Britney Drops Michael Jackson Gig, HBO Contract Cited

The New York Post reports Britney Spears has been forced to drop out of her planned Michael Jackson performance at the last minute citing HBOs requirement that she cannot appear on any other televised performance within a month of her “Britney Spears Live from the MGM Grand Las Vegas,” special which airs Nov. 18 on HBO.

Spears’ rep Ame Van Iden told the Post, “Britney did have to pull out - and she’s really upset about it.”

Britney originally thought the Jackson special would air before October 18th, but while no date has been set, it appears unlikely that date would be met according to a CBS spokesperson.

Michael Jackson Gets Lost On The Way To NASDAQ

August 31, 2001 - The New York Post is reporting Michael almost didn’t get to the NASDAQ market site to open trading on Thursday as he got lost in the adjoining Conde Nast building.

A witness told the Post, “He got lost and ended up in the messenger center, and then all these people started screaming, ‘It’s Michael Jackson!'”

After a crowd developed around him, Jackson reportedly took out an umbrella and threw it over a security camera and ran away “like a scared little bunny.”

Michael Jackson Opens Trading, Video Budget Balloons

August 30, 2001 - The New York Daily News is reporting Michael’s budget to film Thriller is running over $4 million according to a music insider, where he says the original budget was half of that figure.

Jackson also opened trading on the NASDAQ this morning, but it was no help to the battered market as the tech index is retesting its multi-year low.

The Daily News also reports Michael’s original pick to star in his video, Robert DeNiro, had no interest in the project as an insider revealed, “I don’t think he gave it a lot of thought.”

No doubt Brando’s appearance ballooned the budget as he usually commands multi-millions for any appearance on film.