On this day, Karen Faye—the makeup artist for Michael—returned to the witness stand, and questions from Marvin Putnam, the attorney for the company, were put to her.
You read her prior testimony in this trial on
this page. Putnam noted that seven weeks had passed since Karen Faye first appeared in court. He then asked whether she had reviewed her testimony from the previous session. She said no, but that she had reviewed the text of her interrogation, which had taken place over four or five days, and that she had also spoken with the complainants in the case.
Putnam asked about Faye’s relationship with Michael after the 2005 trial. Karen Faye said that during the trial she prepared Michael every day to go out, but after the last day of the trial—after Michael was acquitted—she had not spoken with him. Michael then left the United States for Bahrain.
Putnam: “Were you upset that you were by his side every day, yet on the last day he left without saying goodbye?”
Faye: “No, sir. It didn’t upset me. He had been through a very, very terrifying ordeal, and I was there with him. Anything he could have done to improve things didn’t bother me. I understood that he wanted to go.”
Faye said that after that, Michael never returned to his home in Neverland, and neither did she. When Michael returned to the country, Faye didn’t speak with him. After that, they spoke with each other every few months. In 2008 she had no meeting with Michael at the rented house of Carol Wood, and until April 2009 she hadn’t seen him. She learned about Michael’s new tour through the news—this one called This Is It. She wasn’t surprised because Michael had told her he had plans. The news that the tour would take place was announced by Michael on March 5, and in mid-March his assistant, Michael Amir Williams, called Faye to ask her to come work. Before that, Michael had always personally called Karen, but Faye said it wasn’t strange that Michael’s assistant was calling her. Williams didn’t give her much information and told her that Michael would call her from a blocked number. Williams had said: “Be sure to answer. It’s about the tour.”
Michael called, and they had a happy, gentle conversation. Michael, who loved using nicknames, called Karen “Turkle.” Michael told Faye: “Work with me, Turkle. Work with me, Turkle.” They laughed. Faye told Michael she was excited about his return to the stage. Michael told Karen that at first he was supposed to do 10 concerts, but he fell asleep one night and when he woke up in the morning he found that 50 concerts had been arranged for him. Faye says Michael was a bit discouraged by that number of concerts. Karen told Michael that in order to prepare him for the tour, she needed to work on his hair.
Karen said she didn’t remember whether she had watched Michael’s London press conference live, during which Michael announced the tour. She said that the wig Michael wore that day was very big. (Due to burns on his scalp in the mid-1980s, Michael had lost part of his hair.) Karen said that because of her job as a hairdresser, she pays a lot of attention to people’s appearance. Faye said Michael’s behavior on the day of the conference was a little strange, but not unusual.
Karen Faye revealed that she had recently found a number of text messages on her phone that helped refresh her memory about the process of preparing for the new TII tour and to remember the dates of some events more accurately. Her statement surprised Marvin Putnam. Karen said she had provided these text messages to Catherine Jackson’s attorneys today. Faye said these messages relate to a few days before Michael’s death. Karen Faye, while struggling to remember, came across an old mobile phone that she hadn’t thought she still had. The text messages were pulled out from inside that same phone. Faye looked at those messages to better recall the dates of the events.
Faye explained: “You keep asking me for dates. I’m trying to remember. I was trying to refresh my memories.”
Putnam asked Faye whether she had found anything else. Faye replied with a jab: “I was opening my drawers looking for a few sexy things for my boyfriend and for myself.” Faye’s joke didn’t sit well with Putnam. He asked Karen whether, in her view, the legal process was funny. Faye answered: “No, sir. I’m not thinking that at all.”
Faye then said she had been worried about the short time between the concerts: “I thought the planning for him was too packed.”
She had seen the concert schedule on the website. She had raised her concern with Michael and Kenny Ortega, the tour director. Faye said she didn’t remember there being a three-month break in the tour. She said Michael might have been able to handle the first week of the tour, but then he would run into problems.
Putnam: “You were seeing MJ for the first time after four years, and you realized the tour would be a problem for him?”
Faye: “I said it probably could be a problem. I didn’t say it was definitely going to be.”
Putnam showed Faye the tour calendar, and the witness said she hadn’t seen it. Karen Faye said she had always protected Michael and his interests.
“When I felt there might be a problem, I spoke up. I think he wasn’t aware of the planning.”
Karen had told Michael she thought it was better for him to go and look over the tour planning. Michael had responded: “How funny—my mother said the same thing.” Karen says based on this conversation she believes Michael wasn’t aware of the tour planning and only knew that he would be doing 50 concerts.
“I just wanted to make sure he knew the tour schedule and that he didn’t have a problem with it.”
Putnam asked whether the way the tour was being planned for Michael was dangerous. Faye said she doesn’t use that word, but that it wasn’t the best possible planning. Karen said Michael needed more time to rehearse and prepare.
Putnam showed Karen an email Ortega had sent to Paul Gongwer, the AEG manager. Ortega had written that Karen Faye had expressed concern about the tour planning. In that email, Ortega used the word “dangerous.” Karen said those were Ortega’s words, and she had never said the plan would be dangerous for Michael.
Karen Faye worked with a wig maker, and then both of them went to Michael’s home in Carol Wood to meet him. She needed money to work on Michael’s wig, and she was told to speak with Dr. Tamey, Michael’s scheduling manager.
Faye, while admitting that Michael didn’t want anyone to know he used a wig, said she used five pieces of artificial hair to style Michael’s hair, and each piece cost $3,500. The process of preparing his hair took a lot of time. Faye said Michael was a private person and didn’t want anyone to see his wig or find out he used it. She said she had requested that the purchase of the wig be kept as discreet as possible.
Faye: “He had been burned years ago. His scalp was damaged. He had first-, second-, and third-degree burns.”
*(Michael caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial video due to technical mistakes. Pepsi paid him $1.5 million in damages, and Michael used all of it to set up a burn treatment center at the Brotman Hospital.)*
Karen Faye said that Botox injections prevent sweating of the skin, and she thought that if Michael injected Botox into his scalp, it would prevent sweating and damage to the artificial hair and keep it from coming loose. Faye bought finasteride and Latis under her own name. Finasteride is a medication used to treat male pattern hair loss, and Faye needed to preserve Michael’s healthy hair. One of Michael’s assistants sometimes gave him skin creams to provide to Michael.
Putnam then asked about Grace Rwamaba and her role during the 2005 trial. Karen Faye said she believed that in Grace’s absence from Neverland, Michael had a better time, and she implied that Grace was accused of jealousy toward her.
“When I first saw Grace, I really liked her—I loved her. I was happy that Michael used her as a babysitter. When her responsibilities increased, she would stop me from doing things. It seemed like she was always trying to keep me away from Michael. When she was at Neverland, Michael had a harder time.”
Faye continued, referring to the 2005 trial: “I realized Michael was getting severe backaches and losing weight, and one day he wore pajamas.” Michael had gone to court in pajamas because of his back pain, which caused quite a stir. On that day, Michael first went to the hospital, and they injected him with pain medication. The judge warned Michael that if he didn’t show up in court, he would be sent to jail. So Michael had to go to court in the same pajamas he was wearing. He couldn’t appear late, because if he did, he would end up in jail.
Putnam asked Faye whether she thought she had been hired by AEG. Karen said she worked for the tour and the tour production team. Faye said that someone named Taona Zielki handled the supervision of her business and commercial work. She paid Faye for this service. Faye also said that until the contract was signed, AEG didn’t pay her a salary.
Karen Faye said Ortega requested that Michael remove his sunglasses. They gave this instruction to Karen, but they didn’t directly interfere with Michael’s hair and face makeup.
Putnam asked Faye whether they had investigated her background before accepting her to work on the tour. Karen Faye, who had worked with Michael for 27 years, burst into loud laughter and told the attorney: “You’re very funny.” She explained that no investigation had been done into her. Putnam wanted to know whether any review had been done of her financial situation. Catherine Jackson’s attorney objected, saying that the witness had been exposed in private, and the judge upheld the objection.
Putnam asked Faye what she had been doing during the months of April and May 2009 to prepare for the tour. Faye said she attended tour production meetings at the Eiting Center Hall.
Karen Faye worked in a room on the lower floor of Carol Wood and never went up to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. Faye didn’t remember how many times per week she met Michael from March to June 2009. She said that during the first round of rehearsals, Michael looked good.
“Compared to before, he had changed a bit. I can’t say he was exactly like his old self.”
The rehearsals were dry, and Karen said they tired her out. She was also concerned about Michael being thin and not gaining weight. She even told Michael’s old cook, who had a restaurant nearby, to bring food for Michael.
Regarding the June performances, Faye said: “He wasn’t 29-year-old MJ, but he performed Billie Jean. He was MJ, and everyone was excited.”
Faye said she had asked Michael’s security officer whether he planned to go to Dr. Arnold Klein’s office. She says she was alert to the involvement of doctors. Putnam asked why she had specifically asked about Klein. Faye said because it was said in the news that Michael had gone to his office. Faye said she had asked Michael’s security officer how often Michael went to Klein. Michael’s security officer told her that Michael went to Klein’s office every three or four days. This worried Karen and brought back memories of the days in the past when doctors interfered in Michael’s life. Karen discussed her concern with Frank Delio, who became Michael’s manager after Tamey, but she never had a conversation with Michael about it.
Faye said she was also worried about Michael’s mental state. She learned about Dr. Murray’s presence a week before Michael’s death and spoke with Ortega about him, warning that Murray wasn’t a psychologist but that Michael’s mental state was concerning. She hadn’t discussed Klein with Ortega.
Karen Faye said that regarding the fitting session that was said to be the one in which Michael looked very thin, when they tried the clothes on Michael for the fitting, he wasn’t willing.
Putnam asked whether she had ever seen company managers—Phillips and Gongwer—tell someone to bring MJ out on stage for rehearsal. Faye said she didn’t spend much time with Phillips and didn’t remember hearing such a thing from them. Marvin Putnam asked Faye whether Phillips ever told her to bring Michael on stage or not to listen to her. Faye said no, but she added:
“He told me he wanted to build a wall around Michael so that he wouldn’t do anything other than rehearsals.”
The memory of June 19 was repeated regularly in this trial. The day when Michael’s condition was so bad that Kenny Ortega didn’t allow him to go on stage. Karen said she was very worried about Michael’s health that day.
“I was very, very terrified.”
She called Michael’s head of security, Alberto Alvarez, and asked him to watch Michael very closely. Alvarez didn’t want to continue talking with Faye and hung up.
On June 22, three days before Michael’s death, Faye went to Carol Wood’s house to put the artificial hair on Michael. She waited for a few hours, and then she was told to leave because Michael didn’t want to do that. Faye said she didn’t have time to talk with anyone and didn’t want to ask Michael’s children anything.
June 23 was their first day at the Staples Center. On that day, several sessions were held. She was left alone with Michael in some situations. She didn’t remember the details of the conversations, but she said she probably had only asked about Michael’s condition.
In response to Putnam’s question about whether Michael put on a good performance on June 23, she said he had improved a lot. She said the same about Michael’s performance on June 24—his final performance. She said she had hoped Michael would be laughing and participating. She still felt cold, but he was in good spirits. However, Faye said Michael still wasn’t ready for the tour; the shows they were working on required a lot of physical strength and energy. Michael hadn’t gained any weight, and maybe if they could have delayed the tour a bit, they might have been able to prepare Michael. Faye explained that Michael’s weight didn’t worry her for his everyday life, but it became a problem for performances.
Putnam: “Did you testify that his weight while he was working was 120 pounds (54 kilograms)?”
Faye: “Lisa Marie Presley told me that. Lisa Marie Presley and I became friends, and she said Michael wanted to weigh 120 pounds.”
Putnam: “Did you say that MJ had lost 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) during the last week of his life?”
Faye: “That was an estimate, yes.”
Putnam: “Did you witness Mr. Jackson getting thinner and thinner?”
Faye: “Yes.”
Karen Faye said that in the months of March or April she had spoken to her about her concern that Michael was losing a little weight, but in the last weeks they didn’t talk about it.
“Michael wasn’t talking in a way that was coherent enough that you could have a conversation with him that week.”
Faye said that people who didn’t know Michael well wouldn’t realize he had lost a lot of weight because he wore several layers of clothing.
Putnam pointed out that according to Michael’s forensic medical report, he weighed 136 pounds (61.6 kilograms) at the time of his death. Faye said she thought it was impossible for Michael to have had that weight because “he had lost a lot of weight and was still losing weight.” She also accepted that 136 pounds was a good weight for Michael.
Faye said she was upset that in June 2009 no one cared about her concerns. She said she had never asked anyone from Michael’s side whether he was doing well or not, because she thought Michael wasn’t in the right mental state to answer that question. She hadn’t spoken with Michael’s family members either.
Putnam asked whether she and Michael knew each other well. Faye said she thought so.
She said Michael trusted doctors and believed that whatever they prescribed would be good. Faye said she first heard the name Propofol after Michael’s death, and she was very surprised.
Karen said Michael wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer. She said that sometimes it seemed like Michael was convincing himself not to say “no” about the London tour—like he was talking to himself to get himself to agree to do the tour.
Putnam: “In the last week, you didn’t know what was going on?”
Faye: “That’s right.”
Putnam: “Do you think MJ was harming himself?”
Faye: “I didn’t know what was going on.”
Faye said that when she saw Michael in May, he was thin but strong and spoke clearly. That situation was different in June. In an email dated June 20, 2009 to Frank Delio, she had warned him about the possible death of Michael and said that if that happened, Delio, Ortega, and Randy Phillips would be financially and reputationally ruined. She said she had sent Delio what one of Michael’s fan girls had said about her concern regarding Michael’s weight loss. In the email, Faye wrote: “Frank, unfortunately the girl is right. I’m afraid he’ll make himself sick enough to die. If he doesn’t do this concert, he has nowhere to go.” On June 22, she sent another email from fans to Delio, saying that Michael had become extremely thin. In the email to Delio, she wrote: “It’s like Michael is preparing to be a sacrifice. He’s hurting himself more than anyone else. He’s too thin—his bones are showing. I see him up close every day. His obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is getting worse. He keeps repeating his actions and constantly mutters incoherent things under his breath.”
Putnam asked Faye what she meant by “hurting himself more than anyone else.” Faye said: “He’s dead!” Faye then said that in those two emails she had used a grim tone, and she was very discouraged and desperate because she felt her voice wasn’t being heard. She testified that she thought the best way would be to use a psychologist to help Michael.
Faye’s final warning to Delio: “This is between you and me. I’m handing everything over to you, just like you wanted.”
Karen Faye received no response from Delio—or from anyone else.
The next email from Faye was sent on July 1, a few days after Michael’s death, to Randy Phillips. In it, she expressed concern about seeing images of Michael wrapped in a blanket and walking slowly. Phillips replied: “We’re reviewing all the images, and everything is sealed at the Staples Center.”
It was destined that those images would be seen. In the 7th court session, surveillance footage was shown in which Michael walks through the arena wrapped in a blanket.
Download.
After Putnam, Brian Panish began questioning Karen Faye.
Panish: “Did you see that on June 16 Michael wasn’t able to read and dance?”
Faye: “Yes, sir.”
Panish: “On that day, did you think Michael needed medical care?”
Faye: “Absolutely.”
Faye confirmed this statement with Panish, (Hagdal) the tour director, who had written in an email that Michael was getting worse day by day in front of everyone.
Faye: “On June 19 he wasn’t in good physical condition.”
Faye said her work contract was handled by AEG. Dr. Murray’s doctor fee for Michael was set at $150,000. Panish asked Faye whether her own pay was also $150,000. She denied it.
Panish asked Faye whether when she became a hairdresser she had remembered the Hippocratic oath (for doctors). The answer was obviously no.
The company’s attorney, in session 31, had asked David Berman, one of the music industry executives, whether Karen Faye could cause damage to MJ’s facial skin. Berman had answered that anyone could damage MJ. He also evaluated the hiring of Dr. Murray by the company as inappropriate, but said he didn’t see any problem with hiring Karen Faye.
In court, Panish asked Faye whether anyone had died after being made up. Faye: “I’ve never burned anyone with a hot iron, sir.”
Faye said that on June 18 Michael arrived late to the rehearsal session, and Kenny Ortega was angry about it. On that day, Michael couldn’t speak or move; he was indifferent and terrified to the point of death. Faye testified that in the two weeks leading up to his death, Michael was terrified, suspicious, and under pressure.
Karen Faye handled the arrangements for Michael’s wake and burial after his death. She had spoken with the funeral director about Michael’s weight. Panish asked whether Michael’s appearance had gotten worse compared to June 19. Faye simply said: “He was dead, sir!”
Source: eMJey.com / ABC7 & CNN & AP
On this day, Karen Faye—the makeup artist for Michael—returned to the witness stand, and questions from Marvin Putnam, the attorney for the company, were put to her.
You read her prior testimony in this trial on this page. Putnam noted that seven weeks had passed since Karen Faye first appeared in court. He then asked whether she had reviewed her testimony from the previous session. She said no, but that she had reviewed the text of her interrogation, which had taken place over four or five days, and that she had also spoken with the complainants in the case.
Putnam asked about Faye’s relationship with Michael after the 2005 trial. Karen Faye said that during the trial she prepared Michael every day to go out, but after the last day of the trial—after Michael was acquitted—she had not spoken with him. Michael then left the United States for Bahrain.
Putnam: “Were you upset that you were by his side every day, yet on the last day he left without saying goodbye?”
Faye: “No, sir. It didn’t upset me. He had been through a very, very terrifying ordeal, and I was there with him. Anything he could have done to improve things didn’t bother me. I understood that he wanted to go.”
Faye said that after that, Michael never returned to his home in Neverland, and neither did she. When Michael returned to the country, Faye didn’t speak with him. After that, they spoke with each other every few months. In 2008 she had no meeting with Michael at the rented house of Carol Wood, and until April 2009 she hadn’t seen him. She learned about Michael’s new tour through the news—this one called This Is It. She wasn’t surprised because Michael had told her he had plans. The news that the tour would take place was announced by Michael on March 5, and in mid-March his assistant, Michael Amir Williams, called Faye to ask her to come work. Before that, Michael had always personally called Karen, but Faye said it wasn’t strange that Michael’s assistant was calling her. Williams didn’t give her much information and told her that Michael would call her from a blocked number. Williams had said: “Be sure to answer. It’s about the tour.”
Michael called, and they had a happy, gentle conversation. Michael, who loved using nicknames, called Karen “Turkle.” Michael told Faye: “Work with me, Turkle. Work with me, Turkle.” They laughed. Faye told Michael she was excited about his return to the stage. Michael told Karen that at first he was supposed to do 10 concerts, but he fell asleep one night and when he woke up in the morning he found that 50 concerts had been arranged for him. Faye says Michael was a bit discouraged by that number of concerts. Karen told Michael that in order to prepare him for the tour, she needed to work on his hair.
Karen said she didn’t remember whether she had watched Michael’s London press conference live, during which Michael announced the tour. She said that the wig Michael wore that day was very big. (Due to burns on his scalp in the mid-1980s, Michael had lost part of his hair.) Karen said that because of her job as a hairdresser, she pays a lot of attention to people’s appearance. Faye said Michael’s behavior on the day of the conference was a little strange, but not unusual.
Karen Faye revealed that she had recently found a number of text messages on her phone that helped refresh her memory about the process of preparing for the new TII tour and to remember the dates of some events more accurately. Her statement surprised Marvin Putnam. Karen said she had provided these text messages to Catherine Jackson’s attorneys today. Faye said these messages relate to a few days before Michael’s death. Karen Faye, while struggling to remember, came across an old mobile phone that she hadn’t thought she still had. The text messages were pulled out from inside that same phone. Faye looked at those messages to better recall the dates of the events.
Faye explained: “You keep asking me for dates. I’m trying to remember. I was trying to refresh my memories.”
Putnam asked Faye whether she had found anything else. Faye replied with a jab: “I was opening my drawers looking for a few sexy things for my boyfriend and for myself.” Faye’s joke didn’t sit well with Putnam. He asked Karen whether, in her view, the legal process was funny. Faye answered: “No, sir. I’m not thinking that at all.”
Faye then said she had been worried about the short time between the concerts: “I thought the planning for him was too packed.”
She had seen the concert schedule on the website. She had raised her concern with Michael and Kenny Ortega, the tour director. Faye said she didn’t remember there being a three-month break in the tour. She said Michael might have been able to handle the first week of the tour, but then he would run into problems.
Putnam: “You were seeing MJ for the first time after four years, and you realized the tour would be a problem for him?”
Faye: “I said it probably could be a problem. I didn’t say it was definitely going to be.”
Putnam showed Faye the tour calendar, and the witness said she hadn’t seen it. Karen Faye said she had always protected Michael and his interests.
“When I felt there might be a problem, I spoke up. I think he wasn’t aware of the planning.”
Karen had told Michael she thought it was better for him to go and look over the tour planning. Michael had responded: “How funny—my mother said the same thing.” Karen says based on this conversation she believes Michael wasn’t aware of the tour planning and only knew that he would be doing 50 concerts.
“I just wanted to make sure he knew the tour schedule and that he didn’t have a problem with it.”
Putnam asked whether the way the tour was being planned for Michael was dangerous. Faye said she doesn’t use that word, but that it wasn’t the best possible planning. Karen said Michael needed more time to rehearse and prepare.
Putnam showed Karen an email Ortega had sent to Paul Gongwer, the AEG manager. Ortega had written that Karen Faye had expressed concern about the tour planning. In that email, Ortega used the word “dangerous.” Karen said those were Ortega’s words, and she had never said the plan would be dangerous for Michael.
Karen Faye worked with a wig maker, and then both of them went to Michael’s home in Carol Wood to meet him. She needed money to work on Michael’s wig, and she was told to speak with Dr. Tamey, Michael’s scheduling manager.
Faye, while admitting that Michael didn’t want anyone to know he used a wig, said she used five pieces of artificial hair to style Michael’s hair, and each piece cost $3,500. The process of preparing his hair took a lot of time. Faye said Michael was a private person and didn’t want anyone to see his wig or find out he used it. She said she had requested that the purchase of the wig be kept as discreet as possible.
Faye: “He had been burned years ago. His scalp was damaged. He had first-, second-, and third-degree burns.”
*(Michael caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial video due to technical mistakes. Pepsi paid him $1.5 million in damages, and Michael used all of it to set up a burn treatment center at the Brotman Hospital.)*
Karen Faye said that Botox injections prevent sweating of the skin, and she thought that if Michael injected Botox into his scalp, it would prevent sweating and damage to the artificial hair and keep it from coming loose. Faye bought finasteride and Latis under her own name. Finasteride is a medication used to treat male pattern hair loss, and Faye needed to preserve Michael’s healthy hair. One of Michael’s assistants sometimes gave him skin creams to provide to Michael.
Putnam then asked about Grace Rwamaba and her role during the 2005 trial. Karen Faye said she believed that in Grace’s absence from Neverland, Michael had a better time, and she implied that Grace was accused of jealousy toward her.
“When I first saw Grace, I really liked her—I loved her. I was happy that Michael used her as a babysitter. When her responsibilities increased, she would stop me from doing things. It seemed like she was always trying to keep me away from Michael. When she was at Neverland, Michael had a harder time.”
Faye continued, referring to the 2005 trial: “I realized Michael was getting severe backaches and losing weight, and one day he wore pajamas.” Michael had gone to court in pajamas because of his back pain, which caused quite a stir. On that day, Michael first went to the hospital, and they injected him with pain medication. The judge warned Michael that if he didn’t show up in court, he would be sent to jail. So Michael had to go to court in the same pajamas he was wearing. He couldn’t appear late, because if he did, he would end up in jail.
Putnam asked Faye whether she thought she had been hired by AEG. Karen said she worked for the tour and the tour production team. Faye said that someone named Taona Zielki handled the supervision of her business and commercial work. She paid Faye for this service. Faye also said that until the contract was signed, AEG didn’t pay her a salary.
Karen Faye said Ortega requested that Michael remove his sunglasses. They gave this instruction to Karen, but they didn’t directly interfere with Michael’s hair and face makeup.
Putnam asked Faye whether they had investigated her background before accepting her to work on the tour. Karen Faye, who had worked with Michael for 27 years, burst into loud laughter and told the attorney: “You’re very funny.” She explained that no investigation had been done into her. Putnam wanted to know whether any review had been done of her financial situation. Catherine Jackson’s attorney objected, saying that the witness had been exposed in private, and the judge upheld the objection.
Putnam asked Faye what she had been doing during the months of April and May 2009 to prepare for the tour. Faye said she attended tour production meetings at the Eiting Center Hall.
Karen Faye worked in a room on the lower floor of Carol Wood and never went up to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. Faye didn’t remember how many times per week she met Michael from March to June 2009. She said that during the first round of rehearsals, Michael looked good.
“Compared to before, he had changed a bit. I can’t say he was exactly like his old self.”
The rehearsals were dry, and Karen said they tired her out. She was also concerned about Michael being thin and not gaining weight. She even told Michael’s old cook, who had a restaurant nearby, to bring food for Michael.
Regarding the June performances, Faye said: “He wasn’t 29-year-old MJ, but he performed Billie Jean. He was MJ, and everyone was excited.”
Faye said she had asked Michael’s security officer whether he planned to go to Dr. Arnold Klein’s office. She says she was alert to the involvement of doctors. Putnam asked why she had specifically asked about Klein. Faye said because it was said in the news that Michael had gone to his office. Faye said she had asked Michael’s security officer how often Michael went to Klein. Michael’s security officer told her that Michael went to Klein’s office every three or four days. This worried Karen and brought back memories of the days in the past when doctors interfered in Michael’s life. Karen discussed her concern with Frank Delio, who became Michael’s manager after Tamey, but she never had a conversation with Michael about it.
Faye said she was also worried about Michael’s mental state. She learned about Dr. Murray’s presence a week before Michael’s death and spoke with Ortega about him, warning that Murray wasn’t a psychologist but that Michael’s mental state was concerning. She hadn’t discussed Klein with Ortega.
Karen Faye said that regarding the fitting session that was said to be the one in which Michael looked very thin, when they tried the clothes on Michael for the fitting, he wasn’t willing.
Putnam asked whether she had ever seen company managers—Phillips and Gongwer—tell someone to bring MJ out on stage for rehearsal. Faye said she didn’t spend much time with Phillips and didn’t remember hearing such a thing from them. Marvin Putnam asked Faye whether Phillips ever told her to bring Michael on stage or not to listen to her. Faye said no, but she added:
“He told me he wanted to build a wall around Michael so that he wouldn’t do anything other than rehearsals.”
The memory of June 19 was repeated regularly in this trial. The day when Michael’s condition was so bad that Kenny Ortega didn’t allow him to go on stage. Karen said she was very worried about Michael’s health that day.
“I was very, very terrified.”
She called Michael’s head of security, Alberto Alvarez, and asked him to watch Michael very closely. Alvarez didn’t want to continue talking with Faye and hung up.
On June 22, three days before Michael’s death, Faye went to Carol Wood’s house to put the artificial hair on Michael. She waited for a few hours, and then she was told to leave because Michael didn’t want to do that. Faye said she didn’t have time to talk with anyone and didn’t want to ask Michael’s children anything.
June 23 was their first day at the Staples Center. On that day, several sessions were held. She was left alone with Michael in some situations. She didn’t remember the details of the conversations, but she said she probably had only asked about Michael’s condition.
In response to Putnam’s question about whether Michael put on a good performance on June 23, she said he had improved a lot. She said the same about Michael’s performance on June 24—his final performance. She said she had hoped Michael would be laughing and participating. She still felt cold, but he was in good spirits. However, Faye said Michael still wasn’t ready for the tour; the shows they were working on required a lot of physical strength and energy. Michael hadn’t gained any weight, and maybe if they could have delayed the tour a bit, they might have been able to prepare Michael. Faye explained that Michael’s weight didn’t worry her for his everyday life, but it became a problem for performances.
Putnam: “Did you testify that his weight while he was working was 120 pounds (54 kilograms)?”
Faye: “Lisa Marie Presley told me that. Lisa Marie Presley and I became friends, and she said Michael wanted to weigh 120 pounds.”
Putnam: “Did you say that MJ had lost 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) during the last week of his life?”
Faye: “That was an estimate, yes.”
Putnam: “Did you witness Mr. Jackson getting thinner and thinner?”
Faye: “Yes.”
Karen Faye said that in the months of March or April she had spoken to her about her concern that Michael was losing a little weight, but in the last weeks they didn’t talk about it.
“Michael wasn’t talking in a way that was coherent enough that you could have a conversation with him that week.”
Faye said that people who didn’t know Michael well wouldn’t realize he had lost a lot of weight because he wore several layers of clothing.
Putnam pointed out that according to Michael’s forensic medical report, he weighed 136 pounds (61.6 kilograms) at the time of his death. Faye said she thought it was impossible for Michael to have had that weight because “he had lost a lot of weight and was still losing weight.” She also accepted that 136 pounds was a good weight for Michael.
Faye said she was upset that in June 2009 no one cared about her concerns. She said she had never asked anyone from Michael’s side whether he was doing well or not, because she thought Michael wasn’t in the right mental state to answer that question. She hadn’t spoken with Michael’s family members either.
Putnam asked whether she and Michael knew each other well. Faye said she thought so.
She said Michael trusted doctors and believed that whatever they prescribed would be good. Faye said she first heard the name Propofol after Michael’s death, and she was very surprised.
Karen said Michael wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer. She said that sometimes it seemed like Michael was convincing himself not to say “no” about the London tour—like he was talking to himself to get himself to agree to do the tour.
Putnam: “In the last week, you didn’t know what was going on?”
Faye: “That’s right.”
Putnam: “Do you think MJ was harming himself?”
Faye: “I didn’t know what was going on.”
Faye said that when she saw Michael in May, he was thin but strong and spoke clearly. That situation was different in June. In an email dated June 20, 2009 to Frank Delio, she had warned him about the possible death of Michael and said that if that happened, Delio, Ortega, and Randy Phillips would be financially and reputationally ruined. She said she had sent Delio what one of Michael’s fan girls had said about her concern regarding Michael’s weight loss. In the email, Faye wrote: “Frank, unfortunately the girl is right. I’m afraid he’ll make himself sick enough to die. If he doesn’t do this concert, he has nowhere to go.” On June 22, she sent another email from fans to Delio, saying that Michael had become extremely thin. In the email to Delio, she wrote: “It’s like Michael is preparing to be a sacrifice. He’s hurting himself more than anyone else. He’s too thin—his bones are showing. I see him up close every day. His obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is getting worse. He keeps repeating his actions and constantly mutters incoherent things under his breath.”
Putnam asked Faye what she meant by “hurting himself more than anyone else.” Faye said: “He’s dead!” Faye then said that in those two emails she had used a grim tone, and she was very discouraged and desperate because she felt her voice wasn’t being heard. She testified that she thought the best way would be to use a psychologist to help Michael.
Faye’s final warning to Delio: “This is between you and me. I’m handing everything over to you, just like you wanted.”
Karen Faye received no response from Delio—or from anyone else.
The next email from Faye was sent on July 1, a few days after Michael’s death, to Randy Phillips. In it, she expressed concern about seeing images of Michael wrapped in a blanket and walking slowly. Phillips replied: “We’re reviewing all the images, and everything is sealed at the Staples Center.”
It was destined that those images would be seen. In the 7th court session, surveillance footage was shown in which Michael walks through the arena wrapped in a blanket. Download.
After Putnam, Brian Panish began questioning Karen Faye.
Panish: “Did you see that on June 16 Michael wasn’t able to read and dance?”
Faye: “Yes, sir.”
Panish: “On that day, did you think Michael needed medical care?”
Faye: “Absolutely.”
Faye confirmed this statement with Panish, (Hagdal) the tour director, who had written in an email that Michael was getting worse day by day in front of everyone.
Faye: “On June 19 he wasn’t in good physical condition.”
Faye said her work contract was handled by AEG. Dr. Murray’s doctor fee for Michael was set at $150,000. Panish asked Faye whether her own pay was also $150,000. She denied it.
Panish asked Faye whether when she became a hairdresser she had remembered the Hippocratic oath (for doctors). The answer was obviously no.
The company’s attorney, in session 31, had asked David Berman, one of the music industry executives, whether Karen Faye could cause damage to MJ’s facial skin. Berman had answered that anyone could damage MJ. He also evaluated the hiring of Dr. Murray by the company as inappropriate, but said he didn’t see any problem with hiring Karen Faye.
In court, Panish asked Faye whether anyone had died after being made up. Faye: “I’ve never burned anyone with a hot iron, sir.”
Faye said that on June 18 Michael arrived late to the rehearsal session, and Kenny Ortega was angry about it. On that day, Michael couldn’t speak or move; he was indifferent and terrified to the point of death. Faye testified that in the two weeks leading up to his death, Michael was terrified, suspicious, and under pressure.
Karen Faye handled the arrangements for Michael’s wake and burial after his death. She had spoken with the funeral director about Michael’s weight. Panish asked whether Michael’s appearance had gotten worse compared to June 19. Faye simply said: “He was dead, sir!”
Source: eMJey.com / ABC7 & CNN & AP