AEG裁判21日目:マイケルには依存症はなかった

金曜日の短いセッションで、同社の弁護士はギャング・ワー氏への尋問を開始した。

同社の弁護士マービン・ポンタム氏は、マイケル・ジャクソンが鎮痛剤を使用した理由をギャング・ワー氏に尋ねた。 1993年、マイケルはこれらの薬物への依存のため、「デンジャラス」ツアーのコンサートのいくつかをキャンセルした。

ガン・ワー: 「デンジャラス・ツアーの第3レグが始まる前に、彼の頭皮の皮膚に手術が行われた。傷は神経か何かにあった。非常に痛かった。彼はその治療を受けた。彼らがペプシのビデオを録画していたとき、彼の頭皮の皮膚は火傷を負った。」

ガン・ワー氏は、火傷した部分の毛が自然に見えるように手術が行われたと語った。

（説明：デンジャラス・ツアーのセカンドレグは1992年12月31日に終了した。その1か月後、マイケルはスーパーボウルのショーに出演した。彼は頭皮の皮膚の手術を受けた。この手術は10年前にペプシのコマーシャルビデオの撮影中に起きた事件の結果であった。その事件の際、マイケルの頭から発火した。医師たちはマイケルの生還は奇跡だと考えた。マイケルはペプシに損害賠償を求める代わりに、150万ドルをかけてペプシに火傷事故センターを設立するよう求めた。このセンターはマイケル・ジャクソンにちなんで名付けられ、1993年、ツアーの第3戦は8月24日に始まった。同年11月、マイケルはメキシコシティでツアーを終了し、手術による激しい痛みに耐えるために治療を受けていると述べた。鎮痛剤。）

ギャング・ワーさんは、デンジャラス・ツアー中、マイケルが鎮痛剤に依存するようになったとは知らなかったと語った。

彼は1996年から1997年にかけて行われたヒストリーツアーでもマイケルと協力した。ギャング・ワー氏によると、ツアー前半がハワイで終了した後、マイケルは2,700万ドルを失い、照明とステージ音響のために1,100万ドルの借金を負ったという。ツアー後半には財政問題に対処するためツアーマネージャーを交代した。彼はギャング・ワーを雇った。ギャング・ワーはツアーマネージャーとしてマイケルと直接協力しました。彼は多くのコストを削減する必要があると述べた。彼らはマイケルと同じ品質のショーを提供したいと考えていましたが、多くの費用を管理する必要がありました。ツアー後半の純利益は1400万ドルで、負債1100万ドルは完済した。ギャング・ワー氏は、ツアーは損益分岐点に達したと語った。

ポンタム：「歴史ツアー中、ジャクソン氏の鎮痛剤への依存について何か懸念はありましたか？」

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