In death as in life, controversy is courting Michael Jackson.
The King of Pop's estate and Sony Music said this week they would be releasing a posthumous album by Jackson on Dec. 14. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey days after the announcement, Jackson's mother Katherine reportedly complained that the album includes fraudulent songs.
Katherine Jackson said to Oprah in the interview, which has yet to air, that "she believes some of the tracks on the album are fake," according to Diane Dimond, an investigative reporter and author of "Be Careful Who You Love: Inside the Michael Jackson Case."
Several of the unreleased songs are believed to have been recorded in 2007 while Jackson was staying in New Jersey with the Cascio family, whom Jackson was close with. Members of that family worked in talent management, sound recording and mixing, Dimond said.
"Mrs. Jackson says the Cascios have added some things and given Sony corporation false tracks," Dimond told CTV News Channel.
"I don't know why they would do that. It would only take away from the value of it," she added. "I think it stems more from Katherine Jackson's jealousy that her son spent so much time with this family rather than his own family."
Jackson's daughter Paris and son Prince also reportedly do not believe the voice on some of the songs is of their late father, according to gossip website TMZ.com.
The singer's estate has responded by saying that sound experts analyzed the voice recordings in question and verified their authenticity.
The posthumous album is simply titled "Michael." The album's cover art depicts Jackson at different stages of his career, with a central image of the singer being crowned by angels, and a star shining brightly in the night sky behind him.
"Breaking News," the first track from the album, is due to be released on Monday. A 42-second teaser of the track has also been posted online. It will be screened on Jackson's website next week, according to a press release.
"The creative process never stopped for the King of Pop who was always planning for his next album," Sony Entertainment said in the release. "Unbeknownst to many fans around the world Michael Jackson was writing and recording songs continuously everywhere from a friend's home in New Jersey to studios in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with a small group of handpicked collaborators."
The album will feature "songs he most recently created along with tracks that Michael had a desire to bring to fruition," the release said.
Jackson's death in June 2009 has revived interest in his work. Last year, the film "This Is It" was released using rehearsal footage of Jackson preparing for concerts that were to be held in London. Due to his death at age 50, however, the concerts were never held.
Because of the way Jackson's estate has been set up, Dimond said sales of the new album could eventually fuel the fight over custody his three children.
"The will left the money to the three children and Katherine Jackson, deliberately. No money to the father. No money to the brothers. His sisters didn't need the money," Dimond said. "So when Katherine Jackson passes away -- she is 80 years old -- where will her portion of the money go? It will go back to the children."
"I hope she doesn't pass away for many years," she said. "There will be one big family fight over who gets the kids because where the kids go the money goes."
