NEW YORK, July 1, 2009 -   Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE), an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.,  announced today that it will publish veteran journalist and New York Times bestselling author Ian Halperin's UNMASKED: The Final Years of Michael Jackson.  The book is scheduled for publication on July 14, 2009.

UNMASKED is a sympathetic portrait of Michael Jackson that explores Jackson's prescription drug use, his ties to Scientology, Halperin's conclusion that Jackson was not a child molester, and the eerily prophetic revelation Halperin made in December 2008 that Jackson had only six months to live.   

Jennifer Bergstrom, Vice President and Publisher of SSE, said "If you think you know everything there is to know about Michael Jackson you're wrong. Ian has uncovered startling new information that will make this book the definitive biography of the most iconic performer of our time."

Deputy Publisher Anthony Ziccardi negotiated the deal, for US rights, with Jarred Weisfeld of Objective Entertainment on behalf of the author and Transit Publishing.   Executive Editor Lauren McKenna will edit the book.  

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Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE) launched in 2004 with He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth To Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which became an instant national bestseller.   Recently, SSE had two #1 New York Times bestsellers -- Are You There, Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler and sTori Telling by Tori Spelling.  Other bestselling titles include Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert, Mommywood by Tori Spelling, and Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone.  Recent and upcoming titles include Between a Rose and a Thorn by Bret Michaels, High on Arrival by Mackenzie Phillips, and Unsweetined by Jodie Sweetin.    

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at http://www.simonandschuster.com/.