Michael Jackson sick, needs lung transplant

[Villavic]

Though I don't like that guy anymore (I was a Thriller fan), it makes me sad if that was true. However...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A spokesman for Michael Jackson released a statement on Monday denying as a "total fabrication" a report claiming that the former King of Pop needs a lung transplant due to a rare respiratory disease.

The statement, attributed to Jackson's "official and sole spokesperson, Dr. Tohme Tohme" and issued by Los Angeles firm Scoop Marketing, cites an interview with writer Ian Halperin in British newspaper the Sunday Express in which Halperin said Jackson was suffering from Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.

"Concerning this author's allegations, we would hope in the future that legitimate media will not continue to be exploited by such an obvious attempt to promote this unauthorized 'biography,'" said the statement attributed to Tohme.