Administrators of Michael Jackson’s estate on Wednesday dismissed questions about whether his legal will is valid, after the celebrity news website TMZ reported that his brother Randy Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, a Jackson family confidant, raised questions about whether the pop star was in Los Angeles to sign the will on the date stated in the document.

Howard Weitzman, an attorney for administrators of the Jackson estate John Branca and John McClain, said in a statement, “Despite any claims to the contrary, we are confident Michael Jackson’s will is valid, that he signed it and that it reflects his wishes. All three witnesses listed on the will recall being present when Michael signed it.”

The will is important, because it names Branca and McClain as administrators of Jackson’s estate, and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has relied on the will since Jackson’s June 25 death to put the Branca, an attorney, and McClain, a music executive, in charge of the estate.

The will, which is available to view here, bears Michael Jackson’s signature dated July 7, 2002. Another page of the will bears the words, “We declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on July 7th, 2002 at 5:00 pm, Los Angeles.” But TMZ has posted photos that show Michael Jackson was in New York the day before on July 6, 2002, where he publicly protested against Tommy Mottola, the former head of Sony Music Entertainment, in a dispute over how he was being treated as an artist.

TMZ has other photos of Jackson in New York on July 8, 2002. In several of the pictures, Jackson is appearing with the Rev. Al Sharpton. So far, no photos have surfaced of Jackson in New York on July 7, 2002, the date in question when he is believed to have signed the will.

Sharpton has weighed in on the question, in a statement through his spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger.

“We have reason to believe that Michael may have been in NY on the 7th and Rev. Sharpton will address this after he discusses it with the Jackson family,” Noerdlinger said in the statement. “Michael Jackson was with us in New York City on July 6th at our Harlem Headquarters and again for a summit with Rev. Sharpton, attorney Johnnie Cochran and others around the issue of artist rights a few days later on July 9th.”

There has been already been plenty of friction between the administrators and Jackson’s family over control of the estate, and the questions that Randy Jackson and Sharpton are raising appear to be the latest instance of that. Did Jackson simply hop on a plane from New York to sign the will in Los Angeles on July 7, 2002? It’s possible. But it’s also possible that the question will continue to be a point of contention in the coming days.

 The stars of Fox’s “American Idol” expect great things from new judge Ellen DeGeneres , but they are all saying something different about her addition to the judging panel of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, and her replacement of songstress Paula Abdul.

Host Ryan Seacrest told Fox News at the Primetime Emmy awards on Sunday that DeGeneres, a comedian with her own daytime chat show, is a “superstar.”

“She will change the sexual tension,” Seacrest said of DeGeneres, who is lesbian and last year married longtime girlfriend and actress Portia de Rossi in California, before voters in the state banned same-sex weddings during the November 2008 election.

“Simon and Paula had a specific kind of tension, but this will be quite different…” Seacrest told Fox.

DioGuardi, who only joined the show this past season, told People magazine at an Emmy after-party that “Idol” producers’ recruitment of DeGeneres was a “genius decision,” and that she wishes she had thought of it herself.

One of the most pointed comments about DeGeneres’ addition came from director Bruce Gowers, who won an Emmy for his role with “American Idol.”

“I think there will be a lot more fun on the show than there was before,” Gowers told reporters backstage.

“I think we’re going to get even higher ratings,” he said.

But Gowers backtracked when asked if he meant the show suffered with Abdul in the judge’s chair, saying that was not the case.

Despite drawing more viewers than any other show on television, “American Idol” did not win its first Emmy until 2007, which was six years into the show’s lifespan, and even that was for the relatively unexciting category of best technical direction.

 Will next season’s arrival of DeGeneres, a highly respected figure in Hollywood, change things and get the show more respect from Emmy voters?

“American Idol” producers moved swiftly to replace Paula Abdul with comedian and TV chat show host Ellen DeGeneres  as the new judge on the show which starts again in January.

But is Ellen the right fit for the show?

Fans are split and even media watchers were stunned by the move, which serves the dual function of closing the door permanently on Paula, and making the show talked about all over again after a summer of shock announcements.

For a TV show that’s primarily about finding America’s next instant pop star — and one which is ultimately chosen by the public — there’s been a lot of hoo-hah this year about the judging panel, whether its Kara DioGuardi’s return, Simon Cowell’s future, Ryan Seacrest’s lucrative new contract or Abdul’s ultimately failed contract manoevres.

So what do you think is ultimately the most important and/or entertaining part of “Idol” — the contestants, or the chemistry on the judging panel?

And how will Ellen fit in, and will her presence on the “Idol” panel make you more or less likely to watch next year when the show has finished tossing out all the thousands of hopeless singers and gets down to the Top 20?

Are “American Idol” producers really going to dump Paula Abdul after all these years?

Or is the emotional judge (or her representatives) just playing mind-games at this late stage in a bid to get a better offer for the next few years after Ryan Seacrest upped the stakes by securing a new three-year deal reputed to be worth around $15 million a year?

And with a little over two weeks to go before auditions start in front of the panel for that golden ticket to Hollywood, the official silence around the future of newcomer Kara DioGuardi has been stunning.

Paula might be the most unpredictable, some might say wacky, member of the judging panel but would the show be the same without what one fan this week called her “rainbows and colors”?

Despite his reputation as “Mr. Nasty”, fans have made clear that they would think twice about watching if Simon Cowell were to quit the show. But would they feel the same about Paula going?

Maybe “Idol” producers should allow Americans to vote and decide whether to put Paula, or Kara, in the bottom three. Who do you think would end up being sent home?

“American Idol” on Tuesday entered the last week of competition before the finale, and we at “Fan Fare” had the good fortune to land second-row seats in the talent show’s live studio audience. (For the record, this twist of fate had nothing to do with our coverage of the show — it was good old-fashioned standing in line combined with almost two years of being on a waiting list.)

Watching “Idol” in its natural habitat revealed dozens of quirks imperceptible to the 25 million or so viewers who tune in at home. First off, the studio was smaller than expected — even more intimate than watching a live show in a theater. One audience member in our row even remarked that it was smaller than her college lecture hall.

Also, the judges seemed to spend more time out of their seats than in them. Accompanied by massive bodyguards, they walked backstage at every commercial break, rushing back to their seats sometimes with two seconds to spare. Judge Paula Abdul at least spent some time greeting celebrity audience members such as Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and their mom, Kris Jenner, as well as “The Hills” star Audrina Partridge.

Many in the mostly young, female audience also appeared to be partial to one contestant — supposed dark horse Kris Allen. There were more Kris-themed homemade signs (”Krazy 4 Kris”, for instance) being waved than those for either of the other contestants. And, one young fan was overheard after the show gloating that she had waved to Allen — and that he had smiled back!

So is “Idol”’s resident pretty boy Kris really a dark horse after all? His acoustic performance of Kanye West’s “Heartless” received universal praise from the judges, with Randy Jackson deeming it “better than the original.” His first song, “Apologize,” however, was less well-received.

But Allen rival Danny Gokey’s performances were by no means stellar, getting similar mixed reviews from the judges. They loved his version of “You Are So Beautiful” but were less enthused by his take on Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Dance Little Sister,” for which he was criticized for his dancing.

Golden child Adam Lambert, predictably, got rave reviews for both of his performances. Judge Simon Cowell, however, warned “Idol” viewers not to assume that Lambert would sail through to next week’s finale and reminded them that they needed to vote.

So who will be sent packing tomorrow night? Host Ryan Seacrest, toward the end of the show, made a point of saying that he had no idea what would happen on Wednesday night.

Is Lambert really the juggernaut he has been made out to be, and does Allen have a stronger wind at his back than many expected? Gokey is the only contestant never to be placed among the show’s bottom three vote-getters — but has he finally run out of steam?

On “American Idol,” it appears to be a man’s world after all.

It’s no secret that male contestants like Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey have trounced their female counterparts in the singing competition since early this season. And, with just one woman in the show’s Top 5, viewers on Tuesday night were left wondering if the final four contestants would all be men for the first time in “Idol” history.

It’s been a long time since two women — Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo — competed for the “Idol” title in the finale of the show’s third season in 2004. 

Not that the show’s surviving female contestant performed badly on Tuesday night. Allison Iraheta, who turned 17 this week, won major praise from judges Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul for her performance of “Someone to Watch Over Me.” DioGuardi even said she could see the Los Angeles teen in the finals.

“Bad cop” judge Simon Cowell, however, said he thought Iraheta still lacked the belief that she could win the competition, and was at risk of being voted off this week.

“I have a horrible feeling you could be in trouble tonight,” Cowell said, as his fellow judges vehemently disagreed.

Having been among the show’s Bottom Three vote-getters on three occasions so far this season, it’s questionable whether Allison has the fan base to catapult her to the top two.

And, let’s face it, her competition is fierce. Really fierce.

On Tuesday night, Cowell said both Gokey and Lambert proved during Rat Pack Standards Week that they were in the competition to win it, and he also called Matt Giraud’s rendition ”brilliant.” Cowell was less enamored with Kris Allen, but DioGuardi effusively labeled him “a dark horse.”

The dearth of female contestants also comes as Cowell has complained stridently about Abdul and DioGuardi eating up time when the judges review singers.

“Girls do tend to talk a little bit more than guys. Randy’s quick, and I don’t say too much. But my God, these two!” Cowell told US Weekly Magazine.  

Just to keep “Idol” fans scratching their heads, Cowell also told the magazine that he and Abdul were really “secretly in love with each other.” Isn’t this the same Simon who snaps at Paula every chance he gets?

So is Simon really frustrated with the show’s female judges, or is he just pushing their buttons? Are his criticisms fair? And how do you feel about the lack of female contestants at this late stage in the competition?

Before he went on stage, the camera swooped down on “American Idol” contestant Adam Lambert as he stood beaming in the crowd. But as usual, Lambert was more than just a face in the crowd on Tuesday night, as he again wowed the judges and solidified his frontrunner status.

It was Disco Week on “Idol,” and true to the theme Lambert sang the Bee Gees hit “If I Can’t Have You,” effortlessly hitting the high notes and inspiring judge Paula Abdul to gush that his performance made her feel his “pain.” Abdul was not alone. All the judges said they loved the performance, with alpha judge Simon Cowell commending Lambert for surprising him by picking a Bee Gees song.

“I would have put $10,000 you were going to do Donna Summer, but that’s what’s so good about you, you did something we weren’t expecting,” Cowell said.

Speaking of betting, it seems the smart money is on Lambert. Online betting firm BookMaker.com, which usually confines itself to sports gambling, said on Tuesday that the “Idol” title appears to be Lambert’s to lose, if he does not slip up.

At the other end of the spectrum, embattled singer Lil Rounds continued to leave the judges unimpressed. She sang the Chaka Khan hit “I’m Every Woman,” and although her performance was energetic and confident, judge Randy Jackson faulted her for a lack of vocal control. Lil said that she had a good time with the song, which only gave Cowell an opening to tear her down.

“I’m glad you had fun, because I think this is going to be the last week we’re ever going to see you,” Cowell said.

Cowell had a similarly biting critique for Anoop Desai’s version of the Donna Summer song “Dim All the Lights.”

“It was a horrible version of that song, and in my opinion, genuinely that was your worst performance by a mile,” Cowell said.

With a completely different take, judge Kara DioGuardi told Desai he has been at the top of his game the past couple of weeks, even though the voters put him in the Bottom Three for each of the past three weeks.

Allison Iraheta continued to hold her own with her version of “Hot Stuff,” another Donna Summer hit. Cowell called the slowed-down rendition “brilliant” and Jackson said the 16-year-old Iraheta was one of the best singers in the competition.

Matt Giraud, who was saved from elimination by the judges last week, sang the appropriately-chosen Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive,” a disco-era hallmark. The judges gave him mostly positive reviews, as they did for Danny Gokey’s rendition of “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Judge Paula Abdul saved her best comment for contestant Kris Allen, who sang yet another Donna Summer song, “She Works Hard for the Money.” Allen gave a new twist to what is a very feminine song, bringing the band on stage with him and performing the tune with an acoustic flavor.

“A lot of women are known to shop in the mens’ department, but there aren’t many men that are willing to shop in the womens’ (department),” Abdul said. “I’ve got to tell you that you shopped and you found a perfect fit.”

Which contestants were a perfect fit for the audience on Tuesday night? And which two will get the axe tomorrow night? Will the disco ball finally come down on Lil Round’s “Idol” dreams, or will the audience ignore the judges’ criticism of her and give the Memphis mom another chance?

“American Idol” fans were robbed of one of the show’s biggest draws on Tuesday night, after the producers decreed that only two judges would evaluate each performance.

Calling the change “unfortunate,” judge Simon Cowell said just two judges would speak at a time because the show ran several minutes long last week. Many viewers with digital video recorders had complained because they missed the show’s final performance by Adam Lambert.

Cowell blamed the switch on “the girls” — meaning female judges Kara DioGuardi and Paula Abdul — whom he said spoke too much last week.

Cowell may or may not have been joking, but whatever the reason for the shift, it was the viewers who were punished. Cowell’s brutally honest comments are among the most anticipated moments of each week’s show, so when only Randy Jackson and DioGuardi gave their opinions viewers might have felt something was missing. Not to belittle DioGuardi and Jackson, but there’s a reason there are four judges, right?

Whether the show keeps the new format next week is unclear, but it does beg the question: why did producers add a fourth judge (DioGuardi) this season if there wasn’t enough time for all four opinions?

At the beginning of this season of “Idol,” the two female judges clashed publicly after Abdul complained in a magazine interview that listening to four opinions slowed the pace of the show. At the time, DioGuardi said she was disappointed by Abdul’s comment.

But was Paula right? Has four become a crowd at the judges’ table? And are you outraged or relieved by the two-judges-per-performance shift?

“Country Week” is always a mixed bag on “American Idol”, alternately filling viewers with anticipation and dread.

Tuesday night’s tribute to the “Grand Ole Opry,” with country icon Randy Travis as guest mentor, certainly didn’t buck that trend, taking several of the show’s frontrunners down a notch and allowing dark horses to emerge.

“Anoop Dogg” delivered the night’s biggest surprise when his version of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” received universal praise from the judges. And yes, that included Simon Cowell, who last week said Anoop didn’t deserve his coveted spot in the Top 13.

“Glad to have you back, Anoop,” Cowell said.

Kris Allen was also a fave, earning the title “Tender Dog” from Randy Jackson for his version of the Garth Brooks ballad “To Make you Feel My Love.”

Matt Giraud’s rendition of Carrie Underwood’s “So Small” also made him one to watch in the competition, the judges said.

“Everyone’s been talking about Danny and Adam,” Cowell said to Giraud after his performance “I think you are quite similar to Danny. Tonight, I think you outsang him.”

Indeed, Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds, the show’s biggest stars until now, received less-than-stellar reviews from the judges. Lambert’s Middle Eastern-flavored version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” was panned by Cowell as “really, really horrific,” though Jackson said it was “current, it’s young, it’s fresh, it’s hot.”

Contestants with across-the-board lukewarm marks included Alexis Grace, who sang Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” and Scott MacIntyre, who performed “Wild Angels” by Martina McBride.

The frontrunners at this point are certainly up for debate. Did Danny, Lil and Adam peak too early? And who could get the boot on Wednesday night?

“American Idol” fans get an extra night of action this week in the form of a bonus episode on Thursday night, so the judges can bring back three contestants previously eliminated by the fans. The wildcard round will likely offer a second shot at fame for a couple contestants from Tuesday night’s show, because the judges praised half of the 12 singers, and all but three of them will be eliminated by fan voting on Wednesday night.

So who will sail through to the show’s “Top 12″ on Wednesday and who will rise from “Idol” banishment on Thursday?

If alpha judge Simon Cowell is right, blind singer Scott MacIntyre will make it through easily on Wednesday night for his poignant but controlled rendition of the Bruce Hornsby song “Mandolin Rain.” Ditto for spunky Lil Rounds, a big-voiced singer with a quirky name whom judge Randy Jackson said kept her “swagger on” during her version of Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” Based on the judges’ reaction, the top contestant from the rest of Tuesday night’s field is hard to determine.

Fans could go for 26-year-old Virginia mom Felicia Barton, who was eliminated during the tryouts but got called back to replace disqualified contestant Joanna Pacitti. Barton’s version of “No One” by Alicia Keys was praised by the judges. “You certainly came back to prove a point,” Cowell said. Ju’Not Joyner’s soulful cover of the Plain White T’s song “Hey There, Delilah” also earned kind words from the four judges. Jorge Nunez, a contestant from Puerto Rico whose accented English became the subject of back-and-forth discussion on the panel, also wowed the judges with his passionate performance of the Elton John song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

Kendall Beard, a 24-year-old from Texas who flew to Puerto Rico for the tryouts and got through, earned some backhanded compliments from Cowell for her version of the Martina McBride country song “This One’s for the Girls.” Cowell said he could not wait for the song to end, but that “there a lot of people who watch the show who love this kind of stuff.”

Was Tuesday night’s show more talent packed than the past two rounds? If so, how many should come back? And who?