Michael Jackson Foundation Letter to the Media About the Murray Documentary

The Michael Jackson Foundation has sent the following letter regarding Conrad Murray’s documentary to the television networks NBC and MSNBC, and has provided a copy of it to fan websites. The letter continues: "As soon as Conrad Murray was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson and was transferred to jail in handcuffs, we learned that your MSNBC network, through an inexplicable decision, is going to air a documentary about him in your Friday night prime-time program—as if this individual deserves to be a star. The title of your documentary, ‘Michael Jackson and the Doctor: A Deadly Friendship,’ alone left us stunned. Since when has Dr. Murray been a friend of Michael Jackson? How can a doctor—who, according to you, has also been a friend—treat another human being with such negligence and irresponsibility? In your network’s view, Dr. Murray, who refused to testify from the witness stand and swear to tell the truth, now has no qualms about tarnishing the name of his so-called friend in this documentary. In fact, MSNBC allows him to say whatever he wants without fear of legal cross-examination. One of his one-sided quotes is as follows: ‘He asked me, please, please, Dr. Conrad… I need this milk (propofol) to sleep. If I don’t sleep today, I can’t perform on stage. I can’t do anything.’ Therefore, MSNBC gives Conrad Murray a platform to shift his conviction onto Michael Jackson—despite the fact that the jury rejected his evidence and found him guilty. We have read in the news that Dr. Murray has been filmed by cameras since 2009, as if he were playing a role in a reality television show. We also heard that Murray received $1 million in exchange for this documentary. As trustees of the Foundation, we want to know exactly how much you paid to obtain this wonderful opportunity. Was it truly one million dollars? Or more? For us, it doesn’t matter which company—Comcast, NBCUniversal, or MSNBC—paid this money, because all of them are ethically at fault. The issue isn’t whether all of these films were recorded before his guilty verdict was announced. This is simply an excuse to justify airing a sensational and blameworthy program that takes advantage of the tragic death of Michael Jackson—and not only that, but also receives extensive television promotion so that this network, which fights tooth and nail for its credibility, can raise its ratings by airing this documentary. Dr. Murray’s victim, Michael Jackson, this loving father and unparalleled talent, left behind an enormous legacy for the world to give. But Conrad Murray is a convicted criminal who was immediately handcuffed and taken to jail after the court’s decision. He is not someone MSNBC should give a stage to. We ask that you make the right decision and refrain from airing this documentary. With respect, John Branca John McClain Trustees of the Michael Jackson Foundation" Source: eMJey.com / The Estate of Michael Jackson