Michael Jackson nearly overdosed, family staged at least 10 drug interventions: brother
Randy Jackson told jurors in Michael Jackson’s wrongful death trial that the pop star had a secret near-overdose in 2005 and that he blocked some 10 drug interventions. ‘I made sure everybody knew it ... I would say he's an addict,’ Randy said a videotaped deposition.
BY NANCY DILLON / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Michael Jackson suffered a secret near-overdose in Beverly Hills in 2005 and deflected more than a half-dozen drug interventions staged by his concerned relatives, a Los Angeles jury heard Friday.
In videotaped deposition testimony played on a courtroom screen, the King of Pop's brother Randy Jackson detailed the revelations and also gave a new explanation for Jackson’s bizarre behavior during his 2005 molestation trial in Santa Barbara County.
Randy Jackson said Grace Rwaramba, the nanny to Jackson's kids, somehow snuck a prescription drug patch to the "Thriller" singer during the high-stakes criminal trial, causing the moonwalker to appear "under the influence" in a hospital when he was supposed to be in court.
Randy Jackson didn't specify the exact date of the hospital incident, but a source told the Daily News he was describing the notorious morning Jackson showed up in court in his pajamas.
The near overdose, meanwhile, came after the trial at a house in Beverly Hills called Shadow Wood, according to the video testimony.
Randy Jackson said Rwaramba called him in a panic after Jackson purportedly took too much of a prescription obtained in her name. He said Jackson was out of it and talking in "slurred speech" while his kids and guests were inside the residence.
"He was certainly under the influence of something that was altering his normal way of functioning," Randy Jackson recalled.
The brother said he confiscated all the drugs he could find and was downstairs getting something to eat when he heard Jackson had "collapsed."
Randy Jackson also testified that his family staged at least 10 interventions to try and get the pop star off various addictive prescription drugs.
Randy Jackson said he picked his brother up off the floor, put him on a bed and raced around the corner to get a doctor. He said the doctor gave Jackson something to "counter" the effects of the overdose and said not to leave the pop icon's side.
"Somebody should sleep next to him, make sure he doesn't vomit or choke, anything like that," the doctor said, according to Randy Jackson.
He recalled as many as 10 attempted interventions with Jackson that started in Taiwan during one of the singer's tours and also included an intervention in a New York hotel in 2000, about "four or five" surprise trips to Neverland Ranch and an attempt at Jackson's Las Vegas residence after the 2005 trial.
Randy Jackson said he even wrote a letter to all his family members explaining his concern that his brother was an addict.
"I copied everybody on it. Everyone. I made sure everybody knew it. I would say he has — he's an addict, and at this point, addicts aren't so responsible for what they do," he said.
He said it was "upsetting" to him that Rwaramba seemed to be supplying drugs to his brother and then calling him to pick up the pieces. He said he would race to pharmacies to confront her over her actions.
Randy Jackson said his brother didn't like the interference and would "isolate" himself, especially during the last year of his life.
"I wasn't afraid to say no to him. So he would really -- he would, like, get physical with me because — and I wouldn't be afraid to say no to him. But he's like 90 pounds, so it wouldn't do much," Randy Jackson with a laugh.
bugeyed Michael get physical with Randy!!!!!!!!! I'm in the twilight zone?)
The testimony stood in stark contrast to the version of Jackson painted by clan matriarch Katherine Jackson during her turn on the witness stand.
The 83-year-old mom previously testified she never saw her son under the influence and did not believe he was an addict.
Katherine Jackson and the dead singer's three kids are suing AEG Live for an estimated $1 billion, claiming the concert promoter should be held liable for negligently hiring the doctor now serving four years for Jackson's overdose death.
AEG has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was Jackson who hired Dr. Conrad Murray and pressured the doctor to give him the surgery-strength anesthetic that led to his June 2009 death.
Asked if his mom believed Jackson had a problem, Randy Jackson said she was "in denial."
"She didn't want to believe it," he said.
He said Jackson knew how to "sweet talk" his mom.