He wasn’t breathing when the paramedics got there and he’s in “really bad shape” in the hospital according to a family member. Apart from feeling instinctive human sympathy for his suffering, I’m not sure how to react. He’s super famous — yet mostly famous at this point for being a walking freak show. He’s had a tough life psychologically — but might very well be a child molester. In a sense this is huge news, yet in another sense I’m not sure why anyone would much care these days. I’ve completely lost my news bearings!

Stand by for (hopefully happy) updates.

Update: A sentiment we can all hopefully agree upon: “Thriller” was a simply dynamite album.

Update: RIP.

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We’re told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

Let the overdose speculation begin.

Update: Writes Jim Treacher of Jacko’s and Farrah Fawcett’s demise, “How many more icons of my youth can we lose in one day? Stay strong, Hasselhoff. Stay strong.”

Update: As of 6:10 ET, TMZ’s still the one and only news outlet I know that’s reporting Jackson died. Then again, they were also the first to report that he’d had a heart attack so their sources presumably are solid. Even so, the LA Times claims Jackson’s in a coma. If TMZ jumped the gun, it’ll be a journalistic blunder for the ages.

Update: OK magazine is also reporting he died. Interesting how the celebrity gossip sites are way ahead of the legit news organizations.

Update: Sad confirmation from the LA Times that he is indeed dead. What a scoop by TMZ.

Update: Still the best video ever, but then a Romero fan would say that. Click the image to watch.

Update: Needless to say, this is going to be one interesting autopsy.

Update: I wonder which multimillionaire talking-head cable news anchor will be the first to complain that they have to cover this story, as if it’s beneath them.