14 DAY TRIAL // Late last week, Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, filed a lawsuit on her and the Jackson children’s behalf against AEG Live, the organizers of This Is It tour, for not fulfilling their contractual obligations of keeping Michael healthy and alive.
According to the documents, obtained by People magazine over the weekend, not only did AEG explicitly instruct Dr. Conrad Murray to keep Michael drugged up so that he could make rehearsals, but it literally put his life in danger in seeking only profit.
It didn’t matter whether Michael was feeling well or fit enough to make it through the grueling performances, the lawsuit states, as neither did it matter that Murray had to pump him full of drugs, when he was already in poor health.
AEG instructed the doctor to make sure Michael was always at rehearsals and, if possible, fit enough to make through the first live shows at London’s O2 Arena, where he was to make his comeback.
Dr. Murray more than delivered his part of the deal (for which he was reportedly paid $150,000 a month by organizers), bringing Michael into such a poor state he was barely able to stand, let alone speak and say what they were doing to him.
“With his sold-out concert series only four weeks away and a sickly Michael Jackson missing yet another rehearsal, the promoter gave the star an ultimatum: Start taking drugs from a new doctor to keep you going, or we’ll sue you for millions,” People writes.
AEG called this their “tough love” method, and they believed it would actually work because Michael was in no position to even consider the possibility of being sued for millions he no longer had.
Therefore, he had no other choice than to go with the doctor the organizers shoved in his face – and to do as he bid him.
“Just take the drugs from Dr. Murray and don’t miss another rehearsal, the promoters allegedly said, or we’ll call off the tour and sue you,” People says of the accusations made in court documents.
“Rather than act reasonably and relax the rehearsal schedule to Michael Jackson could recuperate from his physical problems, AEG insisted that he attend every rehearsal in a grueling schedule,” the lawsuit says.
“Jackson showed up at rehearsal ‘visibly shaken’ and ‘not himself that day,’ the lawsuit says. At home that night, Murray administered the usual sedative cocktail, including Propofol, still without the resuscitation equipment and nursing support,” People further writes.
“Back at rehearsal the next day, ‘Jackson was upset, not coherent, and seemed drugged and disoriented,’ the lawsuit says,” the mag further writes.
Next day, things got even worse, as Michael was shivering in the heated venue and had to wear several shirts under his coat, but was still feeling incredibly cold.
Back home, Murray would make sure the singer would get his night sleep by injecting him with several sedatives, including the Propofol that led to his untimely death.
One night, after rehearsals, Michael went to sleep and never woke again, as Dr. Murray reportedly injected the drug-addled with such great quantities that they sent him into cardiac arrest, the lawsuit also says.
“Dr. Murray has a great deal of respect for Katherine Jackson and for Michael Jackson’s children and wants to give them all the peace that they deserve as they grieve the loss of their son and their father. But for Dr. Murray, it’s just another day and another lawsuit,” an attorney for Dr. Murray says in response to these allegations.
For more on Michael Jackson’s final days, as revealed by the court documents filed just recently, please refer here.