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LOS ANGELES - A huge sale of Michael Jackson memorabilia due to take place next week has been cancelled, the auction house organizing the sell-off confirmed Tuesday.
Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien's Auctions, told AFP that the hotly anticipated sale had been scrapped after a settlement had been reached with the eccentric pop star's legal team.
Jackson's management company had been attempting to halt the April 22-25 auction despite earlier approving the sale and co-operating with Julien's.
"I can tell you that both parties today agreed not to move forward with the auction on April 22," Nolan told AFP.
"The collection will stay together to be returned to Michael Jackson and MJJ productions."
More than 1,300 items -- including a customized Rolls Royce limousine and dozens of Jackson's concert costumes -- had been due to go under the hammer in Beverly Hills in an auction expected to raise millions.
Items up for sale had been taken from Jackson's sprawling Neverland Ranch in California, which the singer left and has never returned to following his acquittal on child abuse charges on 2005.
All the auction lots were on display Tuesday at an exhibition opened to the public ahead of the sale, which had sparked worldwide interest from memorabilia collectors and Jackson fans.
Nolan said the exhibition would continue until April 25 when the items would be returned to the singer.
-AFP
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