AEG-JACKSON trial, DAY 7. AEG’s war on Michael and ALIF SANKEY as a witness sent by God

I apologize for having to bring to you last week’s news only.

So many terrible things have taken place since then that now some of those events look like coming from a much happier era which is now long in the past.

The news does indeed divide into that before and after declaration of AEG war on Michael and their applying their shock methods to him, us and the truth.

Only please don’t let the AEG agents tell us that if there had been no Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit nothing of these terrible events would have taken place.

If they dare say that it would be equivalent to their admittance that Wade Robson is the doing of AEG Live and that if Katherine had not started it Robson’s news would not have happened at all.

Probably it would not have only this fact makes us realize even better what kind of people AEG are and what they are capable of.

Since we cannot watch the AEG trial and see for ourselves what is going on there we are terribly dependent on what others tell us. And others are telling us just the bits and pieces they like and are absolutely not covering the whole picture.

This makes the task of restoring the truth difficult but not absolutely impossible. The study of various media sources even gives us an added advantage to find out which paper is worth following and which is complete trash and is there for brainwashing people only.

This trial seems to be a perfect way to see who is who in the media, so let it be a kind of a test for them. 

BITS AND PIECES FROM WEEK 1

Before handling the news of week 2 I’d like to  mention some important details omitted during week 1.

For example, the fact that after Murray’s call to his girlfriend Nicole Alvarez Murray’s belongings and stash of medication were cleared away so well that the only reminder that Murray had lived there ( for two months) was a piece of paper with his name on it that had fallen behind the door of a cabine found there by Detective Martinez.

Another detail worth remembering is that Murray was roughly half a million dollars in debt and though the AEG lawyers claimed that AEG was a helpless little thing who did not have access to any records allowing to check up on Murray, Detective Martinez said that they could have at least run his credit report.

Since this looks like a very easy job it makes it clear that either AEG did not check Murray at all (but said they did) or they did check him out and what they saw suited them very much indeed. Knowing AEG ways I tend to think that they knew perfectly well whom they were hiring.

This kind of a doctor would never stand on the guard of his patient, would be easy to manipulate and would jump at each of AEG’s requests like a pet dog following commands at the promise of some meat.

One more detail from the first week sounded strange and a little worrisome to me – the lawyers for the Jacksons family wanted to subpoena Grance Rwaramba but could not find her.

They even said that no one could find her. What should happen to a person so that she disappears to such an extent? Well, I really hope that Grace is okay.

All of it is here in this article:

Michael Jackson wrongful death trial: Cell phone records show Dr. Conrad Murray may have requested help from mistress in covering his tracks

LAPD Det. Orlando Martinez testified that Dr. Conrad Murray called his girlfriend from the ambulance carrying Jackson and himself to the hospital, indicating he may have been in a hurry to cover his tracks

BY NANCY DILLON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Dr. Conrad Murray called his girlfriend from inside the ambulance that carried the stricken singer to the hospital in his final moments.

The cardiologist convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson’s death called his mistress while riding in the ambulance taking the singer to the hospital — evidence he may have requested help in covering his tracks, it was revealed Wednesday.

Los Angeles Police Det. Orlando Martinez said cell phone records show Dr. Conrad Murray called his girlfriend, Nicole Alvarez, at 1:08 p.m. on June 25, 2009, a minute after the ambulance carrying him and his stricken mega-star patient left Jackson’s home for Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

“Do you have an opinion as to the substance of that call?” Brian Panish, a lawyer representing Jackson’s mother and children in their negligence lawsuit against concert promoter AEG, asked Martinez.

“Yes,” the lawman replied, explaining that he had interviewed Alvarez and served a search warrant at her Santa Monica address.

“What was determined?” Panish asked.

“I found one piece of paper with Dr. Murray’s name — that had fallen behind the door of a cabinet — in the entire apartment (where) he’d been staying at (for) at least two months,” Martinez replied.

Panish asked whether he found that suspicious.

“Yes,” Martinez replied. “He was living there, and none of his stuff was there.”

Prior criminal proceedings against Murray revealed the doctor — convicted at trial in 2011 — had pharmacy shipments sent to Alvarez’s address. Martinez was the second witness called before the jury of six men and six women in Los Angeles County Superior Court for the civil case in which the Gloved One’s family argues that AEG, promoter of Jackson’s ill-fated comeback tour, had a hand in his drug-fueled demise.

Katherine Jackson, 82, did not attend the shortened third day of testimony, which only lasted an hour due to a juror’s request to attend a funeral. Her lawyer said she also planned to sit out upcoming testimony from coroner’s office officials because the evidence promises to be graphic. “She doesn’t need to hear that,” Panish told the Daily News. “We’re not trying to get sympathy.”

Martinez told jurors his investigation led him to conclude that Murray was deep in debt at the time of the “Thriller” singer’s overdose death, giving him a financial motive to provide the surgery-strength anesthetic Propofol as a treatment for insomnia, despite recommendations to the contrary. Jackson died from acute Propofol intoxication, an autopsy found.

On Tuesday, Martinez told jurors that Murray was about to lose his home to foreclosure and was roughly $500,000 in debt when he negotiated a $150,000-per-month agreement to act as Jackson’s personal physician for the AEG-backed “This Is It” comeback concert series.

Martinez covered more financial ground in testimony Wednesday, saying Murray had a history of unpaid rent on his Las Vegas office and was delinquent in paying his taxes.

“(It’s) just some more evidence of him being in financial dire straits,” Martinez said.

He said police also ran credit reports on Murray.

“If anyone would have run the credit report, they would have got the same information?” Panish asked.

“Yes,” Martinez said.

Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit claims AEG should be held accountable for hiring Murray without a background check and negligently supervising him. AEG denies any wrongdoing, saying Michael Jackson personally hired Murray and kept his Propofol use a closely guarded secret.

After the jury left the courtroom Wednesday, Katherine Jackson’s lawyers said they believed they could locate Michael’s longtime nanny and confidante, Grace Rwaramba, and plan to call her as a witness as the trial proceeds.

 “We couldn’t find her, no one could find her,” lawyer Kevin Boyle said of the last-minute addition. “But we think we’re going to be able to find her, hopefully.”

One more detail from previous times concerned an AEG email made readily available by them saying that part of Michael’s songs could be lip-synched.

Radaronline called this news “jaw-dropping” and thus betrayed their deep bias against Michael.

First of all, Michael could sing as we saw it in “This is it” and was to lip-synch only when dancing and not throughout the whole concert .

Second, there is nothing jaw-dropping about dancers lip-synching during their dance routines – everyone in the music industry does it, so there is no need for radaronline to pretend to be such a puritan that faints at a mere mentioning of it.

I would suggest that they should better drop their jaws at how quickly AEG recovered from Michael’s death and started generating millions on the merchandise sales, the film footage and ticket retention (which looks like it was a highly anticipated event for AEG).  

After sending Michael to his grave life “life went on” for AEG:

Michael Jackson Would Have Lip-Synched During 02 Concert Series: Court Docs
Posted on May 6, 2013 @ 4:38AM | By radarstaff

The man hailed as one of the greatest live performers of all-time … lip-synching?!?

It’s the latest jaw-dropper to emerge from the Jackson family’s ongoing wrongful death lawsuit with concert promoter AEG Live, as court documents indicate that executives with the concert promotion giant acknowledged in hundreds of private e-mails that Michael Jackson was set to lip-synch through his scheduled residency at the 02 Arena in the summer of 2009.

The Man In The Mirror singer was so weak at the time, he wasn’t able to sing and dance simultaneously, a point the family will use to support their claim that AEG Live was fully aware of the pop star’s deteriorating state, which culminated in his death on June 25, 2009, just weeks before the residency was set to kick off.

In one example of the e-mail trail, This Is It director Kenny Ortega told organizers that lip-synching a part of the set was a necessary route to take for the Beat It singer, who was tormented by “paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior” in his waning days.

In another e-mail, AEG promoter Randy Phillips told AEG president Tim Leiweke that he had to help a “drunk and despondent” Jackson get dressed just a day before the blockbuster London residency was announced.

Leiweke responded, “Are you kidding me?” to which Phillips replied, “I screamed at him so loud the walls are shaking. He is an emotionally-paralyzed mess riddled with self-loathing and doubt now that it is show time.”

Phillips wrote in an August 2009 e-mail that while the singer’s death “is a terrible tragedy … life must go on.

“AEG will make a fortune from merch sales, ticket retention, the touring exhibition and the film/dvd,” he wrote.

In the suit, Katherine Jackson claims AEG pushed the sickly singer toward a task he was physically unable to do; and that the company didn’t properly vet Dr. Conrad Murray, who was subsequently convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the Thriller singer’s death.

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/20…-synching-aeg/

Now comes the news from week 2 proper. The beginning of the week was quite routine and repeated much of the testimony at Murray’s trial.

DAY 5 Monday May 6, 2013

ABC7CourtNews said very little about Day 5 of the AEG trial:

1	We are expecting Toxicologist Dan Anderson and Coroner Dr. Christopher Rogers to testify on Monday.  Dr. Rogers preformed MJ’s Autopsy.
2	The Jackson Family is not in the Courtroom this morning.Witness Dan Anderson – a criminalist from Coroner first up at 10a.
3	Anderson remembers when he heard Michael Jackson had died.  It was a Thursday, his day off, and his son told him MJ had died.
4	Sumary of Negative Toxicological Findings.  No Alcohol, Barbituates, Demerol, Zoloft, Xanax,Cocaine, Marijuana, Amthamphetamine,  Codeine!
5	Anderson said there were no recreational drugs in his system.  Court took the morning break at 11a after about one hour of testimony.
6	Katherine Cahan begins to question Anderson for AEG.  Anderson told her that he observed part of the autopsy the day after the death.
7	Cahan asked Anderson about signing his portion of the toxicology test on July 15th.. She asked if the level of Propofal was fatal.
8	Anderson responded with a yes…the level was fatal.
9	Next witness was Dr. Christopher Rogers from the Coroner’s office who conducted the autopsy.
10	The jury was briefly shown a picture of MJ from UCLA.  Rogers testified from his autopsy drawings.
11	MJ had a pink tattoo on his top lip, eyebrow tattoos, and tattoos on the top of his head according to Dr. Roger’s testimony.
12	Testimony continues tomorrow..  Cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohgelernter will testify first out of order..

DAY 6  May 7, 2013

ABC7 CourtNews again reported very little:

1	Court Started promptly just after 10a with Cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter testifying for Catherine Jackson.
2	He is a Yale Medical School Graduate and has practiced in Southern California since 1985
3	Dr. Wohlgelernter testified that Propofol needs to be administered by an Anesthesiologist who is properly trained.
4	Testified that Cardiologists are not the right Doctor for a patient with substance abuse, addiction, and a sleep disorder.
5	Testified he thought Dr. Murray not up to the Standard of care because of his only admission that MJ had stopped breathing.
6	Dr. Wohlgelernter said Dr. Murray should have opened an airway but instead chose chest compressions.
7	Dr.said Dr. murray was not the right dr –  not appropriately trained for what MJ had substance abuse,addiction, and a sleepdisorder
8	Jackson Attorney:
	Do you believe Conrad Murray was competent and fit for AEG to hire?
	Dr. W No.
9	The Jackson family has not been here and is not expected this afternoon.
10	CORRECTION – MRS. KATHERINE JACKSON was in court for the morning session.  She wore a beige jacket with a water color design. She also had a Louis Vuitton bag.
11	On Cross – Contract shows that Dr. Murray was hired to be MJ’s General Practitioner.
12	The contract shown was only signed by Dr. Murray not by AEG or MJ.  Dr. Wohlgelernter did no know if Dr. Murray was ever paid.
13	Dr. Wohlgelernter finished his testimony today.

Despite this minimal factual information Jeff Gottlieb of the LA Times predictably called all the medicine Murray fed Michael a ‘cocktail of drugs’ found in his system and presented it as a kind of a ‘revelation’.

Maybe for Gottlieb it was a revelation but for those who followed Murray’s trial it wasn’t. The list of benzos found in Michael’s body or on this bedside table was what Murray was forcing on Michael who was strongly against any benzos for the simple reason that they did not help and had the after effects.

This useless and even harmful ‘cocktail’ did not contain any recreational drugs as Dr.Anderson specifically noted in his testimony, however Jeff Gottlieb evidently does not think it worth mentioning in his ‘revelations’.

Instead he is making the most of the available list including there even Flomax for the enlarged prostate and a local anesthetic Lidocaine which is standard for using during injections to ease the pain. The picture created by Gottlieb means to portray Michael Jackson as an ‘addict’ though Michael’s only fault was that he trusted Dr.Murray.

The doctor who abused his trust and carried out on him nothing less but criminal experiments. And though the major reason for Michael’s death was propofol, the benzos uncontrollably injected by Murray also contributed to Michael’s death as the autopsy said.

This article is a heavily biased one:

Michael Jackson had several drugs in his system when he died

Michael Jackson had a cocktail of drugs in his system when he died, according to testimony in the wrongful death suit Jackson’s family has filed against AEG.

By Jeff Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times

May 7, 2013

When he died, Michael Jackson had a cocktail of anti-depressant and mood drugs in his system as well as a level of the anesthetic propofol typical of a patient undergoing major surgery.

The revelation came during testimony Monday in the lawsuit Jackson’s mother and children have filed against AEG, the entertainment giant that was promoting the singer’s comeback concert series in London when he died.

Dr. Christopher Rogers, the Los AngelesCounty deputy medical examiner, testified that after toxicology tests found Jackson had used propofol, he consulted with an anesthesiologist. Dr. Selma Calmes wrote that when the drug is used, a slew of medical devices should be on hand to monitor the patient in case he or she stops breathing.

“The most essential monitor is a person trained in anesthesia and in resuscitation who is continuously present and not involved” in the procedure, her report said.

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Jackson a fatal dose of propofol, was a cardiologist who used little of the equipment Calmes listed.

The Jacksons argue that AEG negligently hired and supervised Murray. The doctor, they say, did the company’s bidding by pushing the entertainer to perform despite his frail health, because of his own desperate financial problems.

AEG, however, argues Jackson hired Murray and that the $150,000 a month the company was supposed to pay the doctor were really advances it gave the entertainer.

In the opening rounds of the trial, the family’s attorneys have been striving to show that Murray was incompetent while offering jurors an unvarnished look at the singer’s final days, including his use of prescription drugs. A paramedic called by the Jackson attorney testified that when he first saw Jackson on his bed, he resembled an end-stage cancer patient.

Dan Anderson, a toxicologist with the coroner’s office, testified that Jackson’s blood, urine and internal organs showed traces of the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Lorazepam, the short-term anesthetic midazolam and lidocaine, which can be used along with propofol.

Anderson said investigators found injectable Lorazepam at Jackson’s home as well, a form of the drug “typically found in a hospital setting.” Anderson also testified that Jackson was the only person in Los AngelesCounty who was not a doctor or nurse to die of propofol intoxication at their home in the last 14 years.

Rogers reviewed his autopsy, and a black-and-white photo of the naked singer laid out in the coroner’s office was flashed briefly on a screen in the courtroom.

The deputy medical examiner testified that the 5-foot-9 Jackson weighed 136 pounds when he died and that X-rays showed he suffered from arthritis in his lower spine and fingers.

He had a pink tattoo on his lips and dark tattoos on his eyebrows and on the front of his scalp.

He also testified Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a disease more common in African Americans, in which some areas of the skin are light and others are dark. “It can be very disfiguring,” Rogers said.

Although Rogers found that Jackson suffered from maladies that other 50-year-old men might have, such as an enlarged prostate, the autopsy found nothing that would lead to his premature death.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-trial-20130507,0,3066388.story#tugs_story_display

The article that really explains the truth of the matter is the one by Alan Duke of CNN.

He singles out really important medical  issues – vitiligo which made Michael partially light and partially dark, Michael’s general good health and ability to live a long life if it were not for propofol, NO recreational drugs in Michael’s system and Murray being unqualified for the job.

The article starts with the picture of Michael’s naked body on the autopsy table that musth have shocked the jury as he looked nothing like the man they knew:

Autopsy reveals Michael Jackson’s secrets

By Alan Duke, CNN

May 7, 2013 — Updated 2034 GMT (0434 HKT)

Los Angeles (CNN) — Jurors hearing the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial got a stark look at the dead pop icon after a lawyer showed them an autopsy photo. Jackson’s unclothed corpse lying on a coroner’s table looked nothing like the world’s most famous entertainer.

The doctor who conducted Jackson’s autopsy will return to the witness stand Wednesday. On Tuesday, jurors are hearing from another doctor in the trial to decide whether concert promoter AEG Live shares blame in Jackson’s death with Dr. Conrad Murray.

The witness on the stand Tuesday is cardiologist Dr. Daniel Wohlgelernter, who is offering expert analysis of Murray’s skills and decisions.

Murray was not the “appropriate physician” for AEG to hire as Jackson’s tour doctor because he was a cardiologist and not trained to treat the singer’s special needs, Wohlgelernter testified.

“Michael Jackson had a history of substance abuse, addiction to medications and sleep disturbance,” he said, not heart or cardiovascular problems.

Murray’s agreement to close down his Las Vegas clinic to work full time for Jackson created a conflict, he said. The agreement said Murray could lose his job if the tour was delayed or canceled.

“It meant that Dr. Murray was entirely dependent on the continuation of the tour for his income,” he said.

Much of what jurors heard for the first time from Dr. Christopher Rogers Monday is a repeat of the scientific evidence presented in the trial of Murray, who is now serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. But some of what is in the coroner’s report seems to give more insight into Michael Jackson’s life rather than how he died.

Rogers noted in his autopsy report that Jackson’s lips were tattooed pink, while his eyebrows were a dark tattoo. The front of his scalp was also tattooed black, apparently to blend his hairline in with the wigs he wore.

The autopsy confirmed what Jackson told people who questioned why his skin tone became lighter in the 1980s. Jackson had “vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disease,” Rogers said. “So, some areas of the skin appear light and others appear dark.”

Jackson lawyer Michael Koskoff made sure the jury heard that, even though it had nothing to do with how he died.

Jackson’s mother and three children are suing AEG Live, contending the company that was promoting his “This Is It” shows was liable for his death because of the negligent hiring, retention and supervision of Murray.

AEG Live argues that Jackson chose Murray as his tour doctor and that the company had no way of knowing he was using the surgical anesthetic propofol to put the singer to sleep each night.

Rogers concluded that a propofol overdose killed Jackson, although several sedatives Murray gave him that morning contributed to his death.

Los Angeles coroner’s toxicologist Dan Anderson, who studied the drugs in Jackson’s body, testified Monday that the level of propofol found in Jackson’s body was “consistent with major surgery anesthesia.”

Propofol is a dangerous drug when not used properly, he said.

The Los Angeles coroner’s office found 31 deaths in the last 14 years in which propofol was found in a body, including six suicides committed by medical personnel — doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists — who chose the drug to end their lives, Anderson said.

There have also been several homicides with propofol, including “a mercy killing” in a hospital, he testified.

If not for his death by propofol, Jackson’s health appeared good enough for him to live a normal lifespan, Rogers testified.

“There was no indication from the autopsy that there was anything anatomically wrong with him that would lead to premature death,” Rogers said.

He had no signs of being addicted to street drugs, such as needle marks or disease, he said.

That testimony is important for the Jackson case, because if the jury decides that AEG is liable in his death, his expected lifespan will be key to calculating damages. Jackson lawyers will contend that he would have made billions of dollars in his remaining years through several more world tours, merchandizing, recording and movies.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/07/showbiz/jackson-death-trial/?hpt=hp_t2

The above article surprised me by the unconventional conclusion that Michael’s expected lifespan was important because it was key to ‘calculating damages’.

I thought it was important because Michael could have lived a long and happy life, could have seen his children grow up, could have married again and could have given all the concerts he wanted to give (if the break between the shows was long enough for his rest).

However if they say that it was important for calculating damages let it be their way, though this interpretation is obviously downplaying the tragedy Michael’s mother and children have already gone through and will have to live with forever after now.

But all this news is nothing in comparison with the news that arrived on Day 7 of the trial.

DAY 7 May 8, 2013  

GOD vs. DARKNESS

On that day Alif Sankey, dancer and co-producer of the show retold to us Michael’s incredible words about God speaking to him. And the same day also brought us the totally insane story of Wade Robson’s ‘repressed memories of molestation’ suddenly recovered after 20 years of some fictional amnesia.

Though each of the above news is strong enough to shatter us to our very foundation I was especially struck by the fact that both news came on one and the same day.

To me it looked like the immediate reaction of the universe to the plans crafted by the wicked and the Maker sending us a chance witness who testifed about things that could not be envisaged or counted upon even by the most ingenious of human minds.

This incident reminded me of a similar miraculous incident that took place during Murray’s trial when the tape of Michael’s slurred speech made under sedation and most probably intended by Murray for betraying his friend too, by some miracle turned into the evidence of Michael’s selfless and innocent thoughts about children, his dream to give away his money to build a hospital for them and thinking about God even at a time when his mind was in a half-unconscious state.

And now came a new story of the worst human betrayal since the times of Judah Iscariot and the news about God speaking to Michael in the last days of his life that came exactly on the day when the news of the betrayal reached us.

This made me feel like a witness standing there in awe and observing the battle between the two opposing forces none of which are usually observed by us mere mortals.

Something gigantic must indeed be happening in the spheres high above us if such incredible things happen again and again. It is in rare moments like these that you realize the truly cosmic scope of the events taking place around Michael.

Let me also note that in those days planet Earth was also heading for a solar eclipse (to take place on May 9) which only added extra weight and meaning to Wade Robson’s betrayal and Alif’s testimony about God speaking to Michael. It looked like the final sign to be seen even by the blindest that the betrayal came at the time when the light was going out over a huge part of the planet even in the literal meaning of the word.

ALIF SANKEY

Alif Sankey’s testimony struck me by her saying that Michael heard God speaking to him and he didn’t understand why. Michael didn’t brag or feel elated as the majority would feel under the circumstances. No, from Alif’s account you get the impression that he was bewildered and even worried that this was happening to him.

Alif herself was so struck by Michael’s words that both she and Ortega who was actually the first to hear it, cried after that. The LA Times article quotes Alif Sankey saying:

·       “[Michael] didn’t understand why God was speaking to him. We were both crying. We were crying because he seemed — he was not speaking normally to Kenny.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-jackson-god-20130508,0,5711980.story

The LA Times article was already mentioned in the previous post so let me retell Alif Sankey’s testimony by Alan Duke’s more detailed account.  

The day when Michael spoke of God was the fateful rehearsal on June 19th. Michael felt so bad that Ortega sent him home after he had tried some costumes. Afterwards Alif called Kenny Ortega from her car and practically screamed that Michael was dying and should be put into to the hospital. She wondered why no one saw what she was seeing.

The same night at 2 am Ortega sent a worried email to Randy Phillips. Phillips arranged a meeting the next morning where Murray reprimanded Ortega for sending Michael home, told him to mind his own business and ‘not play an ameteur doctor’ on Michael.

Phillips actually repeated the same words to Ortega in an email sent to him at 2pm after the meeting, so who was the real author of those callous words we can only guess at. Phillips praised the doctor, said he had immense respect for him and added that he was ‘unbiased’, ‘ethical’ and ‘extremely successful’ as ‘they had checked him out’.

Well, if Phillips is not lying here and they really checked him out and found that he was half a million in debt, then let me repeat that it is only for the worse for AEG as it means that they even wanted to keep a toy doctor by Michael’s side to make him jump at each of their wishes and do as they ordered him to.

Alif Sankey with Michael Jackson in the “Smooth Criminal” era

So four days before Michael’s death Alif Sankey had a strong feeling that he was dying…. 

At this point I recollected that a similar eerie feeling gripped Arnold Klein and all those in his office when Michael was taking his leave on Monday, June 22 the same week.

This was also the day when Michael suddenly danced for the patients in Klein’s office as if to show them that he could dance. 

Lou Ferrignio also felt something of the kind when he saw Michael two weeks before his death and felt disturbed by what he suddenly felt when Michael was taking his leave.

When so many people simultaneously have a strange premonition, it means that it wasn’t a mere imagination on their part.

They were either gripped by the fright from seeing Michael’s skeletal body or the specter of his death was already there and they felt its presence by some inexplicable sixth sense.

This is another reason for us to think that the universe must have been screaming about the need to give Michael help, only very few were willing to or were allowed to answer the call:

Michael Jackson days before death: ‘God keeps talking to me’

By Alan Duke, CNN

May 9, 2013 — Updated 1423 GMT (2223 HKT)

Katherine Jackson: Michael’s mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son’s three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson’s comeback concerts.

Los Angeles (CNN) — Michael Jackson told his tour director days before he died he was hearing God’s voice, a producer testified Wednesday.

“God keeps talking to me,”Jackson said.

Those words spoken to Kenny Ortega and Jackson’s frail appearance were so disturbing that it caused Ortega and associate producer Alif Sankey to burst into tears at a rehearsal, Sankey said Wednesday in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother and three children.

Jackson, who was being fitted for his costumes, appeared “extremely thin” and “was not speaking normally” at the June 19, 2009, rehearsal, Sankey told jurors in a trial to determine if concert promoter AEG Live should be held liable in the pop icon’s death.

Jurors saw a photo of Jackson at the costume fitting that showed an obviously thin and gaunt man.

Sankey testified that she and Ortega cried together after Jackson left. On her way home, Sankey stopped her car to call Ortega “because I had a very strong feeling that Michael was dying.”

“I was screaming into the phone at that point,” Sankey testified. “I said he needs to be put in the hospital now.”

Sankey became emotional as she testified about the call.

“I kept saying that ‘Michael is dying, he’s dying, he’s leaving us, he needs to be put in a hospital,'” Sankey said. “‘Please do something. Please, please.’ I kept saying that. I asked him why no one had seen what I had seen. He said he didn’t know.”

Ortega sent a series of e-mails early the next morning that resulted in a meeting at Jackson’s house between Jackson, Dr. Conrad Murray, AEG Live President Randy Phillips and Ortega.

An e-mail from Phillips after that meeting said he had confidence in Murray, “who I am gaining immense respect for as I get to deal with him more.”

“This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig, so he (is) totally unbiased and ethical,” Phillips’ e-mail said.

The lawsuit contends that Phillips and AEG never checked Murray out. Otherwise, they would have known he was deeply in debt and vulnerable to breaking the rules in treating Jackson to keep his job, it argues.

Jackson lawyers contend that AEG Live is liable for Jackson’s death because the company negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray — who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death.

Jackson’s last rehearsal was at the StaplesCenter in downtown Los Angeles on June 24, 2009. Security camera video shown to the jury Wednesday showed him walking with a blanket wrapped around him as he passed Sankey.

“He didn’t look good,” she testified. “I asked him if he was cold, and he said ‘Yes.'”

Jackson sang two songs that last night on stage: “Thriller” and “Earth Song,” she said.

“He did it,” Sankey said. “He went through it. He wasn’t in full performance mode.”

Sankey said she was standing next to Ortega at a rehearsal the next afternoon when Randy Phillips called to tell him Jackson was dead.

“Kenny collapsed in our arms,” she said.

The lawsuit contends that AEG Live executives missed a series of red flags warning them that Jackson’s life was at risk because of Murray, who was giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic propofol to treat his insomnia.

The coroner ruled Jackson had died from an overdose of propofol in combination with several sedatives on June 25, 2009.

Murray told investigators he used the drugs to help Jackson sleep so he could be rested for rehearsals.

AEG lawyers argue Jackson, not their company, chose and supervised Murray, and that their executives had no way of knowing what the doctor was doing to Jackson in the privacy of his bedroom.

Michael’s creativity

In contrast to six days of testimony mostly about Jackson’s death, jurors did hear about the pop icon’s creativity during Sankey’s testimony

“Michael’s imagination was endless,” Sankey said. “He would visualize it, and it happened. It was amazing.”

Katherine Jackson dabbed tears from her eyes as her son’s “Smooth Criminal” video was played in court.

Sankey first met Michael Jackson when she was a dancer in the 1987 video production.

“We got to see Michael’s imagination come to life,” Sankey said. “That was my first time as a dancer, as an artist, that I was completely inspired by his craft and inspired by his attention to every detail. He was so detailed and he never missed a thing.”

Working with Jackson was “magical,” she said.

“I dream still to this day that I will be able to create on that level of magic that Michael created,” Sankey said. “It was like living a dream of working with an artist like that, and I will treasure it and have it in my memory forever.”

Sankey’s work as an associate producer and dancer for Jackson’s “This Is It” tour put her on the witness list in this trial.

“He shared with me that he was excited to do the show,” she said. “He was excited to show his kids, finally to show them who he was, what he was all about; he was very excited about that.“

Jurors heard about Jackson’s relationship with his three children and their love of their father. Sankey described how they would come with their father to the set each day in early June when he was filming video elements for the show.

“Paris had a purse, and inside her purse, she had all this candy in her purse she didn’t want her daddy to know about,” Sankey said. “She had these little pictures of her father in her purse that were in frames. She had, like, a lot of them. Her purse was full of candy and pictures of her daddy.”

“They loved their daddy,” she said.

The “This Is It” concert would have been “a pretty big show,” Sankey told jurors.

“It was going to be huge and it was going to be innovative, different,” she testified. “From working with Michael in my past, I knew it had to be something that no one’s ever seen. It all had to be new and pioneering.”

The next witness when court resumes Thursday morning will be Michael Jackson’s longtime hair and make up artist, Karen Faye. She was quoted in interviews after Jackson’s death saying that the pop star was in ill health weeks before he died.

Spectators in the small Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday morning included Judge Lance Ito, famous for presiding over the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995. Ito was there to watch his friend, Judge Yvette Palazuelos, preside over this trial and then go to lunch with her.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/08/showbiz/jackson-death-trial/?hpt=en_c2

The article by Anthony McCartney from the Associated Press says that Alif Sankey sent emails to Ortega already in early June urging him to improve Michael’s health and spirits. 

The point about Michael’s spirits is top important as the core of the whole problem with Michael was the fact that AEG crushed his spirit and took away his zest.

Ever since the announcement of those 50 dates Michael felt betrayed, trapped, humiliated and taken advantage of. 

You remember that on May 29 he met his fans and told them of a sore wound and pain inflicted on him by his partners – he never agreed to 50 dates, they set them too close to each other and he didn’t know whether he would be able to follow the show/day-off/show/day-off regimen they arranged for him.

It was during that conversation that he also learned from his fans that the open space in front of the stage was seated and was selling for thousands of dollars. He promised the girls to ‘do something about it’.

This means that in early June Michael raised this problem with AEG but from what we know of AEG’s manners they must have rebuffed him in the harshest way possible and hurt him even further.

Early June was also the time when Michael’s frank talk with the fans became known to the press and this resulted in a huge scandal. Randy Phillips publicly called Michael’s words a “fabrication” and voiced the AEG official version that Michael was “thrilled to do 50 shows”.

Though this was totally untrue all the hue and cry in the press made Michael swallow the offence, retreat into himself and probably even avoid his partners for some time. He tried to stick to the Culver studios where he  was making videos and was clearly trying to regain his spirits a bit.

It was also at that time that after the talk with the fans AEG fully isolated him by security people, so no fan could approach him any more (letters were the most they were allowed). We can only imagine how terribly this must have aggravated Michael’s feelings of loneliness, frustration and even fear.

Dancer says she gave warnings about Jackson health

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY | Associated Press – Wed, May 8, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A dancer who worked with Michael Jackson throughout his career testified on Wednesday that she told the director of Jackson’s ill-fated concert tour that she was worried about the singer’s health.

Witness Alif Sankey told a jury deciding a lawsuit that the pop star appeared thin and unprepared in 2009 for the rigors of his planned comeback concerts known as “This Is It.”

The singer showed up at one rehearsal with shoes that had holes in the soles, missed rehearsals and appeared much thinner than earlier in his career, Sankey testified.

Sankey showed jurors an email she wrote to tour director Kenny Ortega in early June 2009, urging him to try to improve Jackson’s health and spirits. She never got a direct reply but testified that Ortega raised the concerns with concert promoter AEG Live.

“Please help me help you to get him back into that Magical Light, please let me help you help him find what was lost, his GRAIL,” Sankey wrote to Ortega, who she had worked closely with for a number of years.

Testimony showed Ortega copied Sankey on several email messages that he sent to AEG executives about Jackson’s condition and the need for him to receive physical therapy and better nutrition.

“He requires more attention and management,” Ortega wrote in one email. “I truly believe he needs nourishment guidance and physical therapy (massage) for his fatigued muscles and injuries. He is not in great physical shape. I believe he’s hurting.”

Sankey met Jackson while working on his 1987 video for “Smooth Criminal” and was an associate producer and planned to dance onstage during “This Is It.”

Plaintiff’s attorney Brian Panish asked Sankey about one message in which AEG executive Paul Gongaware told Ortega that he planned to talk to Murray.

“We want to remind him that it is AEG, not MJ who is paying his salary,” the message said. “We want him to understand what is expected of him.”

Sankey said she based some of her impressions of Jackson over the years on how he felt when they hugged.

“When I hugged him, he just felt like marble,” Sankey said about Jackson early in his career. “But when I hugged, when I saw him briefly in 2006, he didn’t feel like that anymore. He felt thin.”

On cross-examination, Sankey acknowledged that her impressions were formed from brief interactions with the singer and she never had a long conversation with him.

She was, however, trusted enough to be around Jackson’s children, whose privacy he fiercely protected.

Sankey testified that Paris Jackson once shared a secret, saying she didn’t want her father to find out about candy stuffed inside her purse.

There were also several tiny pictures inside her purse — all of her father.

At Culver studios in early June Michael’s mood was terrible. He could hardly smile

So in early June Michael was filming videos at the Culvar Studios, was often accompanied there by his children and after each session was expected by Kenny Ortega and AEG at the Forum for rehearsals.

Michael’s mood was terrible at the time as even a This is it episode where Michael practices a drill with the dancers for “They don’t care about us” (what an appropriate title for the moment!) shows him unable even to smile or pretend to be excited over the show. 

Let me stress it again that Michael’s spirits were low not only because of his insomnia, but mostly because of the harsh and often inhuman treatment he was getting from his AEG partners.

With those 50 dates they created a problem for him and now acted as if it was none of their business how he would do it.

Below is the short news providing us with details from ABC7 Court News (https://twitter.com/ABC7Courts) and TeamMichaelJackson summarized together (https://twitter.com/TeamMichael777).

This summary will ASTONISH you by the amount of facts which were totally omitted by the press:

1	Good Morning.  Court is about to start with Producer/Dancer Alif Sankey set to take the stand.  She was on “This is It” with MJ.	ABC7
2	Mrs. Jackson has arrived with her nephew Trent Jackson.  She has a purple dress and jacket on. The fans are standing.	ABC7
3	Alif Sankey is a Dancer, Choreographer, and Producer.  She was hired the Associate Producer for “This is It”	ABC7
4	She was nervous because she has never testified at a trial before.	ABC7
5	She first met MJ working for him as a dancer on the Smooth Criminal music tour.  She blew the first audition but got a call back anyway.	ABC7
6	Her first encounter with MJ he asked her who did her eyes?  She said she did and then she wanted to Melt!	ABC7
7	Key said that was the best job she ever had because she go to watch MJ create and see his Genius up close. It has inspired her.	ABC7
8	Sankey said she was hired at the Associate Producer for “This is It” by AEG. She had worked with Producer Kenny Ortega many years.	ABC7
9	Dancer auditions started April 6th 2009 and hundreds tried out.  They hired about 100 (huge show)!!!	ABC7

Here is a small correction on my part. The numerous sources I quoted earlier said that the auditions were over in the middle of May. Judging by Alif’s words the auditions started in April but evidently lasted much longer than expected.

10	Sankey testified that the “This is It” tour was to revive MJ’s career.  She the audience something they had never seen before.	ABC7
11	Sankey said she saw MJ for the first time after being hired on the last day of dancer auditions.  He looked thin.	ABC7
12	Who were you reporting to? Phillips/Gongaware	TMJ
13	..Who paid you, who could fire you, who was your contract with?  “AEG”Alif replies.	TMJ
14	Showing colander of TII rehearsal. Center stage mid April-May. June 1st moved to the Forum till June 20th then moved to Staples.	TMJ

Central staging in Burbanks (April – May 30, 2009)

So Alif Sankey saw Michael only on the last day of the dancers auditions which (if those news sources were correct) must have been the middle of May. The exact time of the auditions will probably be clarified in the course of the trial.

The Forum Inglewood (June 1- 20, 2009)

Alif’s account confirms that the first rehearsals took place in Central staging in Burbanks where on May 29 Michael talked to his fans.

On June 1st they had their first rehearsal in the Forum (a stadium with seats around the stage where the Billy Jean episode from This is it was shot).

Staples Center (June 22-25, 2009)

On June 20th they went to the Staples Center from where the rest of This is it footage was taken.

The tweets continue the story:

15	..MJ was excited to do show, was very happy to do the show, but thin OBJECTION, OBJECTION told by Travis Payne MJ too thin. SIDE BAR!!!!!!!!!	TMJ
16	Travis shared with Alif Michael was complaining of his body being sore. Suggested bring in bar to stretch. Also recommending other exercises	TMJ
17	Did not discuss exercises or nutrition with Ortega. Noticed bottom of MJ shoes had holes. Informed brother Michael to bring new shoes	TMJ
18	Found it difficult choosing with Michael which song should be on show. Had emails from Ortega raising concerns about Michael.	TMJ
19	Who was responsible for overseeing everything at rehearsals? OBJECTION! Overruled. More objections, overruled. Witness hesitant to answer…	TMJ
20	Finally, who did you see the most at rehearsals??  Gongaware, Phillips less.	TMJ
21	Spent time with Prince, Paris & Blanket, early June, MJ brought them to watch Smooth Criminal.Paris purse was full of Candy & pictures of Michael	TMJ
22	..Went to watch “Up” with P,P,B. Ortega and Payne. Was covert operation to get into the movies. MJ was wonderful Father…	TMJ
23	..Whatever was on schedule for rehearsals Michael HAD to be present. Ortega was frustrated with MJ not attending rehearsals. Showing email..	TMJ
24	….May 22nd from Mr Payne to Michael Amir “we pray all is well if MJ is available we would like to see him at rehearsals”	TMJ
25	…Michael would be in Culver city for back drop screen(film) in mornings, then after 5/6 at rehearsals	TMJ
26	Left work last night very sad & upset, I know this cannot fail. “Please let me know if you can get him back into the magical light”. Alif to Kenny Ortega	TMJ
27	..MJ used to rehearse with Travis Payne at rehearsals and Home. Had moment with MJ once at costume meeting, MJ said “You have lost weight”	TMJ

The above suggests that Travis Payne said to Alif that Michael was too thin.

This is very important as now Travis as a witness for AEG says that Michael was okay.  AEG’s attorneys objected to Alif repeating Travis’s words as hearsay and called a side bar to discuss whether it could be admitted. It evidently could  as Alif continued with what she heard from Travis.

In May Michael was rehearsing with Travis Payne at Central Staging and at home, and was training so much that his body was sore and the soles of his shoes had holes!

David Guest was right when he said that Michael was “dancing his ass off” at the time. Another conclusion here is that most of the training was done by Michael behind the scenes as he didn’t want to show himself to the dancers in a state when he was not yet sure of his dancing.

What’s absolutely horrible is that no matter what kind of a rehearsal they had Michael was to be present at all of them by all means. 

In early June when Michael was filming videos at Culver Studios and was supposed to be at two locations every day – first in the studio in the morning and then dance and sing at Forum rehearsals too.

Culver Studios  (marked “A”) were closer to Michael’s home in Carolwood Drive (“C”). Forum (marked “B”) is in the opposite direction. Total route 33 kms. Michael was supposed to work on these two locations every day.

Two locations every day and this at the time when Michael publicly complained (to the same Travis) that he was hardly sleeping! 

Travis knew of Michael’s insomnia as he said in 2009 that Michael would come to rehearsals and say, “I didn’t sleep last night”. And this wasn’t just once – it happened throughout the rehearsals.

A QUOTE from October 16, 2009:

“In interviews for this week’s EW cover story on This Is It, Michael Jackson’s collaborators shared new details about the pop star’s final rehearsals for his planned comeback concerts and the day the shocking news of his death broke.

Throughout the rehearsals, those around Jackson were often concerned about his health but didn’t see any major cause for alarm. 

Choreographer Travis Payne remembers, “Michael would come in and say, ‘I didn’t sleep last night.’ But then we’d be on set and you’d see he had his A-game, so you didn’t really question it.”

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2009/10/16/michael-jacksons-collaborators-share-new-details-of-pop-stars-final-days/

AEG objected to every question concerning their ultimate power in taking decisions. Kenny Ortega was also reporting to AEG

Alif asked Ortega for help to revive Michael’s spirits. Their joint covert visit to the movies on Sunday 7th (they were let in when the lights went out) was possibly one of the ways to distract Michael from his sad thoughts. 

The tweets make it clear that every question about who was overseeing the rehearsals met with vehement objections from AEG, so indirectly this testifies to the fact that it was them who oversaw everything.

The tweets continue with the following:

28	Sankey was at a wardrobe meeting with MJ when he said to her she looked good..Had she lost weight?  She said she works out. MJ nice to all.	ABC7
29	She spoke to MJ’s assistant because she noticed MJ had holes in the soles of his dancing shoes.	ABC7
30	In June, MJ kids came to rehearsal.  Paris had a purse with candy and pix of MJ.  She asked Sankey not to tell MJ about the candy.	ABC7
31	It has been confirmed the low life scum Wade works for AEG Live. Cockroaches are so predictable. Traveling in pacts. What’s next AEG? [TMJ’s personal comment]	TMJ
32	Putnam appeared in court where Dileo lives trying to quash the subpoena by Jackson attorneys to obtain Dileo email.	TMJ
33	Sankey suggested MJ stretch, have a barre installed at his house, and pilates to get 50 year old body in shape for tour.	ABC7
34	Producers expressed concern on MJ rehearsal attendance by the beginning of June.  Sankey was worried.	ABC7
35	Lunch  Break…When Mrs. Jackson left, fans stood and told her they were parying for her and that they loved her.	ABC7
36	At about 10:40a, OJ Judge Lance Ito entered the courtroom and sat in the gallery.  He asked ABC7 Miriam Hernandez trial details.	ABC7
37	Direct Examination of Sankey continues at 1:30p.	ABC7
38	Judge Ito said he is having lunch with Jackson Judge Yvette Palazuelos.	ABC7
39	Sankey testified MJ was not at rehearsal for the first week of June.  He came to rehearsal June 6th.	ABC7
40	That was after a tough love meeting with MJ and the show Director and Producer that Sankey said was tough love.	ABC7
41	..Did not know about problems MJ’s prescription medicines use. Was aware of nature of THE meeting (tough love) at MJ’s house	TMJ
42	….Meeting was first week at the forum, first week in June.  MJ was attending video work being done in Culver City	TMJ
43	…told by Kenny the meeting was about giving Michael “tough love” because missed rehearsals. Wasn’t concerned at this point about future of show	TMJ
44	Michael then attended doing Billie Jean, then Man in the Mirror. Clip plays	TMJ
45	…Meeting was at MJ home with P.Gongaware. R.Phillips. K.Ortega	TMJ

ABC7 Court News also mentioned the shoes as the picture of holes in the shoe soles is indeed impressive. Besides this being said about the best but most neglected dancer in the world, this picture  also conveys the idea how hard Michael was training and rehearsing at the time (evidently at home as no one else saw it).

I wonder if what looks like a personal comment from TeamMJ about Wade Robson working for AEG could be proven by some projects indeed tying him to AEG.

And now comes one of the key issues we need to discuss.

We hear so much about Michael ‘missing rehearsals’ that it is an absolute must for us to look into every date and see how often he did not come. And why too, because if he did not come there must have been a reason for it.

THE TIMELINE

The period discussed is early June, so the rehearsals were missed soon after Michael talked to his fans on May 29th and shared with them his frustration with AEG setting 50 shows.

The first rehearsal at the Forum stadium took place on June 1st. But Alif says that Michael was making videos at Calver Studios at the time and came to rehearse on June 6th only.  

(Update: In the  full TMJ transcript provided here  http://teammichaeljackson.com/archives/8315  Alif later corrects herself and says Michael’s first hehearsal at the Forum was on June 5th).

This was preceded by a “tough love” meeting held at Michael’s home.

And approximately a week prior to the tough love meeting AEG must have arranged Michael a huge scandal – Michael started asking questions about the open space around the stage and the exorbitant price of tickets not affordable to his fans, and Phillips and Gongaware must have yelled at Michael for the audacity of speaking to fans, creating bad publicity for the show, “fabricating” stories and not following their orders.

I can easily imagine that after that Michael tried to come to himself and avoid his offenders by sticking to the Calver Studios only.

However to get Michael to rehearsals AEG arranged a meeting at his home (on June 4th or 5th) and punished him by declaring tough love on him for the rehearsals missed during the Culver studios video shooting.

Beginning of June was also the period when the media was at its worst in its spite and nastiness towards Michael. Below is the article by a certain Melinda Newman. Now she is writing for the New York Daily News and after reading this article hopefully you will understand what kind of an author she is:

Will the show go on? Michael Jackson mad about 50 London concerts

Uh, oh. Jacko tells fans he only agreed to 10

BY MELINDA NEWMAN WEDNESDAY, JUN 3, 2009

Michael Jackson’s London dates are looking crazy again.

Take it for what it’s worth and we’d like to see the video before we believe it at all, but Michael Jackson reportedly told fans outside the Burbank, Calif. dance studio where he was rehearsing earlier this week that he only signed on for 10 shows at London’s 02 Arena, reports the U.K.’s Sun newspaper. The problem? Fifty shows have sold out. As we know, “production” issues have already pushed the start date back from July 8 to July 13.

“I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows,” Jackson allegedly said. “I only wanted to do 10, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place.

“I went to bed knowing I sold 10 dates, and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50.”  All we can say is that must be one heck of a nap since the initial slate of 10 shows was announced and then the other concerts were added a few days later.

Plus, and this is what is making us check to see if it isn’t really April 1 on our calendar, Jackson supposedly said, “I don’t know how I’m going to do 50 shows. I’m not a big eater – I need to put some weight on.”  Uh…right. Plus, we’d also like to note that the Sun recently ran a story about how Jackson is afraid his nose may fall off. (Wait a minute, that actually makes them more credible by the second…)

Regardless of whether this conversation, which is completely unattributed, by the way, is true, the bigger point is will Jackson ever take the stage at all? Rumors continue to swirl, despite concert promoter AEG’s denials, that Jackson is not well enough to perform a few dates, let alone 50, and that he needs additional treatment for skin cancer.  If we were a betting woman-and, as you know, there are betting pools going on over this very issue in London-we would bet that the cancer will be used as a reason for delaying the shows and then they will never happen.

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/the-beat-goes-on/posts/michael-jackson-allegedly-mad-about-50-london-shows

AEG did damage control after Michael’s chance talk with the fans by telling blatant lies that he was very much willing to do the 50 shows and was even “thrilled” by the prospect:

AEG Live confirms Michael Jackson will perform all 50 concerts

By Allison Reitz

Fri, Jun 5th 2009 10:25 am EDT

Since the initial unveiling of Michael Jackson’s epic 50-date residency at The O2 Arena in London, ENG, speculation has swirled around the performer’s ability to successfully complete an engagement of that proportion. The event’s promoter AEG Live is now stepping forward to confirm that Jackson is fully prepared — and willing — to get the job done.

“Michael Jackson was thrilled at selling 50 shows,” said AEG Live president and CEO Randy Phillips in a statement. “The size and scale of this show would not be possible without an extended run, which Michael has been fully on board with from the very beginning. He has not agreed to a world tour at this point, however, he can at any time.”

Phillips’ statements followed a widely publicized report from UK-based tabloid The Sun, which contended that the pop singer was less than thrilled about his long-term ties to the London stage.

“I’m really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do 10, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place,” the tabloid reportedly quoted Jackson. “I went to bed knowing I sold 10 dates and woke up to the news I was booked to do 50.”

In addition to questions about the King of Pop’s willingness to extend the This Is It concert series over 50 dates, published reports have also speculated on everything from his health and his preparedness leading up to the July kick-off, to the potential of lawsuits threatening the O2 Arena concerts.

http://www.ticketnews.com/news/AEG-Live-confirms-Michael-Jackson-will-perform-all-50-concerts695019

Returning to our timeline let us pay attention to the fact that the above article was published on June 5th and this date was Friday.

So when Michael had his first rehearsal at the Forum on June 6th it means that it was Saturday. 

After a full working week Saturday is usually a day off but what’s normal for us is no good for a star like Jackson. He was to be running a marathon, or this is what at least AEG was expecting of him. 

So on June 5th AEG must have arranged a tough-love meeting for Michael and the next day, Saturday Michael was already performing at the Forum.

Correction: the full TMJ transcript says that Michael came to the Forum on June 5th – so he evidently rehearsed both on Friday and Saturday:

Panish: Was Mr. Jackson coming to rehearsal that week?

Alif: He was attending video content production of the show at Culver City Studios.

Panish: When was the first time he showed up at the forum and he actually did rehearsal?

Alif: That would have been Friday the 5^th of June.

The songs rehearsed were Billie Jean and Man in the Mirror. Does anyone remember people complaining that Michael did not take off his dark glasses even for a second and they were “worried” about it? It seems that Michael was not taking them off as he was hiding behind those dark glasses the deepness of his frustration and did not want anyone to see it.

Alif’s testimony also suggests that Michael had only one day off.

On Sunday June 7 she, Ortega, Travis, Michael and his children went to the movies to see the Disney film “Up” at El Captain Theater.

Then Michael attended the rehearsals on four consecutive dates – June 8,9,10 and 11 (Monday-Thursday). This makes 5 or 6 days of almost non-stop rehearsals in early June.

The full version of Alif’s testimony says that each time Michael rehearsed he was performing OK – not in the full performance mode, but well enough for a rehearsal. Answering Marvin Putnam’s question Alif said that Michael did everything he was expected to be doing and it was only the last rehearsal at the end of that week which was ‘bad’. This must have been Thursday, June 11th.

Then he did not come to the rehearsal on Friday June 12th.

On Saturday June 13th  Michael’s assistant William Amir emailed Travis Payne that the doctor was ordering a sick leave for Michael.  The rehearsal went forward but Ortega was frustrated. Alif saw it but was more concerned about Michael being too thin and thought he needed to gain weight and build the muscle mass.

Let us recall that at the tough love meeting in early June Murray was instructed to guarantee Michael’s attendance of rehearsals and was ordered to even accompany him there.

Alif says that she did see Murray at rehearsals after the tough-love meeting. 

On Sunday June 14th Kenny Ortega responded to William Amir’s email by writing to Paul Gongaware (the emails were added from the full transcript on TeamMichaelJackson.com). He sounded concerned and said that Michael needed a nutritionist and a physical therapist to attend to him on a regular basis:

“Are you aware that MJ’s doctor didn’t permit him to attend rehearsal?? Are Randy and Frank aware of this?? Please have them stay on top of his health situation. Personally, I feel he needs a top nutritionist and physical therapist working on him on a regular basis”.

50 minutes later Gongaware answered Ortega that he and Frank Dileo wanted a face-to-face meeting with Murray. They wanted to remind him who was paying him money and that he was to do what was expected of him (and not what the doctor is supposed to do for the well-being of his patient):

“Frank and I have discussed it already and have requesting a face to face meeting with the doctor hopefully Monday. We want to remind him that it is AEG not MJ who is paying his salary. We want him to understand what is expected of him. We have been vouching for him so far. Paul G.”

Alif was copied in the AEG email to Ortega and from its tone and style assumed that Murray was in AEG’s employment and was paid by AEG.

The meeting was arranged at Michael’s home (on Monday?) and was attended by Randy Phillips, Paul Gongaware and Kenny Ortega.

Let us recall that at Murray’s trial Ortega could not confirm whether he attended the meeting and said that he only ‘heard’ about it. In his turn Randy Phillips said that he was hearing of ‘tough love’ for the first time.

At this point of the court session Alif  looked very distressed, evidently by the fact that she could not say a word of tuth without AEG objecting to it.

Sunday June 14 finished with Ortega’s email sent to Paul Gongaware’s at 7 in the evening. Ortega ‘has sympathy with what Michael has been through’ and says that Michael requires help and more attention. This is only part of the message:

“Paul, MJ did not have a good day and he didn’t show on Saturday. I realize that he is up against a lot. I have sympathy for what he has been thru. We must do all we can, all that we can as a team, to stay on top of his need every day. He requires more attention and management. As I mentioned I truly believe he needs nourishment guidance and physical therapy massage for his fatigued muscles and injury. He is not in great physical shape, I believe he is hurting. He is slow at grasping all the work. We have 20 days, we can’t let him slip. I am doing all that I can every day to build up his confidence and to create a schedule that will help him and ready him to arrive us at our goal.”

Let me express my astonishment again that NONE of it was reported in the press!

The tweets of TeamMichaelJackson were extremely helpful to reconstruct all of the above:

46	...MJ never went on “full performance mode” didn’t come on 12th was bad week. 6/13 by Payne “MJ taking leave to see Dr. Won’t be at rehearsals.”	TMJ
47	….Was concerned about MJ,was extremely thin. Ortega always at rehearsals. Saw Gongware a lot at rehearsals. Bugsy  always at Rehearsals	TMJ
48	Saw Gongaware more at rehearsals then Phillips. After June 6th meeting saw Murray at rehearsals	TMJ
49	..June 14th email shown.. 3.21pm chain email  “were you aware Murray didn’t allow him to attend rehearsals,MJ needs physio, nutrionist	TMJ
50	…same chain Alif cc 4.11 pm Paul Gongaware to Ortega “Frank and I discussed requesting face to face meeting with Murray remind him it’s AEG not MJ that pays his wages & want him to  know what is expected of him”…it meant to me that Dr Murray was definitely on board and being paid by AEF	TMJ
51	WE WANT HIM TO KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF HIM Panish	TMJ
52	Panish: “Counsel (AEG) told jury/opening statements MJ was not expected to be at rehearsals is that true?” Alif:   “MJ had to be at rehearsals”	TMJ
53	Another email in chain from Ortega asking Gongaware to pay attention to MJ’s needs. “.MJ needs help…We have 20 days we can’t let him slip”	TMJ
54	Did you agree with all that Mr Ortega was reporting? Yes. Monday or Tuesday 15/16? Kenny Ortega showed MJ whole show with Payne as MJ	TMJ
55	Did MJ dress differently? Wearing layers of clothing saying he was cold, wore gloves 15 or 16. Forum was not cold, we had lights	TMJ
56	..On 19th was costume fitting for MJ with Payne, Bush, Zoldie? Had to take everything back OBJECTION,, image shown Objection	TMJ
57	..Witness looks distressed.. SIDEBAR… Witness looks visibly shaken	TMJ
58	Don’t tell me what Ortega said, tell us how did Mr Ortega seem to be after the meeting? Objection … “Which date” Judge	TMJ
59	Were you and Mr Ortega crying that night? Yes. Why? Kenny sent MJ home. Kenny told me OBJECTION	TMJ

It is evident that in their opening statement the AEG lawyers assured the jury that Michael was not expected to be present at every rehearsals, however Alif said that they had Michael on schedule most of the time.

Q:  Counsel told the jury in their opening statement, that Michael Jackson did not have to be at rehearsals, is that a true or untrue statement?
A:  Michael Jackson needed to be at rehearsal and was on the schedule for rehearsals. Which is definitely most of the time we had him on schedule.

Earlier she even emphasized that there were no excuses for Michael missing a single rehearsal:

• “Whatever was on schedule for rehearsals Michael HAD to be present”.

An email from Ortega said that Michael’s needs had to be attended to and Alif fully shared Ortega’s concern.

From the follow-up tweets we learn that despite Murray’s mail sent on Sunday not allowing Michael to rehearse, evidently after a face to face meeting with AEG Murray changed his mind.

And though Michael was very ill Murray  sent him to do rehearsals on Monday – Tuesday June 15th-16th. 

And after that some people are saying that Murray was not in AEG’s employment and was following Michael’s and not AEG’s requests?

On those two days of June 15 and 16 Michael was unwell. He felt very cold and wore several layers of clothing. He also had to wear gloves.

Later on Travis Payne would say that he thought that Michael was having a simple cold. Have you seen people wearing gloves in summer when they have colds?

Michael evidently did not perform as Ortega showed Michael the whole show with Travis Payne playing Michael’s part.

What happened on June 17th and 18th the tweets did not report, but from Karen Faye’s later testimony we learn that Michael did go to rehearsal on June 18th and was quite ‘stoic’ there.

On June 19th Michael was at the rehearsal again and felt extremely cold, shivered all over, was not himself, spoke to Alif and Ortega about God and was so disturbing a sight that Alif and Ortega cried after Michael was sent home.

That night Alif called Ortega and screamed that Michael was dying.

The 19th of June was the day of costume fitting, however Michael had lost so much weight that all the costumes had to be taken back. At the AEG trial they showed the picture of Michael wearing a costume, but over here objections from AEG began to come in dozens.

Brian Panish wanted to bring in Randy Phillips’ emails sent in answer to Ortega concerned messages but all of them were objected to.

Then Brian Panish started playing Randy Phillips’ testimony (deposition) but was evidently not allowed to as he had to even refer to a law which allows quoting depositions at any time.

He said that it was a rule, but the judge announced a break.

So Randy Phillips’ emails were so bad that AEG kept objecting to hearing them and did not allow even the deposition of Phillips to be played either?

All this terrible stuff must be about the meeting they arranged for Michael on June 20th where Murray (and Phillips) asked Ortega “not to play amateur doctor”.

At a certain point Randy Phillips even called Ortega a “drama queen” and this must be the email the AEG lawyers are so vehemently objecting to now.

This was the way AEG was fighting perfectly legitimate Jackson lawyers’ questions and I find it astonishing and telling that this truly sensational news is not being reported by the press at all.

We are lucky to know about it only from the tweets of the fans attending the court session:

60	Why were you weeping ” Kenny was massaging MJ’s feet, MJ was saying “God is speaking to me”	TMJ
61	The Director sent MJ home on June 19th after his costume fitting according to Sankey.  She me with Director after.	ABC7
62	Sankey and Director cried together after MJ left because of their concern for him and his physical condition.  So thin…	ABC7
63	On her way home, she called Director and screamed into the phone that MJ was dying and someone had to do something.	ABC7
64	She said he had to go to the hospital. She made Director promise to do something.	ABC7
65	“I called Mr Ortega at 1.30”. “Why?” “I had a strong feeling MJ was dying” “I was very upset, I was screaming, MJ needs to be put in a hospital”	TMJ
66	PLEASE DO SOMETHING, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, WHY is no one seeing what I am seeing, promise you will do something	TMJ
67	Showing email from Ortega to Phillips 2am after the phone conversation with Alif. OBJECTION… SUSTAINED	TMJ
68	Did you see physical, emotional changes in MJ that you discussed with Ortega? Yes. Did he say he would do something? Yes…..	TMJ
69	Were you concerned nothing was happening? Yes? Objection. Playing Phillips testimony, objected AEG want witness excused then show video clip	TMJ
70	Panish states law, he has a right to play, read whatever deposition ANYTIME, that is a rule. ……  ..BREAK….	TMJ
71	AEG WOULDN’T ALLOW PHILLIPS EMAILS READ, SO PANISH WANTS TO BRING IN DEPOSITION OF PHILLIPS. AEG DO WANT STRONG EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM THAT MATCH!!	TMJ
72	Corrections. Sabrina Strong works for AEG.  Putnams works for AEG. BOTH REPRESENT THE ESTATE OF FRANK DILEO!!!	TMJ

So the AEG lawyers Sabrina Strong and Marvin Mutnam are representing the estate of Frank Dileo? Interesting.

And AEG did not allow any of Randy Phillips emails to be read? Interesting too.

Brian Panish wanted to introduce the deposition of Randy Phillips but since the court did not return to the subject  after the break the matter must have not received any continuation.  

So the AEG depositions could not be quoted either? What an interesting and peculiar method of seeking justice ……..

73	Testimony continued after the break.  MJ was at rehearsal on June 23rd and performed most of the concert.	ABC7
74	MJ showed up for Rehearsal on the 24th wrapped in a huge blanket.  Rehearsal was at the Staples Center.	ABC7
75	On June 25th, the company was rehearsing at Staples.  When Sankey arrived, she was told MJ was in the hospital.	ABC7
76	The Director kept the company rehearsing despite MJ hospitalized.  Cell phones went off and no one answered…they kept working.	ABC7
77	The director, Kenny Ortega, took the call from Randy Phillips of AEG what MJ had died.  Sankey says Ortega collapsed.	ABC7
78	Sankey and Ortega went back to an office and cried.  Then Ortega got the company into a circle and told them MJ had died.	ABC7
79	On Cross Examination Attorney for AEG questioned Sankey on how close she was to MJ.	ABC7
80	She testified that she loved MJ but she really wasn’t close to MJ.	ABC7
81	Mrs. Jackson and Trent left the courtroom at 3:25p.  Several Jackson supporters left the courtroom to say goodbye to her in the hall.	ABC7

The only thing I want to add to the above is that on June 23d and 24th AEG began to suddenly record Michael with two high-definition cameras usually used for making movies.

Michael asked Michael Bush and the other people he trusted on whose orders this was being done and Bush answered that it was AEG and their team.

Michael Jackson made it clear to Bush that he did not give his permission to make the recording. However for AEG none of Michael’s decisions or opinions ever mattered.

SUMMARY

By way of summary here is the rough timeline of the events reconstructed on the basis of Alif’s testimony.

You can calculate the overall number of days when Michael was present at the rehearsals yourself.

Please remember that it wasn’t Michael’s obligation to attend them as AEG even admitted in their opening statements. However AEG nevertheless insisted on Michael’s coming  and forced him to come even when he was ill and Murray wanted him to stay at home. The last point may be quite instrumental in determining in whose eimployment Murray was after all.

Here is the timeline:

•         June 1-4 Michael was at Culver Studios making videos.
•         June 4 Friday was most probably the day of the tough-love meeting.
•         June 5 (Friday) and 6 (Saturday) he rehearsed at Forum and performed Billie Jean and Man in the Mirror. There were recordings made.
•         June 7 was Sunday. Michael and the children went to the movies.
•         June 8, 9 and 10 (Monday – Wednesday) Michael rehearsed and was reported to be ‘stoic’.
•         June 11 Michael was at the rehearsal but it was was ‘bad’ according to Alif.
•         June 12 Friday was the rehearsal missed.
•         June 13 Saturday Brother Michael reported that the doctor ordered Michael to go on a sick leave.
•         June 14 Sunday Ortega and Gongaware exchanged emails. A face-to-face meeting with Murray followed – either late Sunday or early Monday.
•        June 15-16 Monday-Tuesday Michael was present at rehearsals but was very ill.
•         June 17 Wednesday no information.
•         June 18 Thursday he went to rehearsal and was ‘stoic’.
•         June 19 Friday he came again but was so ill that was sent home by Ortega.
•         June 20 Saturday another meeting was held at Michael’s home where Ortega was told not to play amateur doctor and not to take it upon himself to send Michael home.
•         June 21 Sunday the show moved to StaplesCenter.
•         June 22 Monday Michael was not at the rehearsal.
•         June 23 Tuesday Michael made a full run through and was brilliant.
•         June 24 Wednesday Michael preformed Thriller and Earth song.  He was cold again and was wrapped in a blanket. This was the last time he was seen alive.

Earth Song on the last day of rehearsals. Michael wore layers of clothes and was cold again.

Day 7 of the AEG trial was so explosive an experience that I think we need to make a pause here before going over to Karen Faye and Day 8.

*  *  *

I’ve just learned that the great TeamMichaelJackson is posting FULL TRANSCRIPTS of the AEG trial!

MY huge thanks to them!

Here is a link to ALIF SANKEY’s testimony! 

http://teammichaeljackson.com/archives/8315