Michael Jackson Allegedly Selling Neverland Ranch

While rumors circulate that pop singer
and one-time Santa Ynez resident Michael Jackson has allegedly made
a deal to sell the Neverland Ranch on the reality show Million
Dollar Listing, Jackson’s public relations representatives
have denied both that he is planning to sell the estate and that
his financial affairs are in such a state as to require the
sale.

Jackson’s home in Santa Barbara County since 1998, the Neverland
Ranch has been vacant since Jackson’s acquittal in a widely
publicized molestation trial in June 2005, whereupon Jackson
relocated with his children to Bahrain. Mark Geragos, Jackson’s
attorney, has repeatedly denied that the star is suffering from a
diminished fortune in the wake of the trial and recent poor album
sales, yet those with an eye cast on celebrity life claim money is the
primary motivation. The same sources claim that the 2,810-acre
estate will reportedly sell for about $50 million. No
information is yet available regarding when the ranch might
sell.

Raymone Bain — Jackson’s spokeswoman and a partner in Davis,
Bain and Associates, the public relations firm that represents the
singer — released a press statement delcaring that the rumors were
false and a ploy to further besmirch Jackson’s reputation. “Reports
that Mr. Michael Jackson is seeking to sell his Neverland Valley
Ranch in California on the Bravo television network’s reality show
Million Dollar Listing are totally untrue and ludicrous
and yet another malicious attempt to damage Mr. Jackson’s character
and misrepresent his financial affairs,” she said in the statement.
“We have said this time and time again, but rather than believe the
source, there are those who consistently rely on unsubstantiated
reports from unnamed sources.”

Million
Dollar Listing premiered on the Bravo cable TV network in
August. The show stars various Hollywood-area real estate agents,
whose attempts to sell high-profile properties form each episode’s
plot.

Arguably one of the most famous plots of land in Santa Barbara
County, the Neverland Valley Ranch includes amusement park rides,
working trains, a zoo, and — reportedly — a water fort with giant
water guns and a large-scale mural of Jackson being flanked by
Disney characters.