It's been four years since Michael Jackson died, but the legal wrangling following his death continues. A jury has now been empaneled in the lawsuit brought by Jackson's mother and children against AEG Live, the promoter of his final "This is It" tour, and one potential key figure at that trial will likely be Dr. Conrad Murray.

Murray, who served as Jackson's doctor, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death in 2011, and on Friday he phoned TODAY from his jail cell to talk with Savannah Guthrie, with his lawyer Valerie Wass in the studio. 

All along, Murray has denied being responsible for Jackson's death, and maintains that assertion today: "(I take) not any responsibility as it relates to his death," said Murray. "I am sorry that I lost Michael as a friend and as a patient. ... I have lost a very dear friend and a dear person to me, and it's going to remain with me for the rest of my life, but I'm not going to accept responsibility for anything I did not do."

At this new trial, lawyers for the Jackson family are likely to argue that AEG Live is liable because they hired Murray. In theory, the company would have had a financial interest in ensuring the singer was healthy and able to perform as contractually obligated, which may have created a conflict in their oversight of Dr. Murray. 

As Guthrie pointed out, there appeared to be clear negligence in that the drug that killed Jackson -- the singer died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication that brought on cardiac arrest -- was found in the room after Murray left Jackson unattended. "I met Michael Jackson with his own stash of medication," insisted Murray. "I tried to get rid of the propofol from Michael Jackson. He might not have liked the approach that I took, but nonetheless the circumstances were to actually get him away from that agent."

Wass spoke up to say that when Murray left Jackson alone in the room on the night he died, the singer was on a saline drip. "Jackson was not on a propofol drip," she said and added that however Jackson gained access to the propofol that killed him, it was never determined whether it came from "his own sources" or from Murray.

Murray says being in prison "has been one of my most horrendous experiences. ... I have only survived because of the loving hope and the support that I get from various individuals and I would especially like to say that my girlfriend Nicole Alvarez has been just tremendous."

Murray may be released in a few months due to prison overcrowding, and is appealing his conviction. Opening statements in the trial are set for Monday.

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Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP

Jermaine Jackson ... or is that Jacksun?

Why would Jermaine Jackson ever want to get rid of his famous surname? He wouldn't. Michael Jackson's older brother filed a name change petition on Tuesday in Los Angeles, E! News confirms, but he's not exactly changing his last name -- just giving the spelling a little spin. 

Say hello to Jermaine Jacksun.

Michael Jackson's mansion finally sells

A spokesperson for Jermaine confirms that he has filed a name change petition for artistic reasons, and explains that "his actual name has not changed. It's just the spelling, one letter. It is a personal choice of Jermaine's and it's not a big deal."

Michael Jackson's tribute concert

They add, "Phonetically, it changes nothing. It is something he has chosen to do, and it's fair to say that you cannot blame this one on the boogie, you've got to blame it on the sunshine."

Jermaine is currently touring in Belgium. 

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Handout / Getty Images

The Jackson family (Janet Jackson at far left) attend Michael Jackson's funeral service in 2009.

Janet Jackson's attorney sent a scathing letter to Vanity Fair demanding a retraction of an article in the November 2012 issue. 

The magazine article, which is an excerpt from Randall Sullivan's upcoming book, "Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson," claims Janet, 46, delayed her brother Michael Jackson's funeral until she was reimbursed for her $40,000 deposit to secure his plot.

Janet's attorney, Blair G. Brown, addressed a legal letter to Vanity Fair's Editor-in-Chief Graydon Carter saying the story is "false and defamatory."

PHOTOS: Michael's most memorable moments

"Ms. Jackson never delayed the funeral in anyway," Brown wrote in the letter dated Oct. 5, obtained by Us Weekly. "In fact, she paid for the funeral and was reimbursed for some of those expenses by Michael Jackson's estate in the year after the services took place." 

"In addition, there were other private costs associated with Michael Jackson's passing that Ms. Jackson incurred and for which she has never sought reimbursement," he added. "To falsely accuse Ms. Jackson of holding up her brother's funeral over money is outrageous. This story is particularly hurtful and distressing because of Ms. Jackson's strong desire to serve her brother, whom she loved dearly, and he wish to stand with and support her family."

PHOTOS: Michael's kids say their final farewell 

The King of Pop was laid to rest on Sept. 3, 2009 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, more than two months after his death. 

"I demand that Vanity Fair retract its statement that Ms. Jackson 'refused' to let Michael Jackson's funeral take place until the money she put down as a deposition on his burial plot was repaid," Brown wrote. "To the extend that this statement appears in excerpts of Untouchable published in Vanity Fair’s November 2012 issue, I demand that Vanity Fair publish a retraction explaining that the statement is false."

PHOTOS: Inside Michael's memorial

Janet posted the entire letter on her official website. 

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LOS ANGELES -- A Canadian memorabilia dealer who worked with Michael Jackson's mother on a tribute book and ran a website using the singer's image and music reached a $2.5 million copyright settlement on Tuesday with Jackson's estate.

Slideshow: Michael Jackson’s life and career

John G. Mabanglo / EPA

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Howard Mann, who used michaeljacksonsecretvault.com, MJgives.com and similar domain names to sell Jackson's music and other memorabilia, was also barred from using the "Thriller" singer's image without the permission of his estate.

The two sides announced the settlement in Los Angeles federal court hours before a trial was due to start to determine how much Mann owes the estate.

He was found liable for infringing the dead singer's intellectual property in a court ruling in August. The websites were also ordered shut down.

The estate holds the copyright to Jackson's image and music for the benefit of the singer's mother Katherine and his three children.

Howard Weitzman and Zia Modabber, the attorney's for Jackson's estate, said in a statement that the "settlement seems appropriate for all concerned."

Mann's attorneys could not be reached for comment.

The executors of Jackson's estate filed the case against Mann in January 2011, 18 months after the "Thriller" singer's sudden death in Los Angeles from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

Mann worked with Katherine Jackson on several projects, including a 2010 "Never Can Say Goodbye" coffee table book featuring recollections of her son, and a DVD and calendar featuring what were described as never before seen photos and videos.

All were sold through the "secretvault" website. Mann claimed he obtained the rights to the material at a bankruptcy sale involving members of Jackson's family several years ago.

He also used copyright-protected clips of Jackson's song "Destiny," a logo featuring the self-styled "King of Pop" and art from the posthumous concert movie "This Is It" on his websites.

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Steve Starr / Corbis file

Michael Jackson in 1995

Promoters of Michael Jackson's planned 2009 comeback described in emails how they feared for the megastar's stability, saying he was out of shape and consumed with self-doubt.

The Los Angeles Times obtained some 250 pages of messages, most between executives at Anschutz Entertainment Group, which was financing the ill-fated "This Is It" concerts set for London. Some of the emails indicated that executives were concerned that Jackson's planned 50-show stand at AEG's 02 Arena would be an expensive bust.

In one exchange AEG's Randy Phillips wrote his boss that Jackson was "an emotionally paralyzed mess." Phillips was writing from Jackson's London hotel suite just hours before a press conference announcing the concert run.

"MJ is locked in his room drunk and despondent," Phillips said in an email to AEG President Tim Leiweke. "I (am) trying to sober him up."

In the end, the emails show, Phillips and Jackson's manager had to dress the pop star, the Times said.

"He is scared to death," Phillips wrote to Leiweke.

Jackson arrived 90 minutes late for the press conference and made brief remarks that some of the 350 reporters described as odd and disjointed.

In an interview with the newspaper, AEG's attorney Marvin Putnam suggested Phillips had exaggerated in his emails and said Jackson's behavior appeared to be a case of "nerves."

The Times said the messages will probably play a key role in two lawsuits set for trial next year. The shows' insurers are asking a judge to nullify a $17.5-million policy that they say AEG got with false claims about Jackson's health and readiness to perform. And Jackson's heirs filed a wrongful-death suit that accuses the entertainment giant of pressuring the singer to carry on with a comeback despite indications he was too weak.

Slideshow: The face of change

AP

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Lawyers for AEG, which has denied any wrongdoing, told the Times most of the correspondence was produced as discovery in ongoing litigation. They said the messages reviewed by the newspaper were incomplete and leaked to portray the company in a negative light. The lawyers declined to provide additional emails that they said would give a fuller picture, citing a protective order imposed by a judge in the civil litigation.

Numerous emails show Lloyd's of London unsuccessfully pushing for access to five years of Jackson's medical records in order to expand insurance coverage for the concerts.

The insurer also wanted the singer to undergo a four-hour medical exam that would include three doctors, heart monitoring and blood work. AEG's insurance broker tried to persuade Lloyd's to drop the physical, according to the email discussions. AEG suggested that Jackson's physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, could give an oral recitation of Jackson's recent medical history instead, the Times reported. Lloyd's refused.

A Lloyd's underwriter wrote that repeated requests for written records and details about Jackson's daily fitness program were met "always with no response."

Murray responded to the last of the requests June 25 at Jackson's Southern California home, according to emails presented at the doctor's criminal trial. He wrote that he had talked to Jackson and "Authorization was denied."

Jackson died less than an hour later, according to a timeline Murray gave investigators.

Kevork Djansezian / AFP / Getty Images

Conrad Murray has one less legal woe to worry about -- for now.

Conrad Murray can rest somewhat easier. Joe Jackson's wrongful death suit against the cardiologist convicted of manslaughter in the death of son Michael Jackson was dismissed at his request on Monday, E! News has confirmed.

"I was pleased that Joe Jackson's case against my client has been dismissed," Murray's attorney, Valerie Wass, told E! News. "It was always my opinion that Joe Jackson lacked standing to bring this action, and that eventually the case would be dismissed."

Jackson family drama still rages, more than three years after Michael's death

The case was dismissed without prejudice, however, meaning Joe can refile the same allegations if circumstances allow.

The 84-year-old Jackson family patriarch sued Murray in June 2010 and refiled that November, adding concert promoter AEG Live and a Las Vegas pharmacy as plaintiffs, before the now former doctor was put on trial for involuntary manslaughter and subsequently convicted. He is currently serving a four-year jail sentence.

AEG, meanwhile, successfully petitioned to be dropped as a defendant in Joe's lawsuit in February.

Listen to Michael Jackson discuss his idea of a national Children's Day

In his complaint, Joe maintained that Murray, as well as several pharmacy suppliers, were negligent in failing to provide Michael Jackson with adequate care, treatment, diagnosis, and resuscitation equipment, resulting in the pop icon's death caused by an overdose of the anesthetic propofol administered by Murray.

"As a result of that failure, Jackson was deprived with the loss of companionship of his son," the suit charged.

Check out Paris Jackson's memorial shrine to her dad

Joe, who was not named in his son's will, has stayed out of the ongoing family squabble over whether the document is legal and he did not weigh in when his estranged wife temporarily lost custody of Michael's three children. Katherine Jackson was later reinstated and is currently sharing guardianship of Prince, Paris and Blanket with their cousin, T.J. Jackson.

Katherine sued AEG and This Is It director Kenny Ortega for fraud and negligence in September 2010, claiming they over-worked and failed to provide proper medical care for her son.

(Reporting by Baker Machado and Claudia Rosenbaum.)

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Getty Images file

Paris Jackson.

Paris Jackson is contemplating getting a tattoo -- whether or not her fans approve.

PHOTOS: Michael's kids say their final farewell

The 14-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson tweeted to her followers Tuesday, "I kinda want to get August XXIX tatted on my back." Michael was born on August 29, 1958.

The announcement launched a debate amongst her fans, with some arguing that the famous teen is too young to get a tattoo. "LOL y'all are trippin' trying to tell me not to get the tat, when you guys don't even know what it means . . . it's my dad's bday. Get over it. LMAO."

PHOTOS: Michael's most memorable moments

Jackson has been busy this week finding new ways to honor her beloved father. On Monday, she shared a photo of the wall above her bed, which she covered in photos of the "Thriller" singer, who passed away at age 50 in June 2009. 

PHOTOS: Inside Michael's memorial

"My new wall took me three effing hours," she tweeted. "Someone commented on my pic saying 'obsessed much?' Yea, you better believe it . . . a whole wall of his pics is the least I could do."

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Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images file

Jackson siblings Janet and Randy insist the fight over brother Michael's will isn't about money.

LOS ANGELES -- Three of Michael Jackson's siblings vowed on Friday to keep up their fight to have the pop star's will thrown out, but denied their efforts were motivated by money.

Janet, Randy and Rebbie Jackson said in an attorney's statement issued on their behalf that their aim was only to replace the executors of their brother's multimillion-dollar estate, who they accuse of mismanagement.

The statement followed two weeks of Jackson clan infighting, including a trip by family matriarch Katherine Jackson, 82, to Arizona in which she has said she was cut off from the outside world and was reported missing.

Jackson, who died in June 2009, appointed his mother guardian of his three children, and made the children beneficiaries of his estate. His father and eight siblings were not included.

"It is important to stress that Janet, Randy and Rebbie have questioned the validity of the will with no financial motive whatsoever - they stand to gain nothing financially by a finding that the will is invalid," Friday's statement said.

"What will be gained ... is that the executors will be replaced and the estate and the guardianship will be managed in a manner that is in the best interests of the children," it added.

Michael Jackson's estate is managed by a music executive and a lawyer. According to recent court documents, the estate has earned $475 million in gross profits since the singer died of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

The executors have said that any doubts about the validity of Jackson's will were debunked two years ago in a legal challenge that went all the way to the California state supreme court.

But Friday's statement said that "Janet, Randy and Rebbie will continue to press forward in their search for the truth in order to carry out the wishes of their brother Michael."

The bitter dispute has led to Janet, Randy and Rebbie being barred from visiting their mother and Jackson's children at their home near Los Angeles following an angry altercation there last week.

Brothers Jermaine and Tito Jackson have backed down from the public campaign to throw out the will, and appealed instead for family unity.

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Gus Ruelas / Reuters file

Katherine Jackson has been reinstated as a co-guardian for her grandchildren.

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, is in charge of his children -- Prince, Paris and Blanket -- once more. But she'll be sharing the responsibilities.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mitchell Beckloff on Thursday reinstated the 82-year-old as a co-guardian for the minor children, according to the Associated Press. The judge gave temporary guardianship to 34-year-old TJ Jackson, the children's cousin, on July 25 while the Jackson family matriarch was unreachable. She will be sharing guardianship of the children with him.

In a sworn statement, Katherine Jackson said that she supported having TJ act as co-guardian. "I am, and have been, very close with my grandson TJ and have relied on him to help me raise Prince, Paris and Blanket since the death of their father," she said. "While I was away, I assumed that the children) would be secure and safe in the hands of the person who had essentially been acting as an informal co-guardian on many matters with me since my appointment as guardian."

The singer's mother was temporary stripped of her guardianship after a prolonged absence in late July. Her son Randy said in an interview with MSNBC that her health had been poor and that she had "isolate(d) herself from the outside world" and was resting as per doctor's orders. While she was away, 14-year-old Paris tweeted several times, saying she hadn't been able to reach her grandmother.

Katherine Jackson also said in her statement to the court that she didn't know the kids were trying to get in contact with her and that she would have returned home sooner if she had known. She said that while in Arizona, the phone in her room wasn't working and that an iPad was taken from her. 

The judge reinstated her after a probate court investigator gave her a glowing review after speaking to the children.

"I think the kids are in terrific hands," Beckloff said in Thursday's hearing. "It appears from the report that Katherine Jackson has done a wonderful job and cares about the children very much."

Beckless will finalize the co-guardianship later in the month.

The Associated Press and CNS contributed to this report.

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Updated 3pm ET, July 27: If you've been hoping for a semi-live blog tracking exactly what is going on with the Jackson family, it's your lucky day. Keep checking back, and we'll keep you up to date.

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David Mcnew / AP file

Conrad Murray in 2010

Conrad Murray, the doctor found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, has invited Jackson's mother Katherine to visit him in jail.

According to Valerie Wass, a lawyer for Murray who recently spent several hours with the doctor, Murray wants to get the message out to Katherine Jackson that he would welcome the chance to answer any questions she has. 

"Although I am not permitted to see the news in jail, there are times when intermittent snippets are seen before a channel change occurs.  I recently saw Katherine Jackson in one of those snippets. She appeared to be extremely sad.  I also heard she is having a difficult time.  I've been told that she has a desire to speak with me before she departs this life," Murray said in a statement obtained by NBC News. "Seeing that she is up in age, and in questionable health, and the fact that she is the mother of a very dear departed friend, it would give me great pleasure to sit with her one to one and answer any questions she might have if it would put her at peace.  I would do that truly out of concern for her and altruistic love and concern for others."

Wass said that Murray has had no direct communication with the Jacksons since he began serving out his four-year jail sentence.

Murray is appealing the conviction, a process that has been "slowed down somewhat by procedural hurdles," according to his attorney.

At the time of Murray's sentencing, the Jackson family issued a statement saying, "We're going to be a family. We're going to move forward. We're going to tour, play the music and miss him."

As of this writing, there's been no statement as to whether Katherine Jackson will visit Murray in jail.

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Updated at 5:50 p.m. PT: LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson's three children were given a new guardian on Wednesday in an escalating power struggle within the famous musical family involving the singer's multimillion-dollar estate and the well-being of his elderly mother.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff gave temporary guardianship of the children to their cousin Tito Jackson Jr., 34, at his request, after a chaotic week of conflicting reports over the health and whereabouts of family matriarch Katherine Jackson.

Hours after Wednesday's court hearing, Katherine Jackson gave her first TV interview since the often wild and conflicting reports surfaced, denying she had been kidnapped by her adult children and saying she was devastated that Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14 and Blanket, 10, "have been taken away from me."

Katherine Jackson, 82, who was appointed guardian of the kids in her son Michael's will, was reported missing and unreachable by granddaughter Paris last week.

She was later said by family members to be resting under doctor's order at the Arizona home of one of her daughters.

"There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped," she told ABC News in the interview.

"I am here today to let everybody to know that I am good and fine ... My children would never do anything to me like that," she added.

Katherine Jackson said the court ruling that gave temporary guardianship to her grandson Tito was "based on a bunch of lies."

"I am devastated that while I've been away, my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home," she added. 

The family dispute broke into the open earlier this week in an angry confrontation, seen on security video, between Paris and her aunt, singer Janet Jackson, at the clan's large compound near Los Angeles.

Janet Jackson and four of her siblings are embroiled in a dispute over the validity of the will left by their brother Michael after his sudden death in 2009. The will placed his estate in the hands of two non-family executors.

At Wednesday's court hearing, attorneys for both Tito Jackson Jr. and Katherine Jackson raised questions over whether her absence from her Los Angeles home was voluntary.

Tito Jackson Jr., the son of Michael Jackson's older brother Tito, told Beckloff that he spoke on Tuesday to Katherine Jackson but that she was talking strangely and seemed to be speaking in code.

"I never heard my grandmother talk like that," he said. "I'd ask simple questions and she wasn't sharp."

Another brother, Randy Jackson, said on Twitter Wednesday that suggestions his mother was being held against her will were "absurd."

"Enough already!! We've already lost one family member," Randy Jackson tweeted, claiming the executors of his brother's estate were using the media to "spin their lies and divide our family."

Michael Jackson's will stipulated that money earned by the estate would benefit his mother and his kids. But Randy, Janet and three other siblings say the pop star's signature was forged and that he was not in California on the date it was signed.

The executors of the estate insist the will is valid and said earlier this week they were concerned about protecting the kids from "undue influences, bullying and greed."

Since Jackson's death, the executors have approved numerous projects including a posthumous concert rehearsal film "This Is It", a Cirque du Soleil show, and releases of new and old Jackson music and videos.

Music publication Billboard estimated in 2010 that the "Thriller" singer's estate generated about $1 billion in revenue in just the first year following his death from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol.

According to financial documents filed recently with a Los Angeles probate judge, the estate has earned $475 million in gross profits since Jackson's death, and much of the singer's estimated $500 million debt has been paid off.

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