The Jacksons ignore family drama at Greek Theatre show

A handful of songs into their Greek Theatre concert Sunday, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon Jackson still hadn’t addressed a week’s worth of family drama that culminated with reports that matriarch Katherine Jackson had gone missing Saturday.

Their 82-year-old mother was the subject of much chatter on Twitter and the blog world after her nephew filed a missing persons report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday night.

Detectives with the LAPD later confirmed what son Jermaine had already tweeted: Not only was she safe and sound but she was also on a planned vacation in Arizona with daughter Rebbie.

“This incredulous claim was made for reasons best known to the adult/s who filed it but it seems no accident that it comes after we, the sons and daughters, put in place care-taking for our own mother, taking her to Arizona [the brothers played Phoenix on Wednesday] in line with doctor’s advice following a check-up,” Jermaine tweeted before Sunday’s show. “It dismays me that such an alarmist ‘missing person’ report has caused unnecessary anxiety among Michael’s children who will understandably react to what they misunderstand, hear or are told.”

“No-one is being ‘blocked’ from speaking with Mother. She is merely an 82-year-old woman following doctor’s orders to rest-up and de-stress, away from phones and computers,” he continued. “Everyone has been well aware of this within the family, but I would like to reiterate my reassurance to the outside world that Mother is fine. In the meantime, thank you for all your thoughts and concerns.”

News of Katherine’s whereabouts intensified after Michael’s daughter, Paris, tweeted that she was worried about Katherine, who has been caring for the 14-year-old and her brothers, Prince Michael and Blanket, since their father’s 2009 death.

“yes, my grandmother is missing. i haven’t spoken with her in a week i want her home now,” she wrote before tweeting the number for someone on Jackson’s security team.

Paris, in tweets that have since been deleted, lashed out at Randy and later apologized, but still questioned the doctor who is looking after Katherine and said he was “The same doctor that testified on behalf of dr murray saying my father was a drug addict (a lie) is caring for my grandmother ... just saying.”

This news of Katherine being “missing” added only more fuel to a mini-firestorm of reports focused on the family dynasty of late. Last week, several of the Jackson siblings made news when they sent a letter to the executors of Michael’s estate, accusing them of fraud, forgery and abuse of their mother.

The undated letter, signed by Janet, Randy, Tito, Rebbie and Jermaine, claimed that Katherine was being manipulated by the executors, John Branca and John McClain, that her health had been affected and that she had suffered a mini-stroke.

The letter also claimed that Michael’s will — which left his fortune to his three children, his mother and charity — was fake. Randy confirmed the legitimacy of the letter and Janet retweeted his statement.

Lawyers for Jackson’s estate said they were “saddened that false and defamatory accusations grounded in stale Internet conspiracy theories are now being made by certain members of Michael’s family whom he chose to leave out of his will.”

None of this drama seemed to affect the brothers when they took the stage at the Greek on Sunday. They performed deep cuts from their Motown days, as pictures of their late brother Micheal were projected behind them.

The last time the Jacksons performed as a group in Los Angeles, they were closing out six dates at Dodger Stadium during their massive 1984 Victory Tour. On the final night, Micheal announced that the tour would be their last.

Three years after Michael’s death and nearly 30 years after that December night at Dodger Stadium, the brothers fought to recapture some of that allure.

They led the crowd through a 90-minute singalong of the two decades’ worth of funk, disco and pop hits. Sure, there were plenty of nods to their fallen brother -- his trademark glitter-encrusted outfits and dance moves were present the entire show -- with Jermaine getting choked up when he stood alone and sang Michael’s “Gone Too Soon.”

Onstage, the brothers ignored the headlines. By now, they are very used to all the attention on their family. What mattered Sunday night was the music and not the drama -- a rarity when you’re a Jackson.