title: J. R. Ewing

text: Starting at age five, J.R. was groomed to be the heir apparent to his father Jock at Ewing Oil, an independent oil company that Jock ran in a very cutthroat, ruthless manner. After coming home from serving for a short time in the Vietnam War during the 1960s, J.R. began his long tenure as an employee of Ewing Oil. He had no interest in working on Southfork Ranch, which was mostly the domain of his mother Miss Ellie, and brothers Bobby and Ray Krebbs, but he did have a strong desire to keep Southfork in the family. Gary was mostly influenced by his mother and embraced the Southworth tradition of ranching on Southfork and had no interest in Ewing Oil. Like their father Jock, J.R. saw Gary as weak, lacking the Ewing character and growing up Gary was unable to stand up to J.R.'s bullying. A teenage Gary met his wife Valene Clements (Joan Van Ark) in the early 1960s, they married when she became pregnant with their daughter Lucy (Charlene Tilton). J.R. did not approve of Gary marrying someone of Valene's status. When their marriage began to disintegrate, Gary left Southfork leaving Valene and Lucy. When Valene attempted to leave with Lucy, J.R. had her run out of town and took Lucy back to live with the Ewings at Southfork. In 1979, Gary and Valene reunited in Dallas and remarried, but rather than try to live at Southfork again, they left to go and live in the California suburb of "Knots Landing".


title: J. R. Ewing

text: Bobby spent his time alternating between Southfork and Ewing Oil, and was Jock's favorite son. This made J.R. enormously determined to impress Jock, but despite his huge success in the oil business, J.R. was never able to overcome Jock's favoritism for Bobby. This led to a rivalry between them in childhood that continued as they grew up, especially when Bobby married Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal, briefly Margaret Michaels), who was a member of the Ewings' rival family. The legendary Barnes-Ewing feud began in the 1930s between Jock and Pam's legal father Digger (Keenan Wynn, originally David Wayne) after their partnership in the oil business dissolved due to Digger's alcoholism and resentment. Jock had earlier married Digger's girlfriend, Eleanor Southworth, which had caused a dent in their relationship prior to the big schism. The feud continued on decades later with J.R. and Digger's son Cliff (Ken Kercheval).


title: J. R. Ewing

text: In 1971, J.R. married Sue Ellen Shepard (Linda Gray), a former "Miss Texas". Their marriage became increasingly turbulent with J.R. ignoring her first with Ewing Oil then philandering with other women. By the late 1970s Sue Ellen had become an alcoholic. They divorced in 1981 only to remarry in 1982 and divorce again in 1988. In 1989 Sue Ellen moves to London with her new lover Don Lockwood (Ian McShane), they marry in 1991.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: J.R. had two wives and three children during the show's run. His eldest son, James Richard Beaumont (Sasha Mitchell), was by an off-screen affair with Vanessa Beaumont (Gayle Hunnicutt) which occurred in the 1960s but was only brought to knowledge in 1989. His second and most favored son was John Ross Ewing III (Omri Katz) from his first wife Sue Ellen, born in 1979. His third son was with his second wife Cally (Cathy Podewell) born in 1991, however, Cally didn't give birth until after leaving Dallas. J.R. also initially believed he was the father of Christopher Ewing (Joshua Harris, originally Eric Farlow), the son of his sister-in-law and former mistress Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby), but it was later revealed J.R. was not the father. Christopher was adopted by Bobby and Pam.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: In addition to that, J.R.'s second wife Cally and his illegitimate son James successfully plotted to have him to be locked in a sanatorium for several months, which was the start of what would eventually be a year where J.R. lost everything. First, he lost control of Ewing Oil to Cliff, then was fired at West Star Oil by a vengeful Carter McKay (George Kennedy). To top it all off, he lost control of Southfork and was disowned by his son who moved to Europe to be with Sue Ellen. All J.R. was left with was a room in Southfork that Bobby let him stay in and not much else. Contemplating suicide, the character roamed the lonely Southfork with a bottle of bourbon and a loaded revolver. After an "It's a Wonderful Life"-like fantasy, J.R. is shown what life would have been like had he never been born. The series ended with a single gunshot and Bobby dashing into J.R.'s room, uttering "Oh my God!" at what he found. J.R.'s fate was not revealed. The "Conundrum" cliffhanger was not resolved until 1996, with the first "Dallas" reunion movie, "". It was revealed in the beginning of the movie that J.R. had not, in fact, shot himself, but had instead shot at the mirror where the demon Adam (Joel Grey) was appearing to him. The 2012 revival series does not follow the reunion film, but shows J.R. still alive. According to the Dallas Facebook page, J.R. had indeed shot the mirror, but unlike the Reunion film, he didn't flee to Europe to recover.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: J.R. returns in the 2012 revival of the series, which focuses on J.R.'s son John Ross Ewing III and Bobby's adopted son Christopher Ewing. To J.R.'s delight, John Ross has become a carbon copy of him, in that he is more focused on oil, money and power. As the series begins J.R. has spent the last few years in a nursing home, suffering from chronic depression and not speaking despite visits from Bobby. All the events of the two TV movies are ignored.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: Bobby visits and tells J.R. that all of their fights over Ewing Oil and Southfork changed him in ways he doesn't like and that he wants Christopher and John Ross to be a real family and not be like them always fighting. When John Ross eventually visits him on Bobby's suggestion, he says that Bobby plans to sell Southfork and give the money from the sale to Christopher to fund Christopher's renewable energy project. John Ross also tells J.R. that he discovered a 2 billion barrel oil reserve under Southfork but Bobby has blocked the drilling. J.R. finally rouses himself to help his son fight the attempts to block his drilling for oil on the ranch and tells John Ross that Bobby was always a fool. He reveals that he is working alongside Marta Del Sol, the daughter of an old friend of J.R.'s, who owns millions of acres of land. Marta is supposedly offering a partnership to Bobby but it's J.R. pulling the strings when Bobby signs Southfork to Marta's conservatory, it'll really be going to J.R. John Ross is really working alongside Marta, with J.R. seeing them together but not seeming to mind. J.R. surprises everyone by showing up at a family gathering (acting as an invalid by using a walker) and apologizing to Bobby and Sue Ellen for his past actions. He later goes to Mexico to see Marta's father, Carlos Del Sol, but he knows nothing of any deal. He then introduces his daughter only she's not the woman J.R. knows as Marta. Realizing he's been fooled, J.R. tells Del Sol he's made a mistake and bites out that Marta should meet his son as "he's a chip off the old block."


title: J. R. Ewing

text: J.R. eventually succeeds in getting Southfork from Bobby and doesn't waste any time in beginning to drill for oil on Southfork. He also cuts John Ross out of the partnership. However, he does give his son power of attorney to run his business ventures. J.R. is forced to return ownership of Southfork to Bobby when J.R. and John Ross' Venezuelan investor, Vicente Cano, turns violent against the Ewings when the loan isn't repaid. J.R. and John Ross are given immunity and sign confessions against Cano, who is sent to prison. Bobby keeps a copy of J.R.'s confession and warns him that he will send J.R. to prison if he uses any more dirty tricks. John Ross' fiancée Elena Ramos discovers John Ross' role in the plot, she breaks up with him and returns to Christopher. The first season ends with John Ross and J.R. joining forces against Bobby, Christopher and Elena, who have apparently reunited as a couple.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: At the start of the second season, J.R. is mentoring John Ross in business and dirty tricks and they are plotting to take control of Ewing Energies. J.R. also plots against his old rival Cliff Barnes and his daughter Pamela Rebecca Barnes, who is pregnant with Christopher's twins and is having an affair with John Ross. Bobby asks for J.R.'s help to take down Harris Ryland when it's revealed Ryland kidnapped Bobby's stepdaughter Emma and let Bobby's wife Ann think her daughter was dead. J.R. assures Bobby that he will take Ryland down. In the episode "The Furious and the Fast", J.R. talks to John Ross by phone about a "master plan" to defeat Cliff Barnes and Harris Ryland and to help John Ross take control of Ewing Energies, saying it will be his "masterpiece" when somebody apparently walks into the room and shoots twice, killing him.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: J.R.'s memorial was held at the Dallas Petroleum Club where many guests from his past attended. J.R.'s favorite drink, bourbon and branch was served. Guests included J.R.'s half-brother Ray Krebbs, niece Lucy Ewing, brothers Gary Ewing and Bobby Ewing, ex-wives Sue Ellen Ewing and Cally Harper Ewing, ex-mistress Mandy Winger, adopted nephew Christopher Ewing, Elena Ramos and her brother Drew Ramos and J.R.'s son John Ross Ewing III. Other notable guests included Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. J.R.'s funeral was held at the family cemetery plot on Southfork Ranch. Ray, Lucy, Gary, Christopher, Elena, Sue Ellen, and Bobby all spoke. J.R. was buried next to the graves of Jock and Miss Ellie. At his funeral, Sue Ellen read the letter that J.R. had written to her before he was murdered where he stated that he wanted another chance with her. Sue Ellen referred to J.R. as "the love of my life". Since J.R. had been a war veteran, his coffin was draped in a U.S. Stars and Stripes flag and was handed folded to John Ross because he was his son and next-of-kin.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: At the end of the funeral J.R.'s private investigator Bum Jones arrives at the gravesite. In the office at Southfork, Bum tells Bobby, John Ross, and Christopher that J.R. was in Abu Dhabi closing a deal to buy some oil leases but that his real reason for being in Abu Dhabi was because for the last several months he was trying to find Christopher's adoptive mother and Bobby's ex-wife Pamela Barnes Ewing. Bum gives Christopher some papers that would tell why it was important for Christopher to find Pam. Bum reveals that J.R. was in Nuevo Laredo following a lead to take down Harris Ryland using the quail hunt as a cover story. John Ross assumes that Ryland was behind his father's murder but Bum says that J.R. was killed by a random mugger. John Ross is given a box containing a pistol and a note from J.R. telling John Ross that now that he is dead, Cliff Barnes and Ryland will join forces to take down the Ewings. The note also says John Ross should use the contents of the box "to take from them what they want to take from us" and that afterwards "Bobby will know what to do." J.R. ends the note by telling John Ross not to forget that he is J.R.'s son "from tip to tail". Bum gives a letter to Bobby. Bobby reads the letter but doesn't reveal what it says and tells John Ross and Christopher that it is between J.R. and him for the time being. Bobby and Bum talk outside the office where Bobby tells Bum to pay off whoever he has to in order to make everyone believe that J.R. was killed by a mugger and when the time is right the Ewings will handle the situation as a family. Bobby goes to J.R.'s bedroom and drinks some of J.R.'s trademark bourbon. Bobby, imagining talking to J.R., says that he knew J.R. would have one final card to play and it was a good one. Bobby says he loves J.R. and he breaks down crying. Bobby, John Ross and Christopher continue working together on the plan and they realise how important it is to find Pam, because she owns one-third of Barnes Global shares along with Katherine and Cliff. With Katherine dead it only leaves her. It was said she entered Abu Dhabi with her husband in 1989. Bobby finally reveals that J.R's master plan was to frame Cliff for his death "from beyond the grave". He reveals that J.R., knowing that he only had days to live from terminal cancer, had Bum steal Cliff's pistol. J.R. knew that Cliff went to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico every year for a fishing competition. J.R. had Bum meet him there and kill him. His plan was to have the Ewing family plant the pistol and J.R.'s trademark belt buckle in Cliff's car and safety deposit box.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: Two "Dallas" reunion TV movies were produced in the 1990s. Though these movies, at the time, continued the story of " Dallas", they were later discarded for continuity purposes when the 2012 "Dallas" revival series was launched. In the first reunion movie, "" (1996), it was revealed that J.R. had shot the mirror in front of him and moved away to Europe for a few years. He returned and attempted to take back his empire, succeeding to an extent as he drove Cliff Barnes out of Ewing Oil, returning it to Bobby. J.R. was also elected chairman of West Star Oil, a feat he had spent almost fifteen years fighting to achieve. A second reunion movie, "" (1998), saw J.R. as CEO of West Star, try and fail to force a merger with Ewing Oil, but he did claim the consolation of conning $50,000,000 from Carter McKay.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: J.R. initially drove a green 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280SE, later replaced by a 1979 Reseda Green Mercedes-Benz 450SEL. In 1981, he drove a redesigned W126 380SEL, also in Reseda Green. In 1983 when his wife Sue Ellen wrecked the car at the end of the Southfork driveway, J.R. replaced it with another 1983 Mercedes Benz 380SEL. In 1984, Mercedes-Benz changed the flagship S-Class model to the 500SEL, J.R. then replaced the 380 with one of these. At the beginning of the 1986 season, J.R. drove a facelifted W126 560SEL but soon after replaced it with a Cadillac Allanté convertible which he drove from 1987 to 1991. At the end of the regular series run in 1991, J.R. drove a Lincoln Mark VII. J.R.'s father, Jock, had driven an earlier generation Lincoln Mark V at the beginning of the series in 1978.


title: J. R. Ewing

text: In "J.R. Returns", J.R. drives the 500SEL yet again for the first portion of the film. However, this vehicle is totaled and replaced with an updated silver 1996 Mercedes-Benz W140 S420 sedan. In "War of the Ewings", J.R. is driving a silver 1998 SL500 Roadster.


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertiveness is the quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive to defend a right point of view or a relevant statement. In the field of psychology and psychotherapy, it is a skill that can be learned and a mode of communication. "Dorland's Medical Dictionary" defines assertiveness as:


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertiveness is a communication skill that can be taught and the skills of assertive communication effectively learned.


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertiveness is a method of critical thinking, where an individual speaks up in defense of their views or in light of erroneous information. Assertive people are able to be outspoken and analyze information and point out areas of information lacking substance, details or evidence. Assertiveness supports creative thinking and effective communication.


title: Assertiveness

text: The level of assertiveness demonstrated in any human community is a factor of social and cultural practices at the time of inquiry. These factors can evolve with time and may vary from a community to another one. For example, nowadays, in the western world, there are global public discussions about controversial topics such as drug addiction, rape and sexual abuse of women and children, which were not openly discussed in 1940.


title: Assertiveness

text: During the second half of the 20th century, assertiveness was increasingly singled out as a behavioral skill taught by many personal development experts, behavior therapists, and cognitive behavioral therapists. Assertiveness is often linked to self-esteem. The term and concept was popularized to the general public by books such as "Your Perfect Right: A Guide to Assertive Behavior" (1970) by Robert Eating


title: Assertiveness

text: Joseph Wolpe initially explored the use of assertiveness as a means of "reciprocal inhibition" of anxiety, in his 1958 book on treating neurosis; and it has since been commonly employed as an intervention in behavior therapy. Assertiveness Training ("AT") was introduced by Andrew Salter (1961) and popularized by Joseph Wolpe. Wolpe's belief was that a person could not be both assertive and anxious at the same time, and thus being assertive would inhibit anxiety.


title: Assertiveness

text: As a communication style and strategy, assertiveness is thus distinguished from both aggression and passivity. How people deal with personal boundaries, including their own and those of other people, helps to distinguish between these three concepts. Passive communicators are not likely to try to influence anyone else because they fear social conflict. Because of this fear, passive communicators do not defend their own personal boundaries or ideas, and thus allow aggressive people to abuse or manipulate them. Additionally, they often hold in negative feelings such as anger because they allow this domination to happen. Aggressive people do not respect the personal boundaries of others and thus are liable to harm others by influencing them through personal attacks often taking the form of embarrassment. A person communicates assertively by clearly stating their thoughts and/or feelings in a nonaggressive manner, often in an effort to influence others; doing so in a way that respects the personal boundaries of the other person, or people, involved and avoids negative confrontation. Assertive people are also willing to defend themselves against aggressive people.


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertive communication involves respect for the boundaries of oneself and others. It also presumes an interest in the fulfillment of needs and wants through cooperation.


title: Assertiveness

text: According to the textbook "Cognitive Behavior Therapy" (2008), "Assertive communication of personal opinions, needs, and boundaries has been ... conceptualized as the behavioral middle ground, lying between ineffective passive and aggressive responses". Such communication "emphasizes expressing feelings forthrightly, but in a way that will not spiral into aggression".


title: Assertiveness

text: In contrast, "aggressive communication" judges, threatens, lies, breaks confidences, stonewalls, and violates others' boundaries.


title: Assertiveness

text: At the opposite end of the dialectic is "passive communication". Victims may passively permit others to violate their boundaries. At a later time, they may come back and attack with a sense of impunity or righteous indignation.


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertive communication attempts to transcend these extremes by appealing to the shared interest of all parties; it "focuses on the issue, not the person". Aggressive and/or passive communication, on the other hand, may mark a relationship's end, and reduce self-respect.


title: Assertiveness

text: Techniques of assertiveness can vary widely. Manuel Smith, in his 1975 book "When I Say No, I Feel Guilty", offered some of the following behaviors:


title: Assertiveness

text: The "broken record" technique consists of simply repeating your requests or your refusals every time you are met with resistance. The term comes from vinyl records, the surface of which when scratched would lead the needle of a record player to loop over the same few seconds of the recording indefinitely. "As with a broken record, the key to this approach is repetition ... where your partner will not take no for an answer."


title: Assertiveness

text: A disadvantage with this technique is that when resistance continues, your requests may lose power every time you have to repeat them. If the requests are repeated too often, it can backfire on the authority of your words. In these cases, it is necessary to have some sanctions on hand.


title: Assertiveness

text: Fogging consists of finding some limited truth to agree with in what an antagonist is saying. More specifically, one can "agree in part" or "agree in principle".


title: Assertiveness

text: I-statements can be used to voice one's feelings and wishes from a personal position without expressing a judgment about the other person or blaming one's feelings on them.


title: Assertiveness

text: Several research studies have identified assertiveness training as a useful tool in the prevention of alcohol-use disorders. Psychological skills in general including assertiveness and social skills have been posed as intervention for a variety of disorders with some empirical support.


title: Assertiveness

text: In connection with gender theory, "Tannen argues that men and women would both benefit from learning to use the others' style. ... So, women would benefit from assertiveness training just as men might benefit from sensitivity training".


title: Assertiveness

text: Assertiveness may be practiced in an unbalanced way, especially by those new to the process: "[One] problem with the concept of assertiveness is that it is both complex and situation-specific. ... Behaviors that are assertive in one circumstance may not be so in another". More particularly, while "unassertiveness courts one set of problems, over-assertiveness creates another." Assertiveness manuals recognize that "many people, when trying out assertive behavior for the first time, find that they go too far and become aggressive."


title: Assertiveness

text: In the late 1970's and early 1980's, in the heyday of assertiveness training, some so-called assertiveness training techniques were distorted and "people were told to do some pretty obnoxious things in the name of assertiveness. Like blankly repeating some request over and over until you got your way". Divorced from respect for the rights of others, so-called assertiveness techniques could be psychological tools that might be readily abused: The line between repeatedly demanding with sanctions ("broken record") versus coercive nagging, emotional blackmail, or bullying, could be a fine one, and the caricature of assertiveness training as "training in how to get your own way ... or how to become as aggressive as the next person" was perpetuated.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The Alfa Romeo 159 (Type 939) is a compact executive car manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo between 2004 and 2011. Introduced at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, as a replacement for the 156, the 159 used the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with the Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider as well as the Kamal and Visconti concept cars.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The 159 placed third in the 2006 European Car of the Year awards. Production of the 159 ended in November 2011, with 247,661 cars manufactured. The 159's late transition to what was fundamentally made as an E segment platform resulted in the 159 having excessive weight, a problem shared by the Brera coupé and Spider.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The 159 was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo. The nose features a traditional Alfa Romeo V-shaped grille and bonnet, and cylindrical headlight clusters. Similar to its coupé counterpart, the front of the car was influenced by the 2002 Brera Concept also designed by Giugiaro, as Fiat asked Giugiaro to transfer the design of the later on its future saloon.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: A high waistline broadens until it reaches the rear "C" pillar. Several exterior design cues were intended to make the car appear larger, supposedly to appeal to potential buyers in the United States; where the 159 was ultimately never marketed.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: Initial Centro Stile proposals of Tipo 939 exterior from 2001 were rejected but the interior design would be developed further. The interior recalls styling elements from earlier cars, including the 156, such as deeply recessed instruments angled toward the driver. Alfa Romeo intended for the 159 to compete more directly with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi by using higher-quality interior materials.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: Several levels of trim were available depending on the market. Four trim levels namely Progression, Distinctive, Exclusive, and Turismo Internazionale (TI) were generally available. In the United Kingdom, there were three available levels of trim: Turismo, Lusso, and Turismo Internazionale (TI). Among other options, the 159 was also available with the Blue&Me infotainment system.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: A Sportwagon variant was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006. An automatic gearbox option for the 2.4 JTDM diesel model was also launched that year and later extended to other versions. In 2007, a four-wheel-drive diesel model was introduced, and the 2.4-litre diesel engines' power output was increased to , with a newly reintroduced "TI" trim level also available as an option.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: For the 2008 model year, the mechanics and interiors of the 159 were further developed. Dashboard, instrumentation and other aluminium components, reduced kerb weight by . A 3.2-litre V6 model was offered in front-wheel-drive configuration, achieving a top speed of . All model variants were now equipped with Alfa Romeo's electronic "Q2" limited slip differential. As a result of newly introduced aluminium components, a weight reduction was achieved. The revised 159 range was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008.<ref name="italiaspeed.com/2008"></ref>


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: For the 2009 model year, Alfa Romeo introduced a turbocharged petrol engine variant badge as "TBi", this 1,742 cc unit has direct injection and variable valve timing in both inlet and exhaust cams. This new engine is rated at and of torque. Eventually this unit would replace the GM derived 2.2 and 1.9 JTS units.<ref name="www.italiaspeed.com/2009/cars/alfa_romeo"></ref> Also in the same year, a new JTDm diesel engine became available.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The 159 was available in both front and four-wheel drive configurations. The "Q4" four-wheel-drive system utilises a Torsen Type-C twin-differential (front and centre differential in the same unit with an open front differential) and was available on the 3.2-litre petrol and 2.4-litre diesel engines.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: Due to its platform, the 159 is longer, wider than its predecessor. The considerable growth in dimensions deterred many 156 owners from considering the 159 as a direct replacement model. Thanks to its new platform, a high level of passive safety was achieved, and the torsional rigidity of the chassis reached 180.000 daNm/rad.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The gearbox is a six-speed manual on most models (with the 1.8-litre model having a five-speed manual), and a six-speed automatic "Q-Tronic" gearbox (Aisin AW TF-80SC) was available for the 1.9 diesel, 2.4 diesel, and 3.2 petrol models. The "Selespeed" automated manual gearbox was available in some markets with the 2.2 petrol engine.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: All petrol engines featured direct fuel injection (except the 1.8l), named as JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric). JTD diesel engines have common rail direct fuel injection.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The 159 is fitted with seven airbags as standard, with additional knee airbags also available as an option. The car performed well in rear end crash protection tests, benefiting from "anti whiplash" seats.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: Two black 159s (3.2 JTS V6 TI) appeared in the opening scenes of the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" (2008). They featured in the car chase with James Bond's Aston Martin DBS V12 around Lake Garda in Italy. Two 159s in black colour also appeared in the chase scene in "Johnny English Reborn", chasing Johnny English, played by Rowan Atkinson.


title: Alfa Romeo 159

text: The 159 contested the Bathurst 12 Hour race for production cars in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Competing with the 2.4 Litre JTDM diesel engine, it won the "Alternative Energy Class" in each of these three races.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days () is a 2018 South Korean fantasy action film directed by Kim Yong-hwa and based on a webtoon by Joo Ho-min, "Along With the Gods". It serves as the sequel to the 2017 film "". It stars Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, Ma Dong-seok and Kim Dong-wook. The film was released on August 1, 2018.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: The three grim reapers Gang-rim (Ha Jung-woo), Haewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) and Lee Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi) will guide their 49th soul Kim Soo-hong (Kim Dong-wook) to the underworld trials. Meanwhile, God of the House (Ma Dong-seok) will recover the grim reapers' memories from 1,000 years ago.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews and an average rating of .


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Elizabeth Kerr of "The Hollywood Reporter" gave a mixed review and wrote, "Though the two films were shot simultaneously, there’s a sense of 'more' to "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" that doesn't really do it any service. Like many a sequel bent on topping its predecessor to prove the first entry wasn't a fluke, the end result is just a bigger, noisier, less focused slog rather than continued world-building."


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Noel Murray of "Los Angeles Times" gave a mixed review and wrote, "While "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" is awkwardly bloated, it does eventually develop some momentum. Once viewers get accustomed to a movie that can move within minutes from courtroom drama to dinosaur attacks, they may enjoy the overwhelming spectacle of it all."


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Prior to its release, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" set the record for the highest pre-sale tickets in South Korea's box office history with 60.5% reservation rate. The rate reached 42 million, outdoing the record of the 2017 film "The Battleship Island" which reached the same number of reservations on the day before the opening of the film.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: The film also broke the opening day record in South Korea by attracting 1,263,788 viewers on the first day of its release, which is more than twice the amount of "" (422,339 viewers). On the second day of its release, the film attracted more than 2 million viewers. On August 4, the film attracted 1,466,416 viewers, making the film set a record of the most viewers in a single day, surpassing "" that attracted 1,333,310 viewers in a single day before. On August 5, it was reported that "Along with the Gods" had attracted 5,409,817 viewers on its fifth day, making the film the fastest to reach such number, surpassing "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" which set the record in a week, and "", the first most viewed film in Korea, which set the record in a six days. "Along with the Gods" placed first in the weekly box office. The film accumulated $46.2 million from 6.2 million admissions. "Along with the Gods" holds the record for the fastest film to reach 7, 8 and 9 million views in South Korean box office history. It passed 10 million views on August 16, 2018. The film passed 12 million views as of August 30, 2018, becoming the 13th most-watched film of all time in South Korea.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: On its first day of release, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" scored 37 million"." It became the film with the biggest opening week gross for any Korean film in Taiwan, scoring 5.8 million in ticket sales in a week. The film had the third-highest first week sales after "" and "" in Taiwan.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Prior to its official release, "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" scored 8 million in pre-sale in Hong Kong. On its day of release in Hong Kong, the film earned 3.18 million, topping the box office. On August 9, the film reached 10 million and scored 20 million on its fourth day of its release, achieving the highest first week sales in Hong Kong.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" had the biggest opening week gross for any Korean film in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.


title: Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days

text: Third and fourth installments are currently in development, with Kim Yong-hwa returning to direct the sequels.


title: Personal relationships of Michael Jackson

text: The personal relationships of Michael Jackson have been the subject of public and media attention for several decades. He was introduced to the topic of sexual activity at the age of nine while a member of the Jackson 5. He and his brothers would perform at strip clubs, sharing the bill with female strippers and drag queens, and the sexual adventures of his brothers with groupies further affected Jackson's early life. The entertainer said his first real girlfriend was the child actress Tatum O'Neal, when he was a teenager in the 1970s; he called her "my first love – after Diana Ross." The pair eventually "cooled off" and Jackson entered into a romance with model Brooke Shields in 1981. Although the relationship was platonic, Shields said there were times he had asked her to marry him, but as he grew older he started to change physically and became more asexual towards her.


text: Having first been introduced to Lisa Marie Presley by her father, Elvis, in 1975, Jackson reconnected with Lisa Marie in November 1992. Shortly after becoming involved with her, in 1993, Jackson was subjected to his first set of child sexual abuse accusations, followed by similar allegations in 2003. Presley supported Jackson as he became dependent on pain medication, and eventually helped convince him to enter drug rehabilitation. In a telephone call, he proposed marriage to Presley. She agreed, and the two wed on May 26, 1994, at a private ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Married life for the couple was difficult, and the union ended in divorce in August 1996. Presley and Jackson continued to date, on and off, for four more years after their divorce.


text: Throughout his marriage with Presley, Jackson maintained a friendship with Debbie Rowe. She was the assistant of the pop singer's dermatologist and had been treating his appearance-changing disease vitiligo since the mid-1980s, and while he was separated from but still married to Presley. Rowe suffered a miscarriage and lost their baby in March 1996. Following the ordeal and the finalization of his first divorce, Jackson wed the pregnant Rowe on November 15, 1996, in Sydney, Australia. From the marriage, two of Jackson's three children were produced: son Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson, Jr. (born February 13, 1997) and daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born April 3, 1998). Jackson and Rowe divorced in April 2000, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson. His third and final child, son Prince Michael Jackson, was born to an unnamed surrogate mother on February 21, 2002.


text: In July 2009, it was revealed Jackson's will named Diana Ross as the next-in-line guardian for his children, after his mother, Katherine. In September 2009, Rabbi and author Shmuley Boteach released a book titled "The Michael Jackson tapes", based on taped conversations he had with Jackson in 2001. It included Jackson's thoughts on personal relationships in general and specific ones. His romantic feelings for two famous friends were widely cited in the media; when asked if he got jealous when his long-time friend Elizabeth Taylor dated other men, he replied, "Yes and no. I know that if we ever did anything romantically, the press would be so mean and nasty and call us the Odd Couple. It would turn into a circus and that's the pain of it all." It is speculated that Jackson might have dated nine women throughout his career, apart from Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, including former model Tatiana Thumbtzen and the actress Elizabeth Taylor, per various media outlets.


text: In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend. The lawsuit was settled out of civil court; Jackson was not indicted due to lack of evidence. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. The FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct on Jackson's behalf in either case.


text: From a young age, Jackson was exposed to sex. He received mixed messages on the subject from his parents. His mother Katherine was a devout Jehovah's Witness and conveyed her thoughts clearly; lust in thought or deed was sinful outside of marriage, and physical intimacy should be saved for marriage. In contrast to his wife, father Joseph, a steel mill worker, shunned the religion and would have the Jackson 5 perform at strip clubs and seedy bars in the earliest days of their career. He allowed nine-year-old Michael to watch from the wings of the stage as male audience members whistled at women who stripped until nude.


text: While playing at Chicago's Peppermint Lounge, the brothers made use of a peephole in their dressing room, through which they had a clear view of the women's bathroom. They would take turns watching the women and, as Marlon recalled, "learned everything there was to know about ladies". During other residencies, the siblings would perform the Joe Tex song "Skinny Legs and All". Joseph would instruct a young Michael to make his way into the audience, crawl under tables, lift up ladies' skirts and peek at their panties as part of the performance. Though embarrassed by the task, Jackson feigned enjoyment as he knew the audience loved the routine.


text: Following such performances, the Jackson brothers would be tucked in bed by their oblivious mother and reminded of the virtues of being a good Jehovah's Witness. Katherine remained unaware of her sons' strip club activities for many years. Journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli reflected on Jackson's early life and noted that at such a young age, the singer may not have been psychologically equipped to fully understand any sexual stimulation he may have received from such voyeuristic events. The writer further commented that Jackson's views on sex must have been conflicted between those of his religiously strict mother and his more libertine and promiscuous father.


text: As members of the increasingly successful Jackson 5, Michael's brothers Jermaine and Jackie found fame advantageous. As they toured the country, they had sex with many female fans. Their guide was their father Joseph, who would often organize and arrange sexual encounters for his sons as well as cheat on his wife Katherine with their sons' groupies. The two brothers would bring girls back to a hotel room, where younger siblings Michael and Marlon were instructed to "play sleep". One girl, who had sexual relations with Jermaine, recalled such an experience:


text: "I jumped into bed with him and he climbed on top of me. As he climaxed, he shuddered so loudly I was afraid he would wake up Michael and Marlon, who were sleeping three feet away in the next bed. Or at least I thought they were sleeping. As I was slipping out of the room, I heard Michael say to Jermaine, 'Nice job. Now, can we "please" get some sleep?'"


text: While Marlon would correspond with and eventually marry his wife Carol at 18, Michael never had sex with groupies, finding his brothers' behavior toward women disgusting. In addition to not touching groupies, Jackson reportedly never had an interest in having any type of sex as a youngster. In one alleged incident, when he was 15 years old, a male family member arranged for two prostitutes to take his virginity. They were told to "work him over", before being locked in a room with him. Instead, Michael picked up a Bible and read bible verses to the girls, who left in tears. James McField, who worked with the Jackson 5, stated that the lead singer of the band often needed someone to talk with. It was at these times that women would be introduced to him for companionship. McField asserted that he never witnessed anything sexual, and that such females were not Jackson's type; "He liked nice girls, pure girls who appeared to have no street background."


text: Jackson occasionally admonished and advised the groupies and prostitutes sent to pleasure his siblings. One Jackson fan recalled being selected from the audience to meet with Jackie. Backstage, she was handed a scrap of paper with an address to the location in which they were to meet. Michael approached her from behind and warned her that his brothers did not treat women right and that his brother only wanted to use her for sex. Changing the subject, the female fan asked for the pop star's autograph, which request he obliged in addition to writing, "Please, don't go". The woman ignored Michael's request and headed to the Jacksons' apartment complex, where she had sex with Jackie. Afterward, Jackie informed the woman that they would not meet again. Ashamed and upset, the fan left the apartment in tears.


text: On another occasion, a prostitute was brought to Jackson's room after a concert in Madison Square Garden. There, the pop star interrogated the prostitute, asking why she was a prostitute, whether she wanted to have sex with him, and how much it would cost. The woman responded that she was a prostitute for the money, but that she would have sex with him for free because she wanted him. The prostitute then proceeded to unbutton her blouse, exposing her breasts. Apparently repulsed, Jackson turned his head and begged her to "put them back". The singer suggested that they talk instead but would still pay her, which the prostitute declined to do; she was not there to talk. Instead, she gave Jackson her telephone number, urging him to call her when he wanted to "get off". Jackson acknowledged the prostitute as she left, stating that he would perhaps call her one day, though he never did.


text: One of Jackson's first documented relationships was with the child actress Tatum O'Neal in the 1970s. Their friendship was established by the time O'Neal was 12 and Jackson was 17, and featured in gossip columns for several years after. Jackson reflected in 1982 that he and O'Neal had been engaged in a serious relationship, but because both were busy, it had "cooled off" to the point of their remaining just friends.


text: In the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson" (2003), Michael alleged that near the beginning of their relationship, the 12-year-old actress tried to seduce the then 17-year-old singer. According to Jackson, the incident happened at her home, where she attempted to unbutton his shirt and talked explicitly about sex. O'Neal's behavior apparently proved too much for Jackson, who became scared and covered his face, before she walked away. When confronted with the allegation, O'Neal claimed to have been "just as shocked as everyone else". She stated that while having respect for Jackson as an artist and a person, he had "a very vivid imagination". The actress described his statements as "inaccurate"; "at 12 years old, there was no way she was capable of being as mature or as sophisticated as he claimed". O'Neal released her autobiography "A Paper Life" in 2004, a year after the Jackson documentary. In the book, she claimed it was Jackson who attempted to make out with her. The actress wrote, "I was just 12 and not at all ready for a real-life encounter[...] Michael, who was sweating profusely, seemed as intimidated as I was. He jumped up nervously and said, 'Uh ... gotta go.'"


text: But this contradicted O'Neal's own account of the relationship, published in 1995 in "Vibe" magazine, where she remembered Jackson as "being so shy" and "one of the nicest, most innocent people I've ever met", and, "Once he came into my bedroom, and he wouldn't even sit on my bed." She described the relationship as "a really wonderful friendship" where they would dance and "talk on the phone all the time." She recalled that he found it funny that she could drive at 12 and he could not. And that one time they had a "jam session" at her house, where he played the drums and her brother played guitar. She said the relationship ended when she was 12, after he asked her to go with him to the premiere of "The Wiz", in which he acted, but her agent disapproved, she did what she was told because she was a child.


text: Jackson also spoke about O'Neal in 2001 with Rabbi Shmuley. He described holding hands with her: "I was, like, in heaven. It was the most magical thing. It was better than kissing her, it was better than anything." He recalled one of the times they held hands:I remember we went to this club, and I don't go to clubs, which was called the Roxy. And I was watching the band, I was sitting there, and underneath the table, she was holding my hand, and I was, like melting. [Rabbi Shmuley: She held your hand and you felt love?] Fireworks going off. It was all I needed. But that means nothing to kids today. She grew up too fast. She wasn't into innocence, and I love that.


text: And similar to what he told Bashir, he said, "...she was 13. And I was naive. She wanted to do everything and I didn't want to have sex at all."


text: Jackson met 15-year-old actress-model-socialite Brooke Shields in 1981, at the Academy Awards. From there, the pair enjoyed a close relationship. Speaking in 2009, she reflected that they were close because sex was never an issue for them. Although the headlines in the media referred to Shields' talking about an "asexual Jackson" after his death, what she actually said was, "As he grew older and the more he started to change physically, the more asexual he became to me." She also said that as she grew up and started having boyfriends, she would confide in him about her intimate experiences, as he was curious. She said, "he was like a little kid who talked about the bases – what first base was, what second base was" – and his curiosity was understandable given his guarded life.


text: In 2001, Jackson told Rabbi Shmuley: Shields was "one of the loves of my life. I just wished she loved me as much as I loved her", and that they "dated a lot." Before meeting her, he said that he had pictures of her all over his room. He recalled his happiness when they first met in 1981. He was at the 53rd Academy Awards with Diana Ross, and Shields walked up and introduced herself; then at the after-party, she asked him to dance with her. They exchanged numbers, and he "was up all night, singing, spinning around my room, just so happy." He also said, “We had one encounter when she got real intimate and I chickened out. And I shouldn’t have.”


text: In his autobiography "Moonwalk" (1988), Jackson said his relationship with Shields was "romantically serious for a while." Shields said that while never formally proposing, he would speak about the two marrying and raising adoptive children together. The suggestions were met with disapproval from Shields, who felt such a move would have "divided [her] life too much". She recalled: "There were times when he would ask me to marry him, and I would say, 'You have me for the rest of your life, you don’t need to marry me, I’m going to go on...have my own marriage and my own kids, and you’ll always have me.' I think it made him relax. He didn’t want to lose things that meant something to him."


text: As the couple's separate lives diverged, the two gradually saw each other less. At the time of Jackson's death in 2009, the pair had not seen each other for 16 years. Shields claimed that in the singer's last years "it was harder to get the right number to get through to him". In July 2009, she spoke at the Michael Jackson memorial service, reminiscing about their time together:


text: "Thinking back to when we met and the many times that we spent together and whenever we were out together, there would be a caption of some kind, and the caption usually said something like 'an odd couple' or 'an unlikely pair,' but to us, it was the most natural and easiest of friendships...Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date, and that we would have fun no matter where we were. We had a bond...both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun."


text: Jackson first met Diana Ross at the age of 9. He wrote in his autobiography that she was his "mother, sister and lover all combined in one". When Ross married Arne Næss Jr. in the mid-80s, he was jealous, because he "loved her and always will". They appeared together on a television special in 1981, where Ross called him "sexy". According to J. Randy Taraborelli, there was no sexual relationship between the two.


text: Jackson wrote at his will back in 2002, that Ross would take custody of his children if his mother, Katherine, died before him.


text: It was rumored that "Dirty Diana", as well as a few other songs, were about Ross, however these rumors were later debunked.


text: In 1975, a 16-year-old Jackson — who would later be dubbed the "King of Pop" — was introduced for the first time to Lisa Marie Presley at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada by her father, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", Elvis Presley. Lisa Marie was 7 years old at the time and had been brought to the hotel to watch a show by the Jackson 5, of whom she was a big fan. The young girl was particularly fascinated by lead singer Michael Jackson and his dancing talent.


text: According to a friend of Presley, "their adult friendship began in November 1992 in L.A." They met at a private dinner held at the home of their mutual friend, the artist Brett-Livingstone Strong. Knowing that Presley had been looking for help within the music industry, Strong had her play tapes for Jackson, who was impressed with Presley's voice. The pair talked for the remainder of the night, until it was time for Jackson to leave. At this point, according to Strong, the entertainer gave Presley, who was still married at the time, a penetrating look and said in a conspiratorial voice, "You and me, we could get into a lot of trouble. Think about that, girl."


text: In the days following this interaction, Presley and Jackson spoke on the telephone almost every day, forging a strong friendship. The two came to realize they had much in common: both had been protected and sheltered from the real world; both felt they had missed out on a normal childhood; both were mistrustful of outsiders, having spent most of their lives feeling exploited by them; and both had problems with the media. Presley was raised in Graceland, while Jackson lived at Neverland.


text: In 1993, he became the subject of child sexual abuse accusations and Presley, along with a few others, was there for emotional support. Jackson would call Presley from overseas as he embarked upon the second leg of the Dangerous World Tour and the child abuse investigation intensified. During such telephone conversations, Presley attempted to reverse Jackson's sadness with humor and advice. Presley later recalled that she believed in the musician's innocence and that she could "save him". Fueled by her past addictions and her father's death, Presley supported Jackson as he became addicted to painkillers, urging him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation. He subsequently did both.


text: It was during one of Jackson's calls to Presley that he proposed marriage. "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?", the singer queried. Though still married to actor Danny Keough, whom she had wed in 1988 and had two children with, Presley replied that she would. After a pause, Jackson exclaimed that he had to use the bathroom. Having apparently relieved himself, the singer explained to his new fiancée that his love for her was genuine and she had to believe him. In 2010, Presley acknowledged to Oprah Winfrey that Jackson did formally propose one day in the library, taking out a 10 carat diamond ring and getting down on his knees.


text: Following several months engaged, Jackson and Presley wed on May 26, 1994, at a ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Presley had divorced Keough only 20 days before. The 15-minute ceremony was held by Judge Hugo Francisco Alvarez Perez at his home in the La Vega Province. The union was conducted in Spanish and translated for Presley and Jackson by an attorney. Eva Darling, Presley's friend, served as a witness along with Thomas Keough, her ex-husband's brother. At the time of their marriage, the press and public were unaware that the two even knew each other. The wedding was kept secret from them, Jackson's family, and Presley's mother Priscilla. However, Gotham Chopra recalled that Jackson called him "in a panic" on his wedding night and asked if he had any "sex advice", wanting "to make sure that Lisa was impressed with his 'moves.'"


text: Upon being informed of her daughter's marriage with Jackson a week later, Priscilla became irritated; she believed the male pop singer was using her child to rehabilitate his image following the child abuse accusations. To the press, however, Priscilla stated that she was "very supportive of Lisa Marie and everything she does".


text: The union was met with a mixed reaction from the media when it was made public two months later. Some sources described the union of "The King of Pop" and "The Princess of Rock 'n' Roll" as being "The Marriage of the Century". One newspaper headline scoffed, "Jackson-Presley Union Sparks Shock, Doubt, Laughs." Addressing both the media and public, the new Mrs. Presley-Jackson issued a statement:


text: "My married name is Mrs. Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson. My marriage to Michael Jackson took place in a private ceremony outside the United States (11) weeks ago. It was not formally announced until now for several reasons; foremost being that we are both very private people living in the glare of the public media. We both wanted a private marriage ceremony without the distraction of a media circus. I am very much in love with Michael, I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him. We both look forward to raising a family and living happy, healthy lives together. We hope friends and fans will understand and respect our privacy."


text: For the next year of their married life, the newly wedded couple divided their time between Jackson's Neverland Ranch in Santa Ynez, California and Presley's estate, away in Hidden Hills. Defying the initial thoughts of some of the public, Presley did not move into Jackson's home upon getting married. According to J. Randy Taraborrelli, this was due to her wanting to remain independent, as well as Presley's children (Danielle and Benjamin) finding their new stepfather "a little strange".


text: The pair first appeared together on television at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards, in what has been described as a "memorable moment". Holding hands, the couple walked onto the stage in New York. In front of a television audience of 250 million, Jackson announced, "Just think, nobody thought this would last", before embracing Presley in a kiss. Afterward, Presley became angered at her husband, feeling he had used her. The male pop singer reasoned that the liplock, which was dubbed "The Kiss of the Century", would be talked about for decades, with people playing the clip over and over. Jackson's attempts at placating his wife proved futile; she told the singer not to "fucking even come near me" and remained angry for several days.


text: In the same week, Jackson and Presley had another argument. Newspaper reports had been suggesting that if Elvis were alive, he would not approve of his daughter's marriage. Annoyed, Jackson suggested that the couple could find out by holding a séance to contact the deceased "King of Rock 'n' Roll". During the session they would ask his opinion of the union. Presley felt the idea was tasteless and, upon Jackson's continuing to push the idea, warned, "If you stay on this particular road, they're gonna need a medium to contact you in the Great Beyond, because I'm about to put you there, right now." The two never spoke of the incident again.


text: Jackson and Presley appeared on the television show "Primetime" in June 1995. In Jackson's first interview since 1993 and Presley's first ever, Diane Sawyer quizzed the pair on their private life with, according to "Jet", a series of "insensitive" questions. Presley boasted that she and Jackson had regular sex, following Sawyer's questioning their sex life. When asked if the marriage was a sham, Presley asserted that such rumors were "crap"; she said she would never marry someone for any other reason than being in love with him, and concluded that if the public thought differently, they could "eat it". The following day, Presley reflected that the interview had been a disaster; she had hoped the couple would be perceived as being serious, yet Jackson fooled around during the show, at one point holding two fingers behind his wife's head to make bunny ears. Presley's friend Monica Pastelle revealed that it was at this point that Presley began to wonder whether she had made a mistake in choosing Jackson as a long-term partner.


text: A further problem for the pair was Jackson's insistence on being around children. Though she never believed he was a pedophile—"I wouldn't have let him near my kids if I thought that"—she felt her husband was only opening himself up to more rumor and innuendo following the 1993 allegations. One evening at Neverland, Presley confronted the pop star on the issue and was met with a defiant Jackson, resulting in another argument. Upon being called selfish, Jackson pointed to his humanitarian endeavors. Presley countered that his philanthropy was irrelevant, that the issue was about them.


text: Presley also disagreed with having children with the singer. Imagining the future and what would happen if the marriage ended, Presley saw a "custody battle nightmare". In addition, she felt her husband was too emotionally immature to be a parent, having watched his daily interactions with other people; she believed he was the one in need of parenting. Jackson explained to his wife over breakfast one morning that she did not have to be the biological mother if she so desired. He explained, "My friend Debbie [Rowe] said she will get pregnant and have my baby. If you won't do it, then she will. How about that?" Unmoved, Presley replied that it was fine by her.


text: Following several more troubled months, Jackson ended up in the hospital; he had collapsed while rehearsing for a concert in New York. Presley arrived to meet her ill husband, and yet another heated debate ensued. The argument ended after Jackson warned her that she was making his heart rate go up and asked her to leave. She obliged, and was admonished by a doctor and Jackson's mother Katherine along the way. Presley subsequently returned to Los Angeles. Upon being discharged from the hospital, Jackson went to Disneyland Paris to recover.


text: Presley filed for divorce in early 1996, citing "irreconcilable differences" and noting their date of separation as December 10, 1995, shortly after the incident in the hospital. The divorce was finalized on August 20, 1996. As part of the settlement, Presley received 10% of the royalties from "", the album that contained the song "You Are Not Alone", whose music video featured a semi-nude Presley and Jackson frolicking against an ethereal backdrop. As she did not sign a confidentiality agreement, a further clause stated that Presley could write a tell-all book about her time with Jackson. At the time, "The Princess of Rock 'n' Roll" revealed that she had no wish to write a memoir; the singer still had respect for Jackson and did not want to speak critically of him. Presley also wanted to preserve her own dignity and keep their life together private.


text: The divorce proved difficult for Jackson, who spent several weeks lamenting his loss. Presley was the first person with whom he had connected on such a high level. She had supported him as he faced allegations and became dependent on pain medication. It was also the first time that the pop singer had had a sexual chemistry with another. Presley was able to make him open up and express himself through their physically intimate moments together. At the time, Jackson was afraid there would never be another who made him feel the way his ex-wife had. He eventually realized he had to move on; he had a world tour coming up and music to work on. Jackson also knew that Presley would never make him a father, which he longed to be.


text: Presley was seen with Jackson in various cities during the HIStory World Tour in 1997; notably at various functions in South Africa and in London, holding hands backstage and around the city. In February 1998, they were photographed in an intimate moment together outside a Beverly Hills restaurant on Presley's birthday.


text: In a 2010 interview on "Oprah", Presley said that they spent four years after the divorce getting back together and breaking up, until she felt she "had to push him away". She described the parallels between the lives of Jackson and her father Elvis, and said Jackson constantly asked her about the details of Elvis' death because he felt that he was "going to end up the same way". She had described such a conversation in a blog post the day after Jackson died, wherein she shared her feelings about his death. According to Presley, the last "coherently good conversation" she had with Jackson was in 2005. She said Jackson told her she had been right about certain people around him, whom she called "vampires". She replied that she was indifferent when he asked if she still loved him. But Presley also said his death made her realize he loved her. She acknowledged his efforts in the relationship, saying, "He honestly tried so hard and went through so much with me", but "I didn’t appreciate it then, and I wish I did." At the end of the conversation, he reportedly told her "he felt that someone was going to try to kill him to get a hold of his catalog and his estate" and named some names she did not want to say in the interview.


text: Debbie Rowe met Jackson in the mid-1980s, while working as an assistant for his dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein. Rowe treated Jackson's vitiligo, which he had been diagnosed with in 1986 and which would affect his physical appearance for the remainder of his life. Rowe supported Jackson, providing answers to the questions he asked about his medical condition. The pair became good friends; the pop star frequently sent autographed merchandise to the woman, who hung it on the walls of her office. According to her friend Tanya Boyd, Rowe would obsess over Jackson. She would say to her friend, "If people knew him like I knew him, they would not think he was strange. He's unique, kinky, actually."


text: The Jackson–Rowe friendship would last for several years, during which time Rowe married and divorced Richard Edelman, a man she claimed to have felt trapped by. Rowe and Jackson would both talk to each other about their unhappy marriages; his with Presley and hers with Edelman, a teacher at Hollywood High School. Like Jackson's first wife, Rowe supported the entertainer when he was accused of child sexual abuse. Jackson kept his friendship with Rowe a secret from his wife, who eventually found out but thought nothing of it; she felt Rowe was not her husband's type because she was not glamorous enough.


text: As Presley had refused to carry Jackson's children, Rowe offered to give birth to a child for the pop singer. Shortly after Presley and Jackson's separation, Rowe became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage in March 1996. The event devastated Rowe, who feared she would never be able to have a baby. Jackson comforted and consoled Rowe throughout the ordeal, which remained hidden from the media and public.


text: Jackson embarked on the first leg of his HIStory World Tour in September 1996. One month into the tour, and several months after his divorce from Presley, Jackson's personal life made headlines as it was revealed that Rowe was pregnant with his child. One tabloid newspaper, the "News of the World", told the story under the headline "I'm Having Michael's Baby". Rowe reacted furiously to the publication, labeling the editorial staff "bastards" and complaining that they reported the story as if she and Jackson were freaks. J. Randy Taraborrelli later noted that the article, which had been put together from a secret recording between Rowe and a friend, had been fairly accurate. It detailed that Jackson was the father of the baby, and that he would be raising the child alone. It also stated that Jackson impregnated Rowe artificially with his own sperm cells, a "foolproof" method of insemination. Further reports alleged that the relationship was an "economic" one; she was in it for the money, and he sought a baby.


text: In a statement, Jackson condemned the accusations of being in an economic relationship and using artificial insemination as "completely false and irresponsible". Despite the denials, it was noted that Rowe had received millions of dollars from Jackson as "gifts" over the years. Among court papers filed against Jackson in 2002 by business manager Myung Ho Lee, a monthly budget for Jackson was detailed and included a $1.5 million payment to Rowe. The pop icon later bought the woman a $1.3 million home in 1997; he and Rowe never lived together.


text: When the news of Rowe's pregnancy broke to Jackson's mother Katherine, the Jackson family matriarch urged her son to wed the mother of his unborn child. Katherine did not want her son to be like his father, who had produced an illegitimate child with a woman while married to Michael's mother. Katherine first spoke on the telephone to Rowe about the sanctity of marriage and about the Jehovah's Witness faith. She later spoke to Jackson, telling him to marry "that nice girl, Debbie" and "give your child a name, not like your poor, half-sister, Joh'Vonnie". The words resonated with the singer, who did not want to repeat his father's sins.


text: Prior to Katherine's words, the view had been for Rowe to act as a surrogate mother; she would give the baby to Jackson as a friendly favor and he would raise it. Jackson intended to issue a statement, following the birth, that the identity of the mother was a secret, in the same way that the identities of many surrogates are protected. However, Katherine's involvement influenced Jackson to call Rowe and ask her to meet him in Australia, where he was staying, as soon as she could. There, the entertainer announced his plans for them to wed the next day.


text: Jackson and Rowe wed on November 15, 1996, at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney, Australia. The night before the wedding, Jackson had called Presley, who gave him and Rowe her blessing. In front of 15 friends, the pair exchanged vows at the hotel. An 8-year-old boy named Anthony, who was Jackson's nephew, served as the best man during the ceremony. For the occasion, Jackson had put special effort into his appearance.


text: Media and public reaction to the marriage was negative and cynical. Some commentators believed Jackson was marrying a person he did not love, and Rowe was having a baby who may not have been biologically Jackson's. The "Daily Mirror", a British tabloid newspaper, published a photograph of Rowe on the balcony of an Australian hotel. In it, she is seen holding her head in her hands. One Jackson biographer stated that the woman's dismayed and exasperated pose was most probably due to the excessive presence of paparazzi below. The "Daily Mirror" ran the photograph while mockingly proclaiming, "Oh, God! I've Just Married Michael Jackson."


text: Jackson and Rowe's first child together, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), was born on February 13, 1997, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The baby was nicknamed after Michael's grandfather and great-grandfather, who were both called Prince. After Rowe and Jackson cut the baby's umbilical cord together, Prince was taken to intensive care, where he spent five hours with only minor problems. He was subsequently taken by his father to Neverland Ranch. Prince's mother recuperated at a friend's house, upon her release from the hospital.


text: Six weeks after the birth, Rowe saw her son for the first time since his birth. She had met with Jackson to pose for photographs with their newborn son at a hotel. Upon arriving, Rowe was ushered into the hotel room, where she was given the infant to hold and told to smile for the camera with Michael. Afterward, she was sent on her way. Rowe did not want to become too attached to Prince, as she felt it would make her situation harder to deal with. At Neverland, Prince was cared for by a team of six nannies and six nurses during his first few months. According to one nanny who worked at the Californian ranch, Prince's mother was not a significant presence in the child's early life. "I saw her maybe three times and she seemed very sullen."


text: Rowe announced that she was pregnant with Jackson's second child in November 1997. The baby was to be a girl and named Paris, after the French city in which her parents said she was conceived. On April 3, 1998, blue-eyed Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born. Her middle names come from Michael and his mother, Katherine. Jackson later claimed that he was so anxious following the birth of his daughter, that he "snatched" her and ran straight home "with all the placenta and everything all over her". Rowe later confirmed that Jackson had the placenta frozen. Following the birth, Jackson's associates contacted Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in Rome, in the hope that the Pontiff would personally baptize the pop star's daughter. An official for the Pope informed Jackson by letter that the leader of the Catholic Church would not participate in what may be perceived as a publicity stunt.


text: Feeling uncomfortable with their arrangement, Rowe asked Jackson for a divorce, which he granted in April 2000. Rowe received around $10 million in a settlement, which started with an immediate payment of $1.5 million. With the divorce, Rowe gave Jackson full custody rights to her children. At the time, both Rowe and Jackson requested privacy and asked the public not to speculate on the reasons for their divorce. They concluded that despite coming to the end of married life, they would continue to remain friends.


text: Following the divorce, Jackson would go on to have a third child. Prince Michael Jackson II was born on February 21, 2002, to an unnamed surrogate mother. Rowe said that she was not the biological mother of Prince Michael, who is nicknamed "Blanket". Jackson stated that the baby was produced through artificial insemination using his own sperm cells. He further said that he did not know the mother, and she did not know him, and that in asking for a surrogate mother, he did not care how old she was or what race she was. It did, however, matter to him that she was intelligent, healthy, and had uncorrected eyesight.


text: In the television documentary, "The Michael Jackson Interview: The Footage You Were Never Meant to See", a rebuttal video to the Martin Bashir interview "Living with Michael Jackson" (2003), Rowe attempted to explain her relationship with Jackson and their two children:


text: "My kids don't call me Mom because I don't want them to. They're Michael's children. It's not that they are not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. People make remarks, 'I can't believe she left her children.' Left them? I left my children? I did "not" leave my children. My children are with their father, where they are supposed to be. I didn't do it to be a mother... If he called me tonight and said let's have five more [children], I'd do it in a heartbeat."


text: In 2006, Rowe legally applied for her access to her two children to be reinstated, and subsequently reached an agreement with Jackson. Following the singer's death in 2009, his mother Katherine was made the permanent guardian of Prince, Paris, and their half-brother Prince Michael. In addition, a new custody arrangement was made with Rowe, who had visitation rights with her two children and continued to receive spousal support payments.


text: Whether Jackson was the biological father of his three children became a matter of discussion after it was reported that they had "pale skin". Jackson stated in 2003 that the children were biologically his.


text: Despite his relationships with women, Jackson's sexuality was the subject of speculation and controversy for decades. The pop singer faced allegations of being gay since he was a teenager, as well as later being labelled asexual. One 1970s newspaper story alleged that the then 19-year-old singer was to have a sex change operation and marry the songwriter Clifton Davis. Jackson found out about the story from a crying fan. The musician reassured the girl that the tale was untrue and condemned it as a "stupid rumor". The story circulated for many months, during which time Jackson became upset; he was raised in a family where homosexuality was considered sinful. Jackson would continue to deny being gay throughout his life. In a 1979 interview, the pop star stated that he was not gay and that he would not "have a nervous breakdown because people think I like having sex with men". He added that if he let the rumor affect him, it would make him cheap and make it sound as if he was prejudiced against gay people. He expressed that many of his fans may be gay, and that he did not mind that, opining "That's their lives and this is mine."


text: In 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by Evan Chandler, on behalf of his then-13-year-old child, Jordan. To the father's disapproval, his son had become friends with the musician in May 1992. Allegedly under the influence of a controversial sedative administered by Evan, a dentist, Jordan said that Jackson had touched his penis. Evan was tape-recorded threatening to damage Jackson's music career and engaged him in unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the issue with a financial settlement. Jordan then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex.Jackson settled a civil suit out of court with the Chandler family and their legal team in January 1994. After Jordan refused to testify in the criminal proceedings, the State closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence, and Jackson was not charged with a crime. A few months after Jackson's death in 2009, Evan committed suicide.


text: Further accusations of child sexual abuse were made in 2003, by 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. The allegations came after Jackson and the boy appeared in the documentary "Living with Michael Jackson", in which the entertainer stated that he shared his bed with children in a non-sexual fashion. The singer was subsequently indicted on four counts of molesting a minor, four counts of intoxicating a minor, one count of abduction, and one count of conspiring to hold the boy and his family captive at Neverland Ranch.


text: During the five-month trial, Jackson faced allegations of child molestation and assertions that he had attempted to abduct the Arvizo family in a hot air balloon. He denied all the charges, and family members proclaimed that he was the victim of an extortion attempt. One friend, Firpo Carr, expressed amazement at the allegations leveled against the singer, who at the time was living at Neverland Ranch. "I'm surprised they haven't accused him of bestiality because he also has a zoo there. I mean, it gets ridiculous after a while." On June 13, 2005, the jury found Jackson not guilty on all charges.


text: In May 2013, choreographer Wade Robson filed a civil lawsuit against Jackson's estate for child sexual abuse. The date for the hearing which would determine whether or not Robson could sue Jackson's estate, was scheduled for June 2, 2014.


text: Robson met Jackson when he was five years old. In 2005, he had testified in Jackson's defense during his child molestation trial. At that trial, Jackson's former housekeeper Blanca Francia had testified that she had witnessed Robson showering with Jackson when the boy was 8 or 9 years old.


text: In his 2013 filing, Robson claimed that by the time he was seven years old, he was regularly having sleepovers at Jackson's Neverland Ranch and at Jackson's homes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, which lasted until he was 14, and that Jackson sexually abused him throughout the seven-year period. The attorney for Jackson's estate described Robson's claim as "outrageous and pathetic".


text: In December 2017, the lawsuit against Jackson's corporations were dropped, with Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff stating that the corporations were not liable to any alleged damages against Robson. Two years prior, Beckloff dismissed an earlier lawsuit against Jackson's estate, stating that Robson waited too long to file.


text: On January 25, 2019, the four-hour documentary "Leaving Neverland", directed by Dan Reed, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. It contains interviews of Robson and James Safechuck. The film was shown on HBO in the US and Channel 4 in the UK in March. The estate dismissed the new allegations.


text: In 2019, an appeals court revived Robson's and Safechuck's lawsuits against Jackson's corporations following a change in California law expanding the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits.


text: On October 20, 2020, Safechuck's lawsuit against Jackson's corporations was dismissed. The presiding judge ruled that there was no evidence that he had a relationship with Jackson's companies or that they had any legal responsibility of care for him.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Anette Ingegerd Olsson (born 21 June 1971), known by the stage name Anette Olzon, is a Swedish singer, best known as the former lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish from 2007 to 2012. She is also the vocalist of Swedish classic rock band Alyson Avenue, and of the Finnish heavy metal band The Dark Element.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon was raised in a musical family and has been singing since childhood. Her mother also forced her to play the oboe for eight years. She toured with her mother's band and sang with them on some occasions. Later, she started to take part in various talent shows and received laudable recognition. The first band she joined at seventeen years of age (Take Cover) was a cover band. However, it was short-lived as she took part in several bands and projects. At 21, she played the leading role in the rock opera/musical "Gränsland" in Helsingborg. After that she got into the Balettakademien in Gothenburg. She sang in choirs, did studio work for various projects and occasionally performed as a wedding singer. Olzon also sang a duet with Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart singer) on his album "Conspiracy".


title: Anette Olzon

text: In her earlier days, Olzon took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingør, Denmark, with a private teacher. Nowadays, she takes lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University when needed.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Before singing, Olzon has worked in a factory, in a hamburger restaurant, as a waitress, as a veterinarian assistant, in a number of offices and as a hair dresser. She has also studied musical artist education, psychology, project management and leadership and organization.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon then joined Alyson Avenue, at first only as a studio singer, but later as their leading lady, replacing the male vocalist. The band received huge feedback for a demo they sent out in 1999, and Alyson Avenue was soon able to contact various labels. Main composer and keyboardist Niclas Olsson gathered the band, recording a four track demo which resulted in a record deal with AOR Heaven.


title: Anette Olzon

text: In November 2000, their debut album "Presence of Mind" was released to positive reviews. The next album "Omega" was released in 2004. Olzon left Alyson Avenue in 2006. In May 2009, Alyson Avenue introduced Arabella Vitanc as their new lead vocalist.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon officially joined Nightwish as their new lead singer in early 2007, chosen from about 2,000 applicants of which 10 made it to prove their place in front of the band. The song on her demo tape was the 2002 single "Ever Dream". She replaced the previous singer Tarja Turunen, who was fired in an open letter in the autumn of 2005. Olzon's demo was one of the first that Nightwish received, although she was originally denied the position, as band leader Tuomas Holopainen was concerned about the fact that she had a young son. However, Olzon was persistent and sent the band a live DVD of her performing with Alyson Avenue. She was then contacted by Nightwish's manager Ewo Pohjola, which eventually led to her taking up the position in February 2007. Tuomas commented on her selection saying "we (the band) took a formal vote, but it was unanimous that she would be the one. It was a matter of heart. We felt she was right." Her identity was kept secret by various methods, including pretending to be Ewo's "Swedish cousin" at a Tarot concert, until she was eventually announced as the new Nightwish singer on 24 May 2007.


title: Anette Olzon

text: The day after this revelation, 25 May 2007, charity single "Eva" was released as the first off the album, as download only. It was originally scheduled for release on 30 May but this was changed due to a leak on a British music download site. This was the first published song to feature Olzon. On 13 June Nightwish released the title, "Dark Passion Play", and artwork to the new album on their official website, as well as the name and the cover of the second single (this time CD), "Amaranth". "Amaranth" achieved gold status in Finland after less than two days in stores.


title: Anette Olzon

text: "Dark Passion Play" was released around Europe in the last week of September 2007, in the UK on 1 October and the United States on 2 October. It was awarded double platinum in Finland the second day after its release and took the No.1 position on the charts of Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia and got in top 100 in other 16 countries, including the United States. "Dark Passion Play" has sold 6× Platinum worldwide up to date (over 1.5 million copies).


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 22 September 2007, the band hosted a secret concert at Rock Café in Tallinn, Estonia, disguising itself as a Nightwish cover band called "Nachtwasser". Their first official concert with the new singer was in Tel Aviv, Israel on 6 October 2007. The "Dark Passion Play" tour thus started, visiting the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Asia, and Australia. The "Dark Passion Play World Tour" is Nightwish's longest tour to date, lasting from October 2007 to September 2009. The tour ended with a concert at Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, with the band Apocalyptica.


title: Anette Olzon

text: In October 2010, Nightwish began recording for the album "Imaginaerum", with Olzon recording her vocals for the album in April 2011 at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki. The album was released on 30 November 2011 and was followed by the "Imaginaerum World Tour", beginning on 21 January 2012. Olzon, along with the rest of Nightwish, starred in the film "Imaginaerum", which featured music from the band.


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 1 October 2012, Nightwish and Olzon went their separate ways. Her final performance with Nightwish was on 29 September, at The Complex, Salt Lake City. While Olzon stated in an interview that she was fired from the band after she revealed to them she was pregnant, Nightwish made a subsequent statement denying this - they were all congratulative to her, and stating that "[t]he split with Anette wasn't because of pregnancy or illness. We discovered her personality didn't fit this work community, and was even detrimental to it." In a 2021 interview with Blabbermouth.net, Olzon revealed that she wanted the band's tour dates pushed back due to her pregnancy, but Holopainen denied the request. She was also against the band's decision to bring in Floor Jansen as the substitute vocalist out of fear for her job.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Following her departure from Nightwish, Olzon began writing and recording material for a future solo album. In an interview with 'Dark Sirens' in October 2013, Olzon stated that her solo album would be released sometime in 2014.


title: Anette Olzon

text: It was announced on 28 November 2013 that Olzon's debut solo album will be called "Shine". The album has been produced by Stefan Örn and Johan Glössner and co-produced by Olzon and Johan Kronlund. About the album, Olzon said: "The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness, but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life – making you SHINE... no matter what." Olzon described the album's musical direction as "a pop rock album maybe, or would you call it pop metal?". On 27 January, Olzon announced that the release date for her album had been pushed a month, making the new release date 28 March 2014


title: Anette Olzon

text: The first song from "Shine", "Falling", was released for digital download on 17 December 2013 along with a lyric video on YouTube. A teaser for the album's first official single, "Lies", was posted on Olzon's official Facebook page on 7 February 2014; followed by the single's eventual release on 14 February 2014.


title: Anette Olzon

text: In a June 2015 interview, Olzon said she had plans for a future second album, but details are still being discussed with her new label.


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 19 January 2016 Olzon released an EP with only two songs, a Swedish song called "Vintersjäl" and an English song called "Cold Outside" only available for digital download.


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 21 June 2021 Olzon released the single "Parasite" from the album "Strong", which was later released on 10 September 2021.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon announced on 29 August 2017 that she would be collaborating with former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen for a project known as The Dark Element. The debut self-titled album was released on 10 November 2017. Their second album, "Songs the Night Sings", was released on 8 November 2019.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon has played with several bands, in studio and live, including Brother Firetribe on the song "Heart Full of Fire" from the album of the same name in 2008, The Rasmus on the single "October & April" in 2009, Pain on the song "Follow Me", "Feed Us" from "Cynic Paradise" in 2008 and Black Mount Rise on the single "Apart & Astray" in 2015.


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 13 August 2009, Olzon sang two Nightwish songs, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" and "Meadows of Heaven", with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, at the Suomi Safari – the event was in celebration of Sweden and Finland relations.


title: Anette Olzon

text: On 30 November 2012, Olzon sang at the opening gala of Helsingborg Arena, where she performed two songs from her own material.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Anette Olzon was featured on the second season of the Finnish competition show Tähdet, Tähdet in 2015. Along with the several popular Finnish musical artists, Olzon performed their own covers of songs from various genres, with one singer being dropped out of the competition each week by televote. Olzon was the only foreign artist to be featured on the program, though she performed one song partly in Finnish. She was eliminated on the fifth week of the show.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon collaborated with Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen in 2020, under the name Allen/Olzon. "Worlds Apart", their debut album, was released on 6 March 2020.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon has mentioned Natalie Cole and Celine Dion as being her inspirations in singing. She has also stated that she admires symphonic metal vocalists Sharon den Adel and Simone Simons, and she has also stated on her blog that she enjoys and admires Tarja Turunen's solo work.


title: Anette Olzon

text: Olzon lives in Helsingborg with her husband, former Pain bassist Johan Husgafvel, whom she married on 10 August 2013, and her three children: sons, Seth (Blyckert) (born 11 July 2001) from her first marriage, Nemo (born 30 July 2010), and Mio (born 28 March 2013). As of 2020, she is working full-time as a nurse.


title: High Speed 1

text: High Speed 1 (HS1), legally the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is a high-speed railway linking London with the Channel Tunnel.


title: High Speed 1

text: It is part of a line carrying international passenger traffic between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe; it also carries domestic passenger traffic to and from stations in Kent and east London, and continental European loading gauge freight traffic. From the Channel Tunnel, the line crosses the River Medway, and tunnels under the River Thames, terminating at London St Pancras International station on the north side of central London. It cost £5.8 billion to build and opened on 14 November 2007. Trains run at speeds of up to on HS1. Intermediate stations are at in London, Ebbsfleet International in northern Kent and Ashford International in southern Kent.


title: High Speed 1

text: International passenger services are provided by Eurostar International, with journey times from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord in 2hours 15minutes, and London St Pancras International to Brussels South/Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel Zuid in 1hour and 51minutes.


title: High Speed 1

text: , Eurostar uses a fleet of 27 Class 373/1 multi-system trains capable of 300km/h and Class 374 trains. Domestic high-speed commuter services serving the intermediate stations and beyond began on 13 December 2009. The fleet of 29 Class 395 passenger trains reach speeds of . DB Cargo UK run freight services on High Speed 1 using adapted Class 92 locomotives, enabling flat wagons carrying continental-size swap body containers to reach London for the first time.


title: High Speed 1

text: The CTRL project saw new bridges and tunnels built, with a combined length nearly as long as the Channel Tunnel itself, and significant archaeological research undertaken. In 2002, the CTRL project was awarded the Major Project Award at the British Construction Industry Awards. The line was transferred to government ownership in 2009, with a 30-year concession for its operation awarded to a consortium of Borealis Infrastructure (part of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in November 2010.


title: High Speed 1

text: A high-speed rail line, LGV Nord, has been in operation between the Channel Tunnel and the outskirts of Paris since the Tunnel's opening in 1994. This has enabled Eurostar rail services to travel at for this part of their journey. A similar high-speed line in Belgium, from the French border to Brussels, HSL 1, opened in 1997. In Britain, Eurostar trains had to run at a maximum of on existing tracks between London Waterloo International and the Channel Tunnel. These tracks were shared with local traffic, limiting the number of services that could be run, and jeopardising reliability. The case for a high-speed line similar to the continental part of the route was recognised by policymakers, and the construction of the line was authorised by Parliament with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996, which was amended by the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Supplementary Provisions) Act 2008.


title: High Speed 1

text: An early plan conceived by British Rail in the early 1970s for a route passing through Tonbridge met considerable opposition on environmental and social grounds, especially from the Leigh Action Group and Surrey & Kent Action on Rail (SKAR). A committee was set up to examine the proposal under Sir Alexander Cairncross; but in due course environment minister Anthony Crosland announced that the project had been cancelled, together with the plan for the tunnel itself.


title: High Speed 1

text: The next plan for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link involved a tunnel reaching London from the south-east, and an underground terminus in the vicinity of London King's Cross station. A late change in the plans, principally driven by Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine's desire for urban regeneration in East London, led to a change of route, with the new line approaching London from the east. This opened the possibility of reusing the underused St Pancras railway station as the terminus, with access via the North London Line that crosses the throat of the station.


title: High Speed 1

text: The idea of using the North London line proved illusory, and it was rejected in 1994 by the then Transport Secretary, John MacGregor, as too difficult to construct and environmentally damaging. The idea of using St Pancras station as the core of the new terminus was retained, albeit now linked by of specially built tunnels to Dagenham via Stratford.


title: High Speed 1

text: London & Continental Railways (LCR) was chosen by the UK government in 1996 to build the line and to reconstruct St Pancras station as its terminus, and to take over the British share of the Eurostar operation, Eurostar (UK). The original LCR consortium members were National Express, Virgin Group, SG Warburg & Co, Bechtel and London Electric. While the project was under development by British Rail it was managed by "Union Railways", which became a wholly owned subsidiary of "LCR". On 14 November 2006, LCR adopted "High Speed 1" as the brand name for the completed railway. Official legislation, documentation and line-side signage have continued to refer to "CTRL".


title: High Speed 1

text: As the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 made government funding for a Channel Tunnel rail link unlawful, construction did not take place, as it was not financially viable. Construction was delayed until the passage of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996, which provided construction powers that would run for ten years. The chief executive, Rob Holden, stated that it was the "largest land acquisition programme since the Second World War".


title: High Speed 1

text: The whole route was to have been built as a single project, but in 1998, serious financial difficulties arose, and extensive changes came with a British government rescue plan. To reduce risk, the line was split into two separate phases, to be managed by "Union Railways (South)" and "Union Railways (North)". A recovery programme was agreed whereby LCR sold government-backed bonds worth £1.6 billion to pay for the construction of section 1, with the future of section 2 still not settled.


title: High Speed 1

text: The original intention had been for the new railway, once completed, to be run by Union Railways as a separate line from the rest of the British railway network. As part of the 1998 rescue it was agreed that following completion, section 1 would be purchased by Railtrack with an option to purchase section 2. In return, Railtrack was committed to operate the whole route as well as London St Pancras International, which, unlike all other former British Rail stations, had been transferred to LCR/Union Railways in 1996.


title: High Speed 1

text: In 2001, Railtrack announced that because of its own financial problems, it would not undertake to purchase section 2, triggering a second restructuring. The 2002 plan agreed that the two sections would have different owners (Railtrack for section 1, LCR for section 2) but with common Railtrack management. Following further financial problems at Railtrack, its interest was sold back to LCR, which then sold the operating rights for the completed line to Network Rail, Railtrack's successor. Under this arrangement LCR became the sole owner of both sections of the CTRL and the St Pancras property, as per the original 1996 plan. Amendments were made in 2001 for the new station at Stratford International and connections to the West Coast Main Line.


title: High Speed 1

text: As a consequence of the restructuring, the LCR consortium in 2001 consisted of engineering consultants and construction firms Arup, Bechtel, Halcrow and Systra (which form "Rail Link Engineering" (RLE)); transport operators National Express and SNCF (which operates the "Eurostar (UK)" share of the Eurostar service with the National Railway Company of Belgium and British Airways), the electricity company EDF and UBS.


title: High Speed 1

text: There were several deaths of employees working on the CTRL over the construction period. One occurred on 28 March 2003 near Folkestone when a worker came into contact with the energised power supply. Another death occurred two months later, in May 2003, when a scaffolder fell seven metres at Thurrock, Essex. Three companies were found guilty of breaching health and safety legislation by omitting to provide barriers, resulting in Deverson Direct Ltd. being ordered to pay a fine of £50,000, J.Murphy & Sons Ltd. £25,000, and Hochtief AG £25,000. Two more deaths resulted from a fire on board a train carrying wires, one mile () inside a tunnel under the Thames between Swanscombe, Kent, and Thurrock, Essex on 16 August 2005. The train shunter died at the scene and the train driver later died in hospital. It has been suggested that a large amount of blame for accidents throughout the project lay with individual behaviour, becoming such a problem that an internal programme was launched to tackle problem behaviour during the construction.


title: High Speed 1

text: On completion of section 1 by RLE, the line was handed over to Union Railways (South), which then handed it over to "London & Continental Stations and Property" (LCSP), the line's long-term owners. Once section 2 of the line had been completed, it was handed over to Union Railways (North), which handed it over to LCSP. The entire line, including St Pancras, is managed, operated and maintained by Network Rail (CTRL).