NEW YORK:

Michael Jackson has been warned not to try to block a planned charity auction of his memorabilia on May 30-31 because it could cause the singer-in-decline embarrassment.

The pop star is appearing in court on Friday as a witness in a lawsuit filed by him and the Jackson family to prevent the auction being held n Las Vegas by Universal Express, a B2B company of Florida. The Jacksons are contesting ownership of many items going under the hammer.

Richard Altomare, chief of Universal Express, claims to have purchased the collection from Jackson’s former business partner Henry Vacaro who was awarded the memorabilia as part of a bankruptcy case against Jackson. Altomare has threatened that if the lawsuit is not withdrawn, Universal Express will include in the auction many held-back items, including sex toys, portraits of naked boys, used skin bleach creams, records from Jackson’s closed sexual molestation case — which could be highly embarrassing to Jackson.

The auction is expected to raise $100 million from over 20,000 Jackson family artefacts including costumes from Michael and his Jackson 5 days and unreleased recording.

The auction is to benefit five well-known children’s charities — Make A Wish Foundation, Save the Children, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Ronald McDonald House. Universal Express, Inc provides the private postal and international shipping industries with logistical service and a cost-effective ways to deliver goods worldwide.