Michael Jackson and AEG Company: The Missing Truth
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The court handling Catherine Jackson’s lawsuit against the AEG company will begin its work today in the presence of a jury. In 2009, AEG signed a contract with Michael Jackson for the This Is It tour in London. The tour was canceled after Michael’s death. Dr. Conrad Murray, who caused Michael’s death by administering an excessive dose of the anesthetic propofol, ended up in prison, and Michael’s mother also filed a complaint against the company in court. Her lawsuit included several charges against the company, but the judge found only one of them defensible.
Michael Jackson’s death and his last days are still full of unanswered questions, which have led to various fan reactions regarding the mother’s lawsuit against AEG. In the following, we intend to review the events of Michael Jackson’s final days, as well as his mother Catherine’s lawsuit against the company, and the rumors and cover-ups that have been seen in the media these days.
This Is It Tour and the Increase in the Number of Concerts
On March 5, 2009, at the O2 Arena in London, Michael announced that he would perform 10 concerts. (News) Later, that number increased to 50.
At the same time, some fans who had met Michael during his comings and goings to the rehearsal venue or on the street back then spread a rumor that Michael had personally told them that the decision to perform 50 concerts was not his, and that he had only agreed to 10 concerts in London. But when he woke up in the morning, he saw in the news that 40 more concerts had been added to the scheduled number. Apparently, Michael had told them:
"I don’t know how I’m supposed to do these 50 concerts. I don’t eat that much. I need to gain weight. I only wanted to do 10 concerts and then go around the world for the tour. I went to bed knowing that the tickets for the 10 concerts had been sold. And when I woke up in the morning, I heard in the news that 50 concerts were booked."
Contrary to what these people said, Randy Phillips, the CEO of the company, announced that Michael Jackson himself had wanted to perform that many concerts. "That’s not true. Michael was very excited that he had been able to set the record for 50 concerts. Michael was involved in everything from the beginning. He has not agreed to a world tour so far, although whenever he wants, we’ll be ready."
After Michael’s death, Frank Dileo said the following about the matter:
"Michael was aware from the beginning of how many concerts he was supposed to perform. I read the contract. I knew the minimum and maximum number of concerts that had to be performed. Three lawyers had read this contract to Michael. Michael wanted to break the ‘Prince’ record and have his name registered in the Guinness World Records. He chose the 50 concerts himself. There were enough applicants to sell tickets for 85 concerts, but he chose 50. That’s what he wanted, and that’s what happened. The schedule Dr. Tamey had planned was to perform 3 or 4 concerts a week. I was moving the dates around so the concert schedule would suit Michael’s taste. It’s upsetting that so much false news is going around. His family didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t see Michael every day like I did. Some of them talk about things that I don’t think they have enough information about. These statements are just driven by excitement and emotions. They need to face the facts and decide." (News)
The important point is that these discussions appeared in June, even though the number of concerts had increased three months earlier, in March. What caused this long delay?
Also, some fans say that Michael was unhappy with how the company sold the tickets. They claim that Michael learned through them that the company had sold the best seats in the arena at an exorbitant price—prices that his loyal fans probably couldn’t afford. Michael also didn’t know that the front rows were covered with seats, and that some people—who were probably not his best fans—were going to sit and watch his performance. Previously, the front rows at Michael’s concerts went to fans who had spent the night outside the arena. This ensured that the most loyal fans were placed in the front lines, and this process was disrupted in This Is It.
One fan writes about a conversation he had with Michael on May 29:
"Michael invited me and nine other people into the studio and said: ‘I love you, I love you, I love you. I wanted to tell you that I had no idea the audience was following the concert while seated. I didn’t know that, and now I intend to do something to change it. They made this decision without my consent. They did it for reasons that are obvious.
We told him: For more money, we know—this isn’t your fault.
Michael: They also planned the concerts incorrectly. I will do my best in these shows, but I’m alone.
We said: Michael, please don’t put pressure on yourself—your health is more important than anything. You don’t have to do all these 50 concerts. Cancel them. Don’t let them force you. Do what you want. The person we love is you.
Michael: Thank you. You’re very lovable. God bless you. I also wanted to apologize for closing the windows during rehearsal—because of security issues. I know you’re waiting for me, and I love all of you. Thank you for your love and loyalty.
He locked his hands together, bowed his head to us, and stood there in silence for a few seconds. We could feel his energy flowing toward us and filling the entire room.
Unfortunately, one of the people betrayed Michael and sold his words to a British newspaper. When Michael’s statements were published, the company issued a statement to refute all the claims."
As you read above, some fans believe Michael was unaware of the increase in the number of concerts. But on the other hand, it’s important to note that the increase didn’t happen suddenly.
One day after Michael’s O2 press conference, Rob Hall, one of the company’s executives, said that it was true that 10 concerts had been announced, but perhaps the number would increase to 20 to 25 performances. (News) Randy Phillips also said that the London concerts were the start of a world tour and that they had planned a three-year program for Michael. (News) It was also announced that ticket prices would be £50, £65, and £70.
Only two days after Michael’s press conference, it was announced that one million people had registered to get tickets for Michael Jackson’s 10 concerts. The official ticket-buying website crashed due to the crowd; otherwise, the number of registered requests would certainly have been even higher. Thousands of people from faraway countries such as Australia registered for tickets. In just 48 hours, the number of people who registered from France alone completely filled the O2 Arena. (News)
At the same time, in response to rumors about Michael being ill, the company announced that in a fitness test carried out by an independent doctor, he had achieved an excellent score and there was no reason to worry about his ability to perform the concerts.
(News) Six days after Michael’s press conference, it was announced that the number of concerts had increased to 30 (News) and that Michael had agreed to increase the number of concerts again.
(News) At 7:00 a.m. on March 11, ticket pre-sales began online, and Michael—breaking records—sold tickets for 45 concerts within 18 hours. News then came that five more concerts had been added, and that all of their tickets, plus part of the tickets for other Michael Jackson concerts that had not yet gone on pre-sale, would be available at the box office in London on March 13. (News) The remaining tickets, according to the schedule, disappeared into thin air within moments on March 13. (News)
At the same time, it was reported that a black market for tickets had formed on Viagogo, and some people were selling their tickets at inflated prices. VIP tickets were also available. (News) After the black market was created, a court judge ordered Viagogo to stop this process. (News) The ticket-selling process made many fans angry, and they set up a website to make their protests heard by the company. (News)
At the same time, in an interview, Randy Phillips said that when he learned about the unprecedented demand for Michael’s first 10 concerts, he called Michael to tell him that to cover this very high demand, they needed to increase the number of concerts. Very quickly, the number of concerts reached 30, and when another 20 concerts were added, he called Michael again—who was stunned—and Michael burst into tears when he heard that all the tickets had sold. Phillips said that even if Michael stayed in Britain for two years and performed, he still wouldn’t be able to satisfy all the demand. He estimated that Michael could earn between $50 and $100 million from these concerts, and if he did a world tour, that figure could reach $500 million. (News)
A Second Fitness Test Request
When the number of concerts increased, the insurance company demanded that, to ensure Michael’s health, the fitness test previously taken from him be repeated. Lloyds London had insured only the first 10 concerts. The first fitness test was done in February, and by March 15, the legal insurance procedures for them had been completed. But when the number of concerts increased to 50, the company had trouble finding an insurer, and it spread in the media that the company might be forced to insure the remaining concerts itself. This fitness test was supposed to take place on June 26. A day before that, Michael passed away.
Some believe the company had put Murray in a tight spot so that, no matter what, Michael would be prepared for this fitness test. If Michael didn’t get enough sleep, his chances of succeeding in the fitness test would decrease, and the insurance contract would face problems. Does this theory contradict Murray’s statements, in which he claims that on the night of Michael’s death, Michael begged him for sleeping medication? What if the situation is the opposite? If Murray had been hired by the company, as Catherine Jackson claims, to prepare Michael for the tour no matter what, then perhaps he was also following the same duty on the night of Michael’s death. Catherine believes the company was aware of Conrad Murray’s treatment method. Could the use of propofol on the night of Michael’s death have been carried out on the company’s orders?
Dome Project
From June 1 to June 11, Michael went to a studio in Culver City to complete his big project (Dome Project), which was actually the recording of seven videos to be shown during the This Is It concerts.
These videos were: 1) Smooth Criminal, in which Michael would play alongside stars from the past Golden Age of Hollywood using cinematic techniques. 2) 3D Thriller, which began with a haunted house and a ghostly image of Vincent Price (the narrator of the Thriller song), and then continued in a cemetery where the dead rise from their graves. 3) 3D Earth Song, featuring a little girl who walks in the forest, falls asleep, and after waking up finds the forest destroyed. 4) They Don’t Care About Us—also known as Drill—which was a naval military march of soldiers. In fact, this sea included 10 dancers, including Michael, whose images were repeated together using advanced techniques. 5) MJ Air, a 3D film in which a 707 jet was used. The jet attacked from behind the stage and created a hole. Michael appeared on stage from inside that hole. 6) The Final Message, a 3D film featuring a little girl holding Earth Song’s singer as she embraces the planet. 7) The Way You Make Me Feel, a film shown in the background during the performance of this song, where the dancers appeared as workers from past decades on the metal skeleton of a building.
At the same time, crazy rumors spread in the media claiming that Michael didn’t show up for rehearsal meetings out of laziness and fear. The company rejected these rumors. Now we know that while Michael wasn’t attending rehearsals, he was busy working on these seven fascinating projects. On the other hand, as an experienced person, Michael didn’t need to be present during the early stages of preparing his young dancers alongside them—so when rehearsals became more serious in late June, Michael joined them.
Delays in the Schedule and the Company’s New Trick
That Michael had told fans he was alone might indicate the company’s scheduling chaos, because the concert production team was introduced only in mid-May—about a month and a half before the tour began. At the same time, Kenny Ortega was also selected as the tour director.
It was said that tour rehearsals began in the second week of May, because the Los Angeles Times reported on May 12 that Michael would be at the Soundstage studio in the mornings for six hours, four days a week. Meanwhile, some news agencies announced May 19 as the end date for selecting the tour dancers. Does this mean the company provided incorrect information to the media, and while no real progress had been made on the tour, it showed the situation differently? On May 20, another article said that Michael would rehearse for six hours a day again, but this time alongside his dancers.
When the tour opening date was pushed back from July 8 to July 13, the media blamed Michael for not being ready, but the article mentioned above shows that Michael had started his rehearsals long before—even without his dancers. The delay in the tour’s start was probably due to their awareness that the conditions weren’t ready and they were behind schedule, not because Michael Jackson was sick or lazy. That’s what becomes clear from Michael’s words: "I will do my best in these shows, but I’m alone."
It’s likely that the company now realized this and is trying to use a trick to pretend that by the end of May, the tour was in its final stages. Pay attention to the picture below.
The Los Angeles Times has recently published this photo according to information provided by the AEG company. The photo was taken by Kevin Mazur on June 24—one day before Michael’s death—and after Michael’s death it made its way to the media. As you can see, the date May 28 is incorrectly written at the bottom of the photo. (See the photos in here.) Again, we remind you that these photos were released by Getti Images under Kevin Mazur’s name, dated June 24.
On June 22, after rehearsal at Soundstage, Burbanks, and Forum, the group moved to the Staples Center, where Michael’s rehearsals were filmed by two HD cameras. When Phillips asked Michael why they were doing this, he said they had to fully capture his historic return. Kevin Mazur’s photos were also taken during these two days at Staples. Now the company is trying to alter the exact dates of these photos to make it seem like the tour was proceeding as scheduled. But at the end of June, the stage outfits were still not fully ready, and the videos were not finished either. If it’s true that Michael was anxious and stressed in these conditions, shouldn’t we give him credit for that? The tour and show planning occupied his mind and thoughts the whole time, to the point that his sleep was disrupted and he had to use strong sleeping medications.
In this regard, some fans follow other theories as well. One is that maybe AEG hoped Michael would die due to an accident before the concerts began. The company would have made a huge profit: tickets sold down to the last grain, and part of the tour was insured. They also had footage of Michael’s rehearsals, which could be used for future projects. Did the company believe the rumors being said about Michael’s health—that he wouldn’t live long—and therefore didn’t see the need to push the schedule forward, causing everything to happen later than it should? Some more extreme fans even say that the company, in cooperation with Dr. Murray, murdered Michael.
There is no evidence for these theories.
Another theory is that the delays were due to poor management and the company’s lack of experience. When the company executives saw Michael’s insistence and effort for the tour, they only then thought to arrange an intense rehearsal schedule that Michael felt obligated to attend. Conrad Murray said that on the night of his death, Michael insisted that he inject him with sleeping medications. The doctor, quoting Michael, says that if he couldn’t sleep through the night, he wouldn’t have the necessary ability to attend the rehearsal sessions the next day.
Who Is Tamey Ar Tamey?
A voice recording of Michael is in circulation showing that Michael was dissatisfied with Tamey R. Tamey and was looking for a way to get rid of him. In this audio recording (download), Michael points out that Tamey prevents him from contacting his lawyers and employees. He also says he doesn’t know anything about his bank accounts! Michael then mentions that he is trying to fire Tamey and replace him with a trustworthy person.
Frank Dileo, Michael’s longtime manager, said after his death that Tamey tried to control Michael in every aspect and even signed his checks. In response to an ABC News question asking whether Michael had given him that permission, Dileo said that Tamey had gained that power.
It’s even said that Tamey was behind the scenes in the auction of Michael’s memorabilia. In late 2008, news broke that Michael personally arranged for more than 2,000 items of memorabilia from the Neverland estate to be sold by Julien’s Auctions in April 2009. (News) In March 2009, it was reported that Michael filed a lawsuit in court to stop this auction, and as a result, Michael’s memorabilia was returned to Neverland. (News) Michael said he hadn’t authorized the auction of many of these items, and it was likely that Tamey decided to sell them without Michael’s knowledge.
Two months later, on May 9, 2009, Michael finally made his decision and fired Tamey, then rehired Frank Dileo, his longtime manager. But Tamey continued to present himself as Michael’s manager. He had first been brought into Michael’s team by Jermaine, Michael’s brother. After Michael’s death, he attended a press conference at the hospital where Michael died, while Frank Dileo was backstage at the same hospital comforting Michael’s mother and children. Even weeks after Michael’s death, Tamey was still speaking to the media under the title of Michael’s manager and arranging interviews from inside Neverland, Michael’s home.
After Michael’s death, ABC News obtained documents showing that Tamey had been wanted in the 1990s for fraud. He introduced himself as a "doctor" but does not have a medical license in any of the U.S. states. He also introduced himself as an ambassador of Senegal, but the Senegalese government rejected the claim. Tamey also refused to accept the network’s request for an interview.
It should also be remembered that, according to Michael, Tamey treated him in an impolite and aggressive manner. It was rumored that Tamey threatened Michael with exposing his use of painkillers and extorted him—though that is only a claim.
But how did Tamey manage to get so close to Michael?
In 2008, Michael was facing heavy debts. He put the Neverland ranch up as collateral with a bank, and the bank threatened to sell it. That’s when Jermaine Jackson introduced Tamey to him. Tamey was a wealthy businessman who promised to get Michael out of his heavy debt.
In an interview two weeks after Michael’s death, Tamey said that from the day he entered Michael’s life, he was responsible for handling all of Michael’s personal, work, and financial matters. He said: "When I entered his life, there was nobody else." He also referred to Michael as his friend.
It’s worth noting that for some time now, the Michael Jackson Foundation has filed a lawsuit against this person for fraud and interference in Michael’s affairs in court lawsuit.
Tamey provided very little information about himself. In 2008, he settled a dispute that had arisen between Michael and the Bahraini Prince over recording an album. This was the beginning of his work. The Prince, who wanted to record an album with Michael, after failing, sued Michael in a court in London and demanded money that he had spent in Bahrain as gifts for Michael and his group from the King of Pop. Tamey says he personally flew to Bahrain and met this Bahraini man, and the matter ended with an out-of-court agreement between the parties. (Read in here and here.)
Then Tamey took over management of Michael’s schedule and was assigned a new mission by Jermaine. It seems that Tamey gradually gained power and, day by day, took more and more control of Michael’s life. Michael’s delay in firing him may have been due to financial reasons and legal entanglements caused by contracts.
Tamey considers saving Neverland one of his most prominent services. Through a contract with Colony Capital, he transferred half of Neverland to them and, in return, paid the company Michael’s $23 million debt to the bank, freeing Neverland from the mortgage. Tamey says his fee from this contract was 10%, equal to $2.3 million. Read more about the details of this deal in here.
The Michael Jackson Foundation believes that Tamey, by deceiving Michael, arranged the contracts in a way that would bring him more profit and also didn’t keep his boss informed about everything. Therefore, in Michael’s absence of any of his loyal companions, Michael didn’t have a full understanding of the contract conditions when these documents were signed. The Foundation considers Tamey an inexperienced person whom Michael signed his contracts for only based on the trust he had in him. The Foundation also accuses Tamey of giving Michael’s artworks and paintings to Michael’s painter friend, Brett Livingston Strong, without Michael’s permission. (News)
But what does Tamey’s connection to the TII concerts have to do with all this?
He stepped in to negotiate concert contracts with Michael for the AEG company. Some believe that Tamey, only seeking personal benefit, increased the number of concerts without Michael’s knowledge and effectively made Michael sign a fait accompli. Another of Tamey’s actions was trying to sign a contract with the Nerderlander company to put on stage a theater production based on the trailer—which led to a lawsuit by John Landis, the director of the short film trailer. (News)
Tamey is hated by his fans for abusing Michael. These accusations have led this group of fans to find a connection between Tamey, the head of Colony Capital—Thomas Barak—and the then CEO of AEG, Randy Phillips. Even after Tamey was fired, Phillips still called him Michael’s manager, and chaos erupted in the media, raising the question: who is Michael’s manager? This could have been resolved easily with an official statement from the company, but was the company not pleased with Dileo replacing him, given its extensive cooperation with Tamey? And did the company benefit from confusing information or presenting an unflattering image of Michael in the media?
On the other hand, before Dileo’s appointment, it was reported that Michael had assigned Leonard Row to manage his schedule. A letter from Michael to the media surfaced stating that Row had been appointed to this position on Michael’s behalf. In the media, it was said that Joe Jackson, Michael’s father, worked with Row to give this fake letter to the media so that Michael would be placed in a fait accompli situation. Some time later, another letter from Michael to the media surfaced stating that Leonard Row had no working relationship with Michael.
In his book, Leonard Row wrote that Randy Phillips opposed his presence on Michael’s team, and that this is what caused his early dismissal. He also wrote that Michael would never have agreed to rehire Frank Dileo on his own after all those years.
Fans have many questions about this, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is willing to take the trouble to answer them. Frank Dileo died with secrets he kept to himself. He was one of the few people who, despite having a very close relationship with Michael, didn’t manage to profit from Michael by publishing a book and earning money from him. Frank Dileo was an old friend of Michael who had supported him during the 1993 and 2005 cases.
Is Leonard’s book another example of countless instances of profiting by exploiting Michael’s name and fame? Is Row trying to defame Frank Dileo? If Row was truly hired without Michael’s knowledge and by his father, then this would be another example of Joe Jackson’s efforts to control his son’s life. These contradictions show us what kind of situation Michael was in and what problems he was facing.
Michael Jackson’s Last Days and Kevin Mazur’s Observations
From the photographer who captured Michael Jackson’s final moments:
"Michael, rehearsing for his comeback tour on stage, was full of excitement and joy. Michael shouted: ‘Hurry up—we have to do it.’ After one of his iconic turns, he threw his arms into the air and yelled: ‘I feel alive. Can you feel it?’
Michael, who would say goodbye to this world only a few hours later, addressed Mazur like this: ‘This is where I belong. Why—why did I let it go for so many years?’ And he flashed a triumphant smile.
Kevin, who was 48 at the time and had been friends with Michael for 20 years, was very pleased to watch his rehearsal.
After Michael performed Smooth Criminal, he announced that he felt a lot of excitement for the shows inside him. He said:
‘Some songs still need work, but we’re very close. That’s it—I'm on stage. I just don’t have enough of my fans, my people, my family. And of course they’ll come. I know they’ll come. I’m very satisfied with how things are going. Can you feel that in me? Can you?’
Kevin watched Michael’s hour-and-a-half performance on stage at the Staples Center with great enthusiasm. Michael sang 12 songs until midnight. The only time Michael rested was when he stood still to wipe the sweat from his forehead with a towel placed beside the stage.
Michael sent a kiss to the empty arena and announced: ‘This is me—my real self. I feel alive. I feel like I want to perform on stage for the rest of my life.’
He had the passion of a man who was about to become a father. He walked up and down on stage. He focused intensely on his work. Between songs, he joked and laughed with the dancers and the director. I had never seen him so happy. He was a professional. He was there to do his job—and he did it so well. It was incredible. The best parts of the show were the fusion of songs from Jackson Five, Thriller, and Black or White. When it was over, Michael went back to the songs he felt still needed rehearsal and improvement.
‘He had so much energy. He was happy—he was laughing, he was having fun. He was enjoying himself. He was the same Michael I knew. The same Michael I’d seen over the years and grown up with.’
He says the most important thing that could be felt in Michael was the sense of duty and commitment he showed toward his fans:
‘He was a perfectionist. He was strongly determined to create a special show and show people the best thing he has in his bag.’
Rumors of Michael’s Addiction
AEG’s court hearing provides a great opportunity for the media to once again focus on Michael Jackson’s addiction. This is one of the reasons many fans oppose Catherine Jackson. Here, a few points should be considered. Addiction among celebrities is not a new topic, and it seems to be linked to the profession of some of them. Perhaps each of these people, seeing their normal lives disrupted under the camera lenses, lists different justifications for their actions—such as escaping stress, overcoming fears, lack of confidence, and so on. But some may also be looking for fun. These people turn to drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, and others.
But we must remember that Michael’s dependence was not on such substances, but on the medications prescribed by his doctors. Michael’s dependence on painkillers began after the Pepsi incident in 1984. At that time, during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, Michael’s head suffered second- and third-degree burns, and he was immediately taken to the hospital. (News) Doctors said his survival was a miracle. Pepsi paid Michael $1.5 million in compensation, and the King of Pop used all of it to set up a center for burn disaster relief. He never fully recovered from that incident. To remove the extra skin on his scalp caused by the burns, doctors had to perform several surgeries on Michael’s head, which was extremely painful, and Michael had mentioned it in many conversations. When the first false charge of child abuse was raised against him in 1993, he was involved in the Dangerous tour. Michael said that due to the severe pain from the surgery performed on his head, he developed a strong dependence on painkillers and suffered physical weakness. Doctors considered continuing the tour dangerous for him, and the last few concerts of the tour were canceled. After this, Pepsi—who was the tour sponsor—did not renew its multi-year contract with Michael. Some believe the pressure caused by the accusations, which resurfaced again in 2005, was a factor that worsened his dependence on painkillers.
The discussion of Michael’s dependence on these medications may not end in the media, but they rarely mention the type of medication (painkillers) Michael used, and instead portray it as drug addiction. Recently, Ozzy Osbourne, the rock legend, and his wife Sharon made headlines. Ozzy spoke about his severe drug addiction. Most of the articles written about this were full of respect and sympathy for Ozzy. But when Michael’s name comes up, all swords come out. In Black or White, Michael himself asked the media what the difference was between him and others, and why they wouldn’t be fair to him.
In this context, the Radar Online website recently published an audio recording attributed to Michael Jackson, in which Michael—according to the website—was seeking medication. This audio recording, dated May 3, 2009, was sold to the website by Jason Pfeiffer, assistant to Arnold Klein, the specialist doctor for Michael’s skin. Pfeiffer had previously made strange claims about Klein. (News)
The recording says: "I’m Michael. I can’t call Klein. I have a problem. I don’t want to talk about it on the phone. Please tell him to call me."
Pfeiffer met with the company’s lawyers, and according to the website, he is ready to testify in favor of the company in court. The company’s lawyers are trying to portray Michael as an addict who, without being sure of his own health and by hiding his medical information, put his own life at risk—and by hiring an incompetent doctor, became responsible for his own death.
Pfeiffer said: "Michael Jackson had a dream of dying in his head. I don’t think anyone could stop him. And nobody knew that he was buying drugs from different people. When Michael wanted something, he got it—he couldn’t be controlled."
Pfeiffer tried to testify in Conrad Murray’s trial as well, but the judge ruled that the doctor’s office events were unrelated to Michael’s death.
Pfeiffer says that Michael, desperate from insomnia, would come to Klein’s office to be put to sleep by injecting a bit of Demerol. Pfeiffer’s job was to check on his condition after the Demerol injection. He says Michael told him that he always uses propofol to sleep.
"He complained that he couldn’t sleep because his mind was racing all the time."
Pfeiffer says Michael used Botox or other skin services as an excuse to get to Demerol, because he had developed dependence on it.
"He asked Klein to inject him with Demerol painkiller at four times the allowed amount for a very small Botox injection. He felt that small amounts of the drug made him immune. Sometimes our patients get confused and groggy after Demerol injections, but not like Michael."
Pfeiffer says that on June 14—only 11 days before his death—Michael again requested this medication, even though at that time he was under the supervision of his doctor, Conrad Murray. According to Pfeiffer, Murray was aware of Michael’s visits to Klein’s office.
"I once spoke to Murray. He called to get an appointment for Michael. At first I thought it was a joke, but then Michael took the phone and said, ‘Hi Jason, it’s Michael. That doctor Conrad. I want to come to the office.’"
"He called at 7 p.m., and his voice sounded tired and anxious. Before saying hello, he asked me for propofol. He asked if I knew anyone who could get this medication for him."
Michael told Pfeiffer: "This is the medication I always use to sleep, and when I wake up I feel energized. I have to be ready for tomorrow."
Pfeiffer says: "When I told him I couldn’t help him, he hung up."
Thomas Mesereau, Michael’s defense attorney in the 2005 court case, said about this audio recording:
"The only person who can comment on this is Dr. Arnold Klein. I don’t know what conditions were in place at that time, but certainly this audio recording is good evidence showing that the company should have taken more care when hiring Murray. The company was aware of Michael’s history of drug use. I believe the company intends to tarnish Michael’s name by bringing up the claim of addiction."
Well guys, it is only starting and we need to steel ourselves for what comes next.
The benefit of it is that now we at least know how nasty they could be to Michael Jackson when in private, and what it must have been like when Randy Phillips had several "arguments" with Michael and "screamed at him so loud the walls were shaking".
I hope that by the end of the trial everyone will know how they treated the best performer in the world and why.
Catherine Jackson’s Claims Against the Company
Catherine claimed that the company had taken control of all of her son’s affairs and decisions, including medical services, financial consultations, business and work decisions, and more. Catherine, however, had no evidence to prove this claim. The judge prohibited her from raising this issue in court and ruled that the company did not have control over Michael Jackson’s life and there was no connection between them in this regard.
Another claim by Catherine was the company’s responsibility for Murray’s medical care. Catherine couldn’t find evidence to prove this claim. In court, she accepted that Michael also used other doctors, and the judge ruled that the company wasn’t forcing Michael to go see these doctors and use their care. Therefore, the company didn’t control the decisions Michael made in this regard.
Another claim by Catherine was that the company, through its actions, created a risky and dangerous environment that harmed her son. The judge ruled that commercial interactions do not mean creating a duty. He also explained that if Michael Jackson, as the biggest showman with extensive experience, was exposed to many financial tensions and anxieties, it couldn’t be considered alone as a reason for harming this star.
Thus, the only claim that would be examined in court would be Murray’s hiring and the company’s supervision of his activities.
Murray’s contract paperwork had not been signed by the company, but the judge says that despite this, the company and Murray might have established an oral contract between themselves, and thus Murray could have been hired by the company. The decision on this matter would be up to the jury. The judge also discussed the company’s claim that it was unaware of Michael Jackson’s medical history, because one of the company’s senior executives had been close to Michael during his world tours. But for the Jackson family to conclude from this argument that the company knew about Michael’s sleep problems and his treatment with propofol is a major challenge.
Michael, who had suffered from sleep problems for more than two decades, benefited from medical care and prescribed medications during his tours. When he was preparing for the TII tour, he was also dealing with severe insomnia, and propofol was the medication his doctor used to put Michael to sleep. This drug ultimately led to the death of the King of Pop.
It’s also possible that Conrad Murray, due to financial pressure, broke his medical oath and violated medical rules to reach a huge paycheck. This is another matter to be discussed in court. Perhaps if Murray appears as a witness, such questions would be put to him. Murray said he is not willing to testify, but if the judge decides, he would be required to do so.
In addition to the claims mentioned above, there was another claim that was dropped in April 2011. Catherine claimed that the company also caused Michael emotional problems and gained control over him through that. This claim was removed from the agenda during the early sessions of the case discussion due to lack of evidence.
Catherine Jackson is seeking $40 billion in damages because it’s estimated that if Michael had been alive, over these years he would have earned close to $40 billion. If Catherine’s case succeeds in court, it would mean proving the company’s negligence in hiring Dr. Murray. Catherine winning this case would not mean proving hidden conspiracies to murder Michael Jackson or the company’s participation in his murder, because these theories are not put on trial in court.
Supporters and Opponents of Catherine Jackson
Many of Michael’s fans oppose Catherine Jackson’s case because the upcoming trial will invade Michael’s privacy even more than his murder trial, and the medical information that Michael had always tried to keep hidden will be revealed. The media and the company will use this opportunity to portray Michael as an addict who couldn’t overcome his need for painkillers and who pressured his own doctors to obtain these medications. The Jackson family’s lawyers, on the other hand, will question Michael’s ability and argue that Michael wasn’t healthy enough to do the concerts and that the company forced him to do them. Michael’s children in this case have been and will be exposed to the greatest emotional and psychological harm. The media has never shown willingness to publish the truth of Michael Jackson’s life, and we can imagine what heavy debates would appear in cyberspace after the start of the proceedings—especially since this war against Michael has been going on in the media for a long time. In the end, this trial may have no winner and only Michael will be the loser, accused by both sides of addiction and lack of decision-making power, and still blamed for his own death. Meanwhile, we shouldn’t forget the huge number of fans who, throughout this case, will again be under stress and nervous pressure, and their hearts will ache anew.
On the other hand, some fans support Catherine Jackson. They believe that AEG caused Michael anxiety by increasing the number of Michael Jackson’s concerts in London, and that it physically and emotionally pressured him. These people believe that the increase in concerts wasn’t made with Michael’s direct approval, but was arranged by the company and Tamey Tamey, who considered himself Michael’s manager, and who acted against Michael’s interests. The court judge, however, rejected Catherine’s claim that AEG ran Michael’s life and decisions. Probably Michael’s mother and children are facing similar questions. After reading this article, are you among those who support Catherine Jackson’s lawsuit against the company, or do you oppose this action? Knowing these ambiguous points, do you give Michael’s mother and children the right to seek the truth, or is the case completely clear and obvious to you and are all your questions already answered? Do you think this case won’t end in favor of the Jackson family and that it will also damage Michael Jackson’s image?
What is clear is that for some of Michael Jackson’s lovers, the mystery of his death may never be solved. But whatever the truth is, let’s not forget that Michael Jackson finally returned to the stage.
Source: eMJey.com