Tuesday 30 April 2013

Are AEG lawyers trying to confuse us?

Michael appears on 'Wetten Dass' 1999

The opening statements have started in the wrongful death lawsuit, brought by Mrs Katherine Jackson against AEG Live, and already I'm pretty mad.

Earlier this month, it was reported that speaking in a forthcoming CNN documentary, 
Michael Jackson: The Final Days, AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam said: 
"Mr Jackson is a person who was known to doctor shop. He was known to be someone who would tell one doctor one thing and another doctor something else." 
Putnam went on to say that Jackson's child molestation trial – over which he was acquitted – is important to the case as it resulted in a significant increase in his drug intake.Putnam then continued:
"We're talking about Michael Jackson. This is a man who would show up in pyjamas. This is a man who would stop traffic and get out and dance on top of his car. This is a man who would go to public events with a monkey named Bubbles. This is a man who said he slept in an oxygen chamber." 

Today, in his opening statements, Putnam said AEG Live couldn’t have known that Jackson was using propofol, or the depths of his addiction. He said Jackson hid his propofol addiction from his family and medical professionals were barred from telling anyone about it due to doctor-patient confidentiality.


Really? 

So on one hand 'everyone' knew about Michael's drug intake, but on the other hand, no one working on 'This is It' had a clue about it?

You have to decide which is true Putnam, because you can't have it both ways.

Are you deliberately trying to confuse us all?

Are you trying to create a fog so that we all get fed up wandering about in it and give up following the trial?

Well,  nice try, but some of us have come across this tactic before. In the two year void between June 25th 2009, and Murray's trial, some of us went looking for answers. We scoured the internet and YouTube, reading interviews, court documents and financial articles. We had questions and we wanted answers.

But after a month or so, it became obvious that some of the people giving interviews were lying. In fact a lot of people were lying. We couldn't tell who was lying or what was the truth. Some fans gave up at this point because it was all too time consuming and confusing, and frankly, some of us had lives to live.

But it was clear that people were trying to steer us away from the truth, and were deliberately fogging in order to do it.

And by bringing up all that garbage that newspapers invented about Michael over a period   of 20 years just to sell newspapers, Putnam only confirms that he is trying to 'fog' us again.

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Who was paying Dr Conrad Murray?


Michael 14 May 2009


There seems to be a lot of confusion in the media, as the wrongful death lawsuit trial begins, over who was paying Dr Murray.

I have read Michael's contract, and as explained in my post The AEG Contract - Good or Bad?, Michael was to pay all 'This Is It' production costs from his 90%, and as that includes his manager's salary, it therefore it seems likely that it includes Dr Murray's salary.

However, the confusion has arisen because AEG Live had an advances agreement, as Michael would not be receiving any any money from the shows until the profit from the 'This Is It' shows started coming in. The advances included money for renting the Carolwood house, and probably the rent for Foxbury Manor where Michael was due to be staying in Kent, during the shows.

Dr Murray's salary could also be paid from these advances, although in fact Murray was not paid a dime, nor was his contract signed by Michael.

So in summary, Michael was paying Dr Murray, but AEG Live was providing funds via advances.

But then there is further confusion caused by the email from AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware which was sent on 14 June 2009 to Kenny Ortega :

 
"We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary. We want to remind him what is expected of him."
It may have been a misunderstanding on Paul Gongaware's behalf, but this email suggests that it was AEG who was giving Murray his orders and also paying his salary. This is a pivotal part of the lawsuit, so let's wait and see what the actual truth is.