Lady Gaga buys Michael Jackson's costumes at auction

LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Pop star Lady Gaga purchased 55 items belonging to late singer Michael Jackson in a weekend auction that raised more than US$5 million (S$6.09 million), a portion of which will be donated to charity, Julien's Auctions said.

The auction, held in Beverly Hills, showcased 465 lots of items spanning Jackson's career through the years, including costumes and props used on tour and in music videos.

Highlights from the sale included the late singer's BAD tour jacket raising US$240,000, a white glove selling for US$192,000 and one of the singer's Pepsi and Awards jacket garnering more than US$68,000, the auction house said in a statement.

Following Sunday's auction, Gaga told her 31 million Twitter followers that "the 55 pieces I collected today will be archived & expertly cared for in the spirit & love of Michael Jackson, his bravery, & fans worldwide". Jackson died aged 50 in June 2009 in Los Angeles from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and sedatives.