Michael Jackson Company: He Was Fit and Ready for the Tour
Since Michael's passing in the summer of 2009, legal cases have not ceased to pursue his name for a single moment.
Katherine Jackson's attorneys, over the course of five months of the AEG trial, presented evidence showing that Michael Jackson was not in good physical or mental condition during the final months of his life. Company executives discussed this in their emails, yet still refused to cancel the "This Is It" tour.
Now, with a new claim from the Michael Jackson Company, a confusing situation has arisen. The Michael Jackson Company — founded years ago by Michael himself and now operated by his Estate — has, alongside AEG, described Michael's death as an accident and is demanding $17.5 million in compensation from Lloyd's of London insurance company. The Michael Jackson Company contends that he was in complete health during the final months of his life and had no impediments whatsoever to performing the tour in London. Thus, the Michael Jackson Estate and AEG have found themselves on the same side in facing Lloyd's of London, which is refusing to pay out on the tour.
In the statement of claims filed by the Michael Jackson Company against Lloyd's of London on December 31, it is argued that Michael's health and fitness before his death can be established through the documentary "This Is It," which was made using Michael's recorded rehearsals and released in cinemas worldwide some time after his death, going on to become the highest-grossing music documentary in history. The lawsuit states that looking at this film makes clear that not only was Michael in sufficient health and condition to perform the tour before his death, but he was still performing his moves with mastery.
Lloyd's of London, in its own lawsuit, has claimed that it received false information about Michael Jackson's health and is therefore not liable for any compensation. Lloyd's of London has drawn on the very same emails that were presented months earlier by Katherine Jackson's attorneys at the trial examining AEG's role in Michael Jackson's death. These emails suggest that the company was trying to conceal Michael's condition. Lloyd's of London says that now that the true circumstances of Michael's death have come to light, his death can no longer be classified as an accident, and no compensation obligation falls on the insurance company.
The Michael Jackson Company maintains that there was no failure to provide accurate information to Lloyd's of London. Beyond the witnesses at the AEG trial who discussed Michael's deteriorating condition, others described his condition as ideal for the tour. For example, Lou Ferrigno, Michael's personal trainer, stated that he was in excellent condition. This statement and others — including a forensic medical report declaring Michael a healthy man at the time of his death — support the Michael Jackson Company's claim. The company has called the portrayal of Michael as sick or incapacitated a media fabrication, saying the media have consistently lied about Michael both before and after his death.
The hearing for this case has been set for February.
Source: eMJey.com / Hollywood Reporter
Since Michael's passing in the summer of 2009, legal cases have not ceased to pursue his name for a single moment.
Katherine Jackson's attorneys, over the course of five months of the AEG trial, presented evidence showing that Michael Jackson was not in good physical or mental condition during the final months of his life. Company executives discussed this in their emails, yet still refused to cancel the "This Is It" tour.
Now, with a new claim from the Michael Jackson Company, a confusing situation has arisen. The Michael Jackson Company — founded years ago by Michael himself and now operated by his Estate — has, alongside AEG, described Michael's death as an accident and is demanding $17.5 million in compensation from Lloyd's of London insurance company. The Michael Jackson Company contends that he was in complete health during the final months of his life and had no impediments whatsoever to performing the tour in London. Thus, the Michael Jackson Estate and AEG have found themselves on the same side in facing Lloyd's of London, which is refusing to pay out on the tour.
In the statement of claims filed by the Michael Jackson Company against Lloyd's of London on December 31, it is argued that Michael's health and fitness before his death can be established through the documentary "This Is It," which was made using Michael's recorded rehearsals and released in cinemas worldwide some time after his death, going on to become the highest-grossing music documentary in history. The lawsuit states that looking at this film makes clear that not only was Michael in sufficient health and condition to perform the tour before his death, but he was still performing his moves with mastery.
Lloyd's of London, in its own lawsuit, has claimed that it received false information about Michael Jackson's health and is therefore not liable for any compensation. Lloyd's of London has drawn on the very same emails that were presented months earlier by Katherine Jackson's attorneys at the trial examining AEG's role in Michael Jackson's death. These emails suggest that the company was trying to conceal Michael's condition. Lloyd's of London says that now that the true circumstances of Michael's death have come to light, his death can no longer be classified as an accident, and no compensation obligation falls on the insurance company.
The Michael Jackson Company maintains that there was no failure to provide accurate information to Lloyd's of London. Beyond the witnesses at the AEG trial who discussed Michael's deteriorating condition, others described his condition as ideal for the tour. For example, Lou Ferrigno, Michael's personal trainer, stated that he was in excellent condition. This statement and others — including a forensic medical report declaring Michael a healthy man at the time of his death — support the Michael Jackson Company's claim. The company has called the portrayal of Michael as sick or incapacitated a media fabrication, saying the media have consistently lied about Michael both before and after his death.
The hearing for this case has been set for February.
Source: eMJey.com / Hollywood Reporter