age.

During an interview with her on opening night March 14, I asked her how old she was and when she went to work for Fator. I thought she said 18. She told me Wednesday she said 19, and she meant that's when she went to work for him, not her age on opening night.

Dew turned 21 on July 6.

Readers might have an issue with Fator being 44, but Dew made it clear she doesn't.

"The main thing is, he's a nice guy and it's not easy to find nice guys in this town," she said. "If he's older, oh well. Makes no difference to me."

It doesn't matter to family or friends, either, she said.

"Everybody's happy if I'm happy," she said.

And she's happy. When I requested a photo that showed the two of them backstage to run with this item, she said she wanted to talk to Fator first.

A few minutes later, she forwarded the adjacent photo, taken by her mother Nani Dew, adding "it's his favorite."

She confirmed that she was on the road with Fator for 10-15 shows before they opened at The Mirage.

But any talk about her being "the other woman" is unfair and "unfortunate because they were separated and Melinda had filed for divorce 6-7 months before we went on a date."

"I hope the best for Melinda and Terry and I hope Melinda can get through this in what ever way she needs too," said Dew.

She left his show immediately after opening night, she said, and flew to Hawaii to spend time with her elderly grandfather.

Why did she leave the show?

"I wanted to get more involved in modeling, and that was basically a showgirl job," she said.

Sightings

"Peepshow" star Holly Madison, at the midnight showing of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on Tuesday night at Rave Theater at Town Square. ... Comedy magician Nathan Burton, back on NBC's "America's Got Talent" on Tuesday as a competitor for Season 4 (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpxrXBN35L8). He appeared in Season 1. Also among the Season 4 competitors: The violin-playing Alizma Triplets of Poland and Bri, a 17-year-old Las Vegas Academy student, with a cover of the Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up." Her video on YouTube.com has taken off, with more than 57,000 views. She advanced to the Las Vegas round, which airs in August. View her video at: http://tinyurl.com/m2ugel.

Friday 07-17-09

Michael Jackson's home up for sale

The Las Vegas mansion that Michael Jackson and his children inhabited for six months in 2007 is for sale. A San Francisco real estate mogul has listed the six-bedroom, 16,461-square foot home at 2785 Monte Cristo Way for $3.9 million.

It cost Jackson $1 million upfront to stay in the gated residence after he arrived in Las Vegas on Dec. 23, 2006, upon ending his 18-month self-exile in Dubai and Ireland.

Luke Brugnara, the owner, had allowed E! News to tour the home with a camera crew earlier this week, but when Access Hollywood showed up for its tour Thursday morning, the crew was turned away. Brugnara could not have been pleased that the E! News report included a mention of the squalid conditions the home was left in after Jackson moved out.

I reported in this space on July 3, 2007, that bathrooms and bedrooms "were left in squalor, with children's handprints on many walls, stains on carpets and garbage left in sinks."

That differs dramatically with the description by Las Vegas real estate agent Zar Zanganeh, who leased the house to Jackson.

Zanganeh told E! that Jackson " left the property in great condition, professionally cleaned up. He was a complete gentleman."

Las Vegas deal maker Jack Wishna, who orchestrated Jackson's return to the United States, said Jackson had turned the master bedroom into a "huge romper room" by placing three mattresses on the floor "so they could all play together."

Wishna and his wife, Donna, before greeting Jackson at a private airport on the night he arrived, had placed a large Christmas tree in the home, with presents.

The tree was still in place when Jackson vacated the house on June 30, 2007. Jackson later rented a home at 2710 W. Palomino Lane and lived there earlier this year.

Wishna said Las Vegas was one of three options he presented to Jackson when they were discussing his return to the United States.

Neverland Ranch and a Florida location were also brought up. Jackson rejected a return to Neverland, Wishna said.

"He said, and I quote, 'I never, never, never want to go back to Neverland, never.' "

With the Jackson family reportedly at odds over where Jackson should be buried, and with the siblings favoring Neverland, Wishna said, "That is the last place on this earth that he wanted to be."

Since returning from Ireland 2 1/2 years ago, Jackson had never set foot in Neverland, which is now reportedly being discussed as a Graceland-type resting place for the King of Pop, who died June 25.

"If that ever happens," said Wishna, "Michael Jackson will come out of the grave like a character in the 'Thriller' video, and he will strangle the person that made that decision."

May I Recommend...

The fourth annual radiothon benefit for The Caring Place takes places next Friday, with the online auction bidding ending today. Sponsored by ESPN Radio 1100, the radiothon starts at 10 a.m. July 24, with more than a dozen sports and entertainment personalities hosting. You can place bids to co-host an hour with a celebrity at www.WeAreLV.com. Tickets to the reception are $50 and can be purchased by calling 871-7333. The Caring Place provides free services for the mind, body and spirit of those touched by cancer.

Sightings

Ms. United States 2009 contestants, including the reigning Graziella Baratta, taking in the sights at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat on Thursday night. ... Terry Fator and his former assistant, Taylor Makakoa Dew, along with her parents, at Carrot Top's show (Luxor) on Sunday. ... Actress/poker star Jennifer Tilly, at Brio (Town Square) on Wednesday. ... Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce, at Tao Asian Bistro (Venetian) on Wednesday. ... At Lavo nightclub (Palazzo) on Wednesday: Kareem Rush of the Philadelphia 76ers. ... Ozzy Osbourne and family, dining at Society Cafe (Encore) on Wednesday. ... Former "American Idol" finalist Lou Gazzara, singing "Nessum Dorma" at the Bootlegger Bistro on Monday and getting a rousing response from The Scintas, Clint Holmes and other entertainers. Gazzara is at the Jpop Lounge at Mandalay Bay this weekend.

Order Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales

Norm Clarke's newest book, Vegas Confidential: Sinsational Celebrity Tales ($12.95, Stephens Press, February 2008), dishes up a feast from Sin City's Ace Insider on celeb's club hopping, spending sprees, outrageous behavior, feuds and meltdowns, and the best (and worst) tippers.