L.A. Times: emails show AEG doubted Jackson's ability to perform
- 12 years ago
The promoter for Michael Jackson's comeback concerts expressed doubts about the singer's ability to be ready for a 50-date concert series, according to a story published in The Los Angeles Times recently. The newspaper got hold of internal emails at AEG that show that high-level executives were questioning Jackson's metal and physical ability to perform - L.A. Times reporter Harriet Ryan elaborated.
SOUNDBITE: Harriet Ryan, L.A. Times reporter, saying (English):
"This is the most in depth and unvarnished look at Michael Jackson's final months that we've seen so far, and we've seen a lot. But this is a different account of what happened and it's all contemporaneous and it's all before he died and what people were saying about him in this big company as he prepared for this comeback."
The e-mails, which were leaked to the newspaper, were gathered for a lawsuit by an insurance company, who alleges that AEG hid Jackson's health problems. The company is seeking to nullify a 17.5 million dollar policy that AEG purchased in case Jackson was not able to perform the shows scheduled for London's O2 Arena.
SOUNDBITE: Harriet Ryan, L.A. Times reporter, saying (English):
"The emails show that there was concern about Michael Jackson's ability to pull off a comeback even before the time that the company AEG sat down with him to start planning and that concern went all the way to the day he died and it was much more intense and the alarms were a lot louder than we knew previously before looking at these emails."
As for AEG, the company has denied any wrongdoing and said the messages sent to The L.A. Times were incomplete and leaked to portray the company in a negative light.
In addition to the lawsuit from the insurance company, AEG is also facing a civil case from Jackson's estate, which says AEG pushed Jackson to do the shows despite knowing he was not healthy enough to perform. Both cases go to court next year.
SOUNDBITE: Harriet Ryan, L.A. Times reporter, saying (English):
"This is the most in depth and unvarnished look at Michael Jackson's final months that we've seen so far, and we've seen a lot. But this is a different account of what happened and it's all contemporaneous and it's all before he died and what people were saying about him in this big company as he prepared for this comeback."
The e-mails, which were leaked to the newspaper, were gathered for a lawsuit by an insurance company, who alleges that AEG hid Jackson's health problems. The company is seeking to nullify a 17.5 million dollar policy that AEG purchased in case Jackson was not able to perform the shows scheduled for London's O2 Arena.
SOUNDBITE: Harriet Ryan, L.A. Times reporter, saying (English):
"The emails show that there was concern about Michael Jackson's ability to pull off a comeback even before the time that the company AEG sat down with him to start planning and that concern went all the way to the day he died and it was much more intense and the alarms were a lot louder than we knew previously before looking at these emails."
As for AEG, the company has denied any wrongdoing and said the messages sent to The L.A. Times were incomplete and leaked to portray the company in a negative light.
In addition to the lawsuit from the insurance company, AEG is also facing a civil case from Jackson's estate, which says AEG pushed Jackson to do the shows despite knowing he was not healthy enough to perform. Both cases go to court next year.