Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Fawcett's Private Funeral Set For Tuesday. Will the Paparazzi Stay Away?
Photo by honeybeejen via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Actress Farrah Fawcett, who died Thursday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer, will be honored and mourned in a private funeral service on Tuesday, according to the Huffington Post. The Catholic service is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown. Fawcett's death at age 62 last week after a brave and public struggle to fight multiple and spreading cancers was soon eclipsed--some believe unduly, some say mercifully--by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Her illness was something she had hoped to keep private, "but a UCLA Medical Center employee pleaded guilty in late 2008 to violating federal medical privacy laws for commercial purposes by selling records of Fawcett and other celebrities to the National Enquirer," explains KTLA.
How much true privacy the public and the paparazzi will grant Fawcett's friends and family come Tuesday afternoon remains to be seen. The celebrity-obsessed media, propelled by popular and persistent outlets like TMZ, often rely on unscrupulously obtained tips and information; Jackson's death at UCLA Medical Center was first reported by TMZ, but not widely accepted by the public until confirmed by sources like the LA Times or CNN.
Fawcett's services will likely be attended by celebrities. In addition, her son Redmond O'Neal has received special permission to leave the Los Angeles County Jail for the event.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
