TMZ have been forced to apologise today (August 1, 2012) after claiming that Janet Jackson slapped her niece Paris Jackson during a family altercation. The article, published last week, also claimed that Janet called Paris a "spoiled little bitch." The accusations were then repeated, as several media outlets used TMZ as a source for the story.
The statement from TMZ read as follows: "Janet Jackson did not slap or verbally abuse Paris Jackson during a confrontation at the Jackson family home in Calabasas last week. TMZ published a story last week based on sources who told us Janet went off on Michael Jackson's daughter after the singer tried to grab Paris' cell phone. We also reported Janet called Paris a "spoiled little bitch." Although we believed the story to be true when we published it, we have now determined it was not correct ... Janet did not slap or otherwise touch Paris, nor did she verbally abuse her."
The ongoing saga of the Jackson family, the custody of Michael Jackson's children and the fate of Jacko's fortune have all been at the forefront of the tabloid media over the last week or two. Janet Jackson and several of her siblings have contested the legitimacy of the signature on Michael Jackson's will. They have accused his lawyers of forging the signature and of coercing the family matriarch, Katherine Jackson, into agreeing to them getting a higher percentage of Jacko's earnings. The Jacksons may have had an apology over this particular erroneous story but it seems that trouble is still brewing.