dailymail.co.uk : Attorneys for Michael Jackson’s family on Monday accused his concert promoter, AEG, of ignoring ‘red flags’ about his drug addiction and ill health in a ruthless pursuit of profits.
AEG Live is the second-largest concert promoter in the nation and Jackson family lawyer Brian Panish told jurors that the company’s only priority was overtaking its competition, Live Nation.
‘They wanted to be No. 1 at all costs,’ he said. Monday marked the beginning the trial for a wrongful death suit brought by the Kind of Pop’s mother, Katherine Jackson, who claims AEG executives ordered Dr Conrad Murray to heavily medicate Jackson to ensure he continued to perform, despite pain and injury.
The wrongful-death suit contends the entertainment firm threatened to end Jackson’s career if he failed to come through with the concerts and ordered Murray to keep the performer on track.
AEG officials have denied any wrongdoing, and the company’s lawyers have said executives could not have foreseen the circumstances that led to the physician giving Jackson doses of the anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid.