C.J.: Will our Prince testify in MJ case?

If TMZ hasn't screwed up and confused Symbolina for Prince Jackson, the celebrity TV show is reporting that the Minnesota Prince — who never worked with Michael Jackson — may be called to testify in the Jackson family's $40 billion wrongful-death lawsuit against concert promoters AEG Live.

The lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and the late entertainer's three children alleges that the concert promoter was negligent in hiring and supervising Dr. Conrad Murray, who was working as Jackson's personal physician at the time of the singer's 2009 death just weeks before the "This Is It" tour was scheduled to begin.

Although Murray is scheduled to be interviewed Tuesday on CNN by Anderson Cooper, the doctor has told CNN he'll assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination if he has to testify in the AEG case. Murray did not take the stand in his involuntary manslaughter trial. He's currently serving time for that conviction handed down after testimony about how Murray carelessly used the hospital drug propofol to treat Jackson's insomnia.

"According to docs filed earlier this month, Katherine's legal team plans to call nearly 100 witnesses ... with one of them being Prince," writes TMZ. "It's curious, since Prince and MJ never collaborated, but we're hearing Katherine's legal team believes Prince had a bad experience with AEG in the past that could be relevant. Can you imagine Prince on the witness stand?"

No, I cannot.

Prince adroitly avoids court appearances. His lawyers usually get him out of them. His stealth arrivals and exits to Minnesota locations — where (on rare occasions) he's actually shown up for scheduled depositions — have been exceptionally covert.

Of course, with Los Angeles leaking information like a sieve, a very entertaining photo op game of cat and mouse could take place between Prince and the pappsters should Symbolina actually be enticed or ordered to make a court appearance.

In another curious matter related to this trial, TMZ claims to have "obtained legal docs in which Katherine Jackson, Blanket, Paris and Prince [Jackson's children] argue ... it's irrelevant for a jury to hear evidence about the conception of the three kids. Specifically, they believe AEG has no right to delve into their biological parentage." WOW. If AEG plays hardball on this, the public could learn what I suspect about Jackson being the bio-dad.

Incidentally, AEG's outgoing prez and CEO, Tim Leiweke, also has a Minnesota connection as a former marketing veep for the Timberwolves.

'Dig In Minnesota'

Former WCCO-TV traffic reporter Teri Knight is getting down in the dirt on her new TV show.

Knight, a former sidekick on now defunct WLTE-FM, tells me she is going to be the host of "Dig In Minnesota," a show produced by a Colorado-based company, Dig In, owned by Nick Arnold. The show, at 9 a.m. Sundays, is scheduled to start April 14 on the CW Twin Cities.

"It's a brand-new garden-to-table gardening show for our climate. It's really about gardening," Knight told me Monday. "There are not any programs like that on the air. There's 'Grow with KARE,' but we'll have more gardening tips and will be taking you to various experts, including a chef segment.

"It's geared regionally, which is unique. They started in Denver; there's one in Dallas, Chicago and this year starting [here], Atlanta and Seattle. They got in touch with me through my gardenbite.com website.

"I've been dreaming about this for a decade," she said. "I'm excited about the show, working with some great people and very grateful for the opportunity."

Knight will do this show in addition to her full-time gig as news director at KYMN-AM 1080 in Northfield.

Back on TV: Fancy Ray

Fancy Ray, the self-proclaimed "Best Looking Man in Comedy," is coming back to TV this fall, this time on My29.

I look forward to hog-tying him to a chair on this TV show, reprising a stunt I pulled on his former long-running cable-access show. This time I'm sticking an apple in his mouth instead of just threateningly tossing it in the air.

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Buzz." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count. Attachments are not opened.