Michael Jackson's Body 'Was Displayed In Open Casket For Family'

Michael Jackson's body was displayed in an open casket at a private viewing attended by family and friends, US media reports have claimed.

The ceremony is said to have taken place at the Forest Lawn ceremony in Hollywood on Monday night.

Jackson's three children, Prince Michael I, 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, are understood to have been present.

The singer's cousin, David Fossett, 50, told People magazine that the mood was “sombre” among relatives and that everyone “talked to each other and cried”.

Fossett added: "He looked like himself. He looked like he just was laying there sleeping. He looked peaceful."

The private ceremony came less than 24 hours before Jackson's public memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The event, which featured performances from family and friends, was watched by more than one billion people on television.

Jackson died on June 25 following a suspected cardiac arrest at his rented home in Holmby Hills. He was 50.

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