Day 21 of the AEG Trial: Michael Didn’t Have an Addiction
In a brief session on Friday, the company’s lawyer began questioning Gang Wer.
Marvin Pontam, the company’s lawyer, asked Gang Wer why Michael Jackson used pain-relieving drugs. In 1993, Michael had canceled several of his “Dangerous” tour concerts due to dependence on these medications.
Gang Wer: “Before the start of the third leg of the Dangerous tour, a surgery was performed on the skin of his scalp. The wound was on a nerve—or something like that. It was extremely painful. He was treated for it. When they were recording the Pepsi video, his scalp skin was burned.”
Gang Wer said the surgery was done so that the hair in the burned area would look natural.
(Explanation: The second leg of the Dangerous tour ended on December 31, 1992. A month later, Michael performed on the Super Bowl show. He had surgery on the skin of his scalp. This surgery was the result of an incident that happened ten years earlier during the filming of a Pepsi commercial video. During that incident, Michael’s head caught fire. Doctors considered his survival a miracle. Instead of seeking damages from Pepsi, Michael asked them to spend $1.5 million setting up a burn accident center in Bratman Hospital. This center was named after him: Michael Jackson. In 1993, the third leg of the tour began on August 24. On that same day, a false sexual allegation against Michael was announced by the media. In November, Michael ended the tour in Mexico City and said he was being treated because he was addicted to painkillers. The reason he used these drugs was said to be to fight severe pain caused by the surgery. It was said that the sexual allegation against him intensified his use of painkillers.)
Gang Wer said that during the Dangerous tour, he didn’t know Michael had become dependent on painkillers.
He also worked with Michael during the History tour in 1996–97. Gang Wer said that after the first half of the tour ended in Hawaii, Michael lost $27 million and took on $11 million in debt for lighting and stage sound. In the second half of the tour, he changed the tour manager to address the financial problems. He hired Gang Wer. Gang Wer worked directly with Michael as the tour manager. He said he had to cut many costs. They wanted to deliver a show with the same quality to Michael, but many expenses had to be controlled. The second half of the tour had $14 million in net profit and $11 million in debt was paid off. Gang Wer said the tour reached the break-even point.
Pontam: “During the History tour, was there any concern about Mr. Jackson’s dependence on painkillers?”
Gang Wer: “No, absolutely not.”
He said he saw no signs that suggested Michael was addicted to drugs. Gang Wer said that during the second half of the History tour, no tour doctor accompanied them and Michael wasn’t taking medication.
Pontam: “How was MJ during the History tour?”
Gang Wer: “Great, exhilarating.”
Gang Wer said that during the History tour, Michael only canceled one concert—and that was because Princess Diana died in 1997.
Gang Wer explained that at night, when Michael went to bed, he was aware of the driving incident that happened to Princess Diana. He had been told that Diana’s condition was improving. The next day, when Michael woke up, he was told that Diana had died.
Gang Wer: “Diana’s death had a deep impact on him.”
The History tour ended in 1997. Immediately after that, Michael called Gang Wer and asked him to work for him.
“He liked my work. He was satisfied with my work. Michael wanted me to be his business manager.”
Gang Wer, although tempted, refused because he wanted to continue his job in concerts. He then worked with Yanni.
Regarding Michael’s offer, he said: “It was tempting, but I wanted to do other things. I wanted to be independent.”
Pontam then asked about the Jackson family’s claim against AEG. Katherine Jackson says the company pressured Michael to do the This Is It tour in order to get past its competitor, Live Nation.
Gang Wer: “That company is much bigger than AEG. More complex.”
He said Live Nation has many stadiums and has to look for artists to fill them. AEG doesn’t have that. After Live Nation, AEG is the second-largest concert and tour company in the world.
Pontam: “Do you want to be number one?”
Gang Wer: “No, things get more complicated. I’m happy being number two.”
The last collaboration between Gang Wer and Michael happened on the TII tour. In 2007, Michael’s lawyer Peter Lopez contacted Gang Wer’s partner and asked to meet. Michael hadn’t toured from 1997 to 2009 and had only performed a few concerts. Gang Wer went to Las Vegas to meet Michael in 2007. In that meeting, they discussed AEG and how they would run the tour. Nothing was mentioned about Michael’s tour. They met again in Vegas the following year.
Gang Wer said that in their meeting, Michael remembered him. He claims Michael told him about the History tour: “Paul Gang Wer, whenever you came, I knew everything would be fine.”
Gang Wer said that when Michael was energetic and joking, he called him “Mikey.” He said it wasn’t an insult and he called him that out of affection.
Gang Wer added that when he saw Michael in 2007, he was as thin as always.
Pontam: “Did he have an addiction to painkillers?”
Gang Wer: “No.”
Pontam: “Was he under the influence of drugs?”
Gang Wer: “No.”
Gang Wer described Michael in 2007 as sober, focused, and enthusiastic. He wanted to make a short film about “Tutankhamun,” the 11th pharaoh of ancient Egypt. The second meeting that year took place in New York. Gang Wer didn’t remember the topic of discussion.
In 2008, he and Michael talked about Michael’s return to the stage. Dr. Teme, Michael’s manager, contacted AEG. Randy Phillips, on behalf of the company, was the main negotiator with Dr. Teme and Peter Lopez. The meeting in 2008 began with discussions about setting up an exhibition of MJ memorabilia at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
Cloney Capital is an investment company that had bought part of Neverland, Michael’s ranch. At the same time, the company executives were thinking about what to do with Neverland.
When Michael signed the contract with AEG in February 2009 at Carolwood’s home in Holmby Hills, Gang Wer was present. Michael read the contract carefully.
Gang Wer remembered Michael like this: “He was good. I had a very good feeling. An MJ tour was on the way. Great news.”
Gang Wer knew that Michael had been treated for dependence on painkillers a few years earlier, but he wasn’t worried because he didn’t see any signs that Michael was taking drugs.
Email from Bob Taylor, an insurance agent, to Paul Gang Wer, February 11, 2009:
“Thanks Paul. I now have the results of the medical exam and blood tests (Michael). It’s good. Now I need more data. This helps with getting an insurance policy. I also want to update this medical report every 21 days.”
Taylor also requested details related to the tour, such as concert dates.
Gang Wer’s response to Taylor: “I’m not prepared to put everything on paper.”
In court, Gang Wer explained why he gave that response: he didn’t have answers to all questions, and some of the questions asked by Taylor that related to the tour were still not finalized. The result of Michael’s medical exam confirmed what Gang Wer expected: Michael was healthy and not addicted.
Taylor wrote in an email: “Consecutive concerts will be a hassle.” He suggested changing the order of the concerts and increasing the time between them. He said that once the tour started and progressed, then you could hold concerts back-to-back.
AEG was responsible for preparing and promoting the TII tour.
Gang Wer: “He (Michael) didn’t have the money, so we took care of it.”
Temi, Michael’s manager, had told AEG about the need for money. Gang Wer said Temi repeatedly emphasized that Michael needed to generate income.
Michael and Kenny Ortega, the tour director, handled the creative work and the invention of the show. They came to a conclusion, and Gang Wer had to find a way to make those ideas happen.
The first phase of rehearsals for the tour was held at “Center Staging” in Burbank, but that venue didn’t have a room dedicated to production matters. They moved to the “Forum,” which also wasn’t suitable because its ceiling wasn’t high enough to hang the special lights. In the end, the group moved to the “Staples Center.”
Gang Wer said Michael chose the name “This Is It” for the tour because these were his final performances on stage.
They wanted to present the shows in the best market, which was London. Gang Wer said that at the beginning they didn’t know how the tour would sell, so at first they announced that only 10 shows would be held. The company asked people to register on the website to get concert tickets, and only those who registered would have the right to pre-purchase tickets. Gang Wer said that based on the feedback they received, they knew the tour would achieve great success.
After selling 10 concerts, the number of shows was increased to 31. Prince (the Black singer) had held 21 concerts at the O2 arena, and Michael wanted to perform 10 more concerts than him. But ticket demand was so high that Gang Wer called Temi, Michael’s manager, and requested 50 concerts. Temi said Michael agreed.
Michael personally announced the 10-concert news during a conference in London. Michael arrived at the location with a few hours’ delay that day. Gang Wer said he wasn’t surprised by this, although he was upset because Michael didn’t want to do the conference.
Gang Wer: “He didn’t want to do these things (conferences). His plans didn’t always run on time.”
After Michael arrived, a conversation took place between Michael and Gang Wer.
Gang Wer: “Michael came toward me, hugged me, and whispered in my ear, ‘Make sure the words on the text-reading pages are big. I don’t have my glasses with me.’”
Pontam: “Was he drunk?”
Gang Wer: “No. He was in good shape. I think he was excited.”
He explained that Michael didn’t smell like alcohol and didn’t seem to have been drinking.
This question was asked because Phillips had claimed in an email that Michael had been drinking alcohol at the hotel.
Gang Wer said the media reaction was great and people were happy about Michael’s return.
One day after the conference, Michael called Gang Wer to talk about the tour. Michael chose Kenny Ortega as the tour director. He enjoyed the special effects on stage. Gang Wer introduced Michael to the newest techniques for stage effects. It was decided that these effects would be demonstrated in a meeting, and Michael promised to attend. This meeting took place on March 16, 2009, a few days after the concert dates were announced at the Sony studio. These special effects included a three-dimensional display on LED monitors that had never been done before, fireworks, and a new type of flame.
Pontam showed part of the TII documentary and the stage fireworks in court. Gang Wer said Michael loved the effects. He also explained that a water fountain effect was shown but wasn’t used because it was messy.
Gang Wer says Michael was in very good spirits during that meeting: “He was participating. He was excited to see the effects.”
According to him, in March Michael wasn’t bored or low on energy and didn’t seem to be taking drugs.
Another meeting was scheduled for March 17. Gang Wer had told Michael’s assistant in an email that only Michael and Kenny Ortega should attend. They were the creative engines of the tour, and before any decisions about other tour personnel, they needed to determine the style and approach for the shows.
At the end, Gang Wer said that Ortega’s concern about Michael’s health was not something anyone inside their company had instructed him to do. In his view, Ortega was taking care of Michael’s health because of his friendship with Michael.
Gang Wer would join the Rolling Stone tour over the weekend to do his duties, but he would resume his testimony on Monday.
Source: eMJey.com / AP & CNN & LA Times & ABC News