Queen Latifah Never MET Michael Jackson, Despite Eulogizing

UPDATE:
Performers John Mayer and Jennifer Hudson had also never met Jackson, Brooke Shields hadn't seen him in 18 years, and Usher and Mariah Carey both barely knew him.

PREVIOUSLY:
She may have delivered a eulogy at his memorial, but Queen Latifah never actual MET Michael Jackson.

On Letterman Wednesday night, the actress-singer was asked about the memorial, and she told the host, "I never actually got to meet him, my partner met him because we managed Naughty by Nature and they did a remix with him. He thought I had beautiful cheekbones, I do know that much."

She did not say how she came to be part of the memorial.

Latifah then talked about what the whole Jackson family meant to her, Michael's influence on her childhood and how moving the whole memorial experience was.

Dave, who actually HAD meet Michael, shared a story about doing a bit with him in the 80s when he was still a standup comedian.


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Comments

[xtherocksx]

What's up with the "There's no off position on the genius switch" slide at the end of the Letterman clip? Letterman is enormously talented and successful, and, by extension, a genius, but the statement's arrogance isn't endearing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F166o1QO6Y8

[obriench]

Vote "I DOn't Like It" under the title if you don't like this article. Let Huff Po know.

[issa09]

HAD meet Michael?

[cjs82]

Umm....just because you didn't meet someone doesn't mean they didn't have an impact on your life. How about everyone who stopped on a dime when they heard that Princess Diana had died and immediately felt a sense of loss? It's not just about feeling a personal sense of loss....it's about the world sharing it's grief over the passing of a public figure who changed popular culture.

[Cakey4814]

Wow..didn't know that you had to personally know that person to mourn their loss. Guess all those that mourned Mother Teresa personally knew her also..what a crock!!

[kalikoklimt]

L.O.L - nice one!!

[dimplesmile7]

I don't understand this whole thing and it is stupid. Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Billy Mays died too. Are you trying to analyze the people that showed up at the funeral and who did not see them in a long time? I am sure people came that did not see them for a while. These are the normal things that happen in life. We grow up and all go off to live our lives. Some people we will love and care about them but have not seen in a while. My best friend moved to GA and I am in NJ. Although I do not see her as much now, if she passed away, I would still attend her funeral. Please get a life. This is so dumb.

[Bude]

Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Billy Mays died? You're kidding?

[Dissident Dexter]

Mays was not a celeb, he was a pitch man.

[PaddyMc68]

And you think Jackson, Fawcett, and McMahon weren't?

[akababs]

She didn't say that she knew him. Moreover, knowing him is not a requirement to speak well of him or of his contributions to the music industry that made her fame possible. A great many people have never met Jesus or Mozart or Einstein and yet they speak glowingly of these historic figures. So what's the point of this article?

[readreza]

excellent point. MOST of the mourners had never met Jackson, as is true at the funerals of most public figures... This is just a non-story. The story should be focusing on the senior Mr. Jackson, so his damage to the family members remaining can be controlled.

[kalikoklimt]

queen latifa's eulogy was representative of the fans of michael jackson, and she was one of them - don't know many fans who've actually met with their idol.

[Halfwit]

When was the last time Brooke Shields talked Michael? She hasn't seen him in 18 years, but were they still in touch?

[dimplesmile7]

So what? Does this take away from the fact the they were friends at one time. Does it take anything way from the memories the two shared when Michael was living. I have fond memories of people I have not seen in a long time too. I recently attend a family reunion. Some relatives showed up that I have not seen since I was a child. We still had a great time together and I still don't love them any less.

[euripedes923]

They didn't have to actually meet or know Jacko to cash in on his fame and gain a litt;e cred with his gullible fans. Smart move on their part. Seriously, it's not as if Latifah or Mayer are actually talented.

I'm waiting for all the little boys now coming of age to begin to step forward and tell their stories. "Wacko Jacko" will be the kindest of nicknames for him when those truths see the light of day.

[AudiGuy]

You are a very sad person. Now pls go away.

[Bude]

Lead the way.

[jennbeez]

Queen Latifah is much like Madonna- fair to middling singing ability but with a brilliant ability to market herself. She is a personality. Unlike Madonna, a most pleasant one.

[readreza]

perhaps you are simply unqualified to judge...

[Dissident Dexter]

You seem very sure of something that you probably know nothing about.

[flagwaver]

who cares? Most ministers don't know the person to whom they perform the funeral service on. I thought I wouldn't want to watch the memorial for Michael. I am not into celebrity. I was off that day and had the TV on and would catch bits and pieces of it. I finally sat down and watched the whole thing, when it was repeated. To my surprise I found it very enjoyable and felt it was a great tribute to him. It was very well done.
Michael was a genius at his art. It showed that part of his life. May he rest in peace.

[thebirdstheword]

my sister in law's father passed last summer, and the minister repeatedly called him by the wrong name, while invoking fake memories of him. it was uncomfortable, but apparently not uncommon.

[Poorsarah]

Michael Jackson's pioneering of dance choreography is basically what we see in most of today's music videos. His compassion for those less fortunate than him was displayed in actions with humility, not boastful words.

[saltpeter]

Maybe if Michael had surrounded himself with fellow performers who would more likely understand his plight instead of surrounding himself with handlers and doctors whose role was to cater to his needs and score him unnecessary pain relief, then he'd be alive today. There are too many people who use the excuse of his death that "no one knew what it was like to be Michael Jackson" so therefore no one can pass judgement. There are people who DID know. People like Paul McCartney who was once his friend until Michael selfishly stole the Beatles catalogue out from under him and that was the end of Michael's friendship with Paul. Paul and other extremely recognizeable and talented performers could have provided him the sage advice to not believe your press and know who your real friends are. These people coming out of the woodwork to associate themselves with him are trying to live in some reflected glory but those who truly knew him on the level of an artist have better insight then these virtual, if not outright, strangers and many of them are either conspicuously silent or not always saying the nicest things about him. If your family has to hire strangers to say nice things about you at your funeral, then what does that say about how you really treated people close to you in your life?

[superlive]

Michael did not selfishly steal the Beatle's catalog out from McCartney. Paul screwed himself and over when he hatched a scheme to put NORTHERN SONGS on the market as a public company in 1965 to save on capital gains tax. He and John owned a combined 30% of stock, George and Ringo combined for 1.6%, manager Brian Epstein had 7.5%, and music publishers Dick James and Charles Silver combined for 37.5%, with the rest publicly traded. After Epstein's death in 1967, his shares went to the market. John and Paul attempted to renegotiate their contract with James, but he was irritated by Lennon's anti-capitalist hostility and instead sold all his shares to Associated Television without informing the Beatles. ATV then mounted a hostile takeover of NORTHERN and succeeded because John chose that moment to rant in the media against NORTHERN's stockholders. Having lost control, John and Paul divested themselves entirely of their shares of in 1969. ATV held NORTHERN SONGS as its music publishing division until 1985 when it was forced to sell ATV/MUSIC. With John dead and the others still invested in ATV, an overconfident Paul McCartney attempted to lowball ATV but was outbid by Michael Jackson.

It's not stolen if you BOUGHT it!

The point of having Michael's fans-turne­d-supersta­rs eulogize him was to show that he could INSPIRE ordinary kids to greatness without meeting them as a demonstration of his ICONIC stature. Paul was an apostle who never met Jesus.

[Dewtrell]

Not only did he NOT steal the Beatles catelog, Michael's attorney ASKED Paul McCartney if he planned to buy it and he said "no'! Paul changed his mind afterwards and tried to get a group together to buy the catelog but he was outbid. End of story!

[Thea Miles]

Thank u Superlive. I remember Michael BUYING the catalog at quite a hefty price, I might add.

[Chicago48]

You can't tell an artist like Jackson what to do. He had already been in rehab once before, I suspect he wasn't going again.

[kalikoklimt]

oh, i guess the likes of stevie wonder, lionel ritche, smokey robinson and berry gordy are not good enough to be deemed as friends... oh okay, the fact that stevie and smokey were his co-artists whilst a part of berry gordy's motown record label isn't enough to qualify these people to give a eulogy/sing at the "PUBLIC" memorial. queen latifa's eulogy was representative of the fans - not sure how many fans get to meet with their idol. get over it!

[obriench]

Vote "I Don't Like It" under the title of this article. So far only 41 votes. Let HuffPo know we don't like what they did here with this article.

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

I jut did because "I don't like it."

[Bude]

Who cares?

[Bluejay00234]

If you noticed they have changed the wording of this article, to include others now. Interesting back peddling.

[Candide]

So what. She read a Maya Angelou poem. Lucky for her and lucky for us. I feel good knowing someone who didn't know Michael Jackson was approved by Maya to read her poem about someone who is, to Maya at her standing, a passing thing but who has imprinted himself on our lives. Thank you Maya. It was beautiful. Michael would surely be honored.