Fresh prince of bel-air

After being forced to hand over his Santa Barbara based Neverland ranch following financial difficulties, Michael Jackson is now leasing a home in swanky Bel-Air for a mere £68,000 a month...

"Now this is the story all about how
My life got flipped, turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air."

Hopefully I'm not alone in remembering the award winning American sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Fast forward to 2009 and there's an even fresher Prince on the Bel-Air block.

The King of Pop has become the new Prince of Bel-Air, signing a year long lease on a seven bedroom French Chateau style property in the obscenely wealthy Bel-Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

It's been a slow few years for the singer - once the world's most successful pop artist with his 1982 hit Thriller remaining the best-selling album of all time - and this latest move back to America's entertainment capital is a bid to relaunch his music career.

He left Neverland Ranch, his fantasy-themed property on California's central Coast, after his 1995 acquittal on 10 charges of child abuse. He spent time living out of the public eye in Bahrain, Las Vegas and Europe, plagued by reports of financial troubles.

In 2006, Jacko was fined for failing to pay his staff or keep up his insurance payments and Neverland hovered on the brink of foreclosure until an investment company stepped in. However, late last year, Jacko transferred the deeds of the property to the investment firm.

The new Bel-Air property is close to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, the property has 13 bathrooms and 12 fireplaces, plus wood-panelled den, library, theatre, butler's pantry, wine cellar and tasting room. It is fairly new - construction was completed in 2002.

It was one of the most expensive houses listed for sale last year in Los Angeles but was withdrawn from the market after Jacko signed the lease.

He has been staying in the estate, which Jacko's Spokesman describes as ‘a little bit more than an average home,' for about a month.

Jackson wants to be ‘where all the action is,' his Spokesman added.

Bel-Air is already home to some of Hollywood's glitziest stars, including Michael Caine, Nicholas Cage, Hugh Hefner and Elizabeth Taylor.

‘He might still want to build his own dream house,' said his Spokesman, but ‘the real estate market isn't very good right now.'

The star has repeatedly said he is working on a new album, but so far nothing concrete has materialized, but, ‘The second half of Jackson's career will be better than the first,' Dr Tohme promised.

Watch this space...

Picture by Alan Light