Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Jackson's consultant helps AEG Live's defense
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. 
Kenny Ortega: He was chosen by Michael Jackson and AEG Live to direct and choreograph the "This Is It" shows. Ortega, who choreographed for Jackson's "Dangerous" and "HIStory" tours, testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that "Jackson was frail" at a rehearsal days before his death. 
Dr. Conrad Murray: He was Michael Jackson's personal physician in the two months before his death, giving him nightly infusions of the surgical anesthetic that the coroner ruled led to his death. Murray, who is appealing his involuntary manslaughter conviction, has sworn that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination and refused to testify in the civil trial. There is a chance that Murray will be brought into court from jail to testify outside the presence of the jury to allow the judge to determine if he would be ordered to testify. 
Joe Jackson: Michael's father, 84, is on the witness list for the trial and may testify. The Jackson family patriarch, who lives in Las Vegas separately from his wife, has suffered several ministrokes in the last year, which some close to him say have affected him. 
Prince Jackson: Michael's oldest son is considered a key witness in the Jacksons' case against AEG Live, since he is expected to testify about what his father told him about the concert promoter in the last days of his life. Prince, who turned 16 in February, is becoming more independent -- he now has a driver's license and jobs. 
Paris Jackson: Michael's daughter, who turned 15 on April 3, is on the list of witnesses and was questioned by AEG Live lawyers for several hours on March 21 about her father's death. Paris is an outspoken teen who often posts messages to her 1 million-plus Twitter followers. 
Blanket Jackson: Although AEG Live asked the judge to order Blanket, 11, to sit for a deposition, and he is one of the four plaintiffs suing them, Michael's youngest son will not be a witness in the trial. His doctor submitted a note to the court saying it would be "medically detrimental" to the child. 
Randy Phillips: He's president of AEG Live, the concert promoter that contracted with Michael Jackson for his "This Is It" comeback shows set to start in London in July 2009. The Jackson lawsuit says Phillips supervised Dr. Conrad Murray's treatment of Jackson in the weeks before his death, making the company liable for damages. E-mails between Phillips and other executives showed they were worried about Jackson's missed rehearsals and sought Murray's help getting him ready. 
Kevin Boyle: The Los Angeles personal injury lawyer is leading the Jackson team of at least six attorneys in the wrongful death suit against AEG Live. One of his notable cases was a large settlement with Boeing on behalf of two soldiers injured when their helicopter malfunctioned and crashed in Iraq. 
Perry Sanders, Jr.: Katherine Jackson's personal lawyer is helping steer the Jackson matriarch through her relations with her son's estate, probate court and the wrongful death suit. He is also known for representing the family of Biggie Smalls in their suit against the city of Los Angeles over the rapper's death investigation. 
Marvin Putnam: He's the lead lawyer for AEG Live, defending against the wrongful death suit. The primary focus of his legal practice is "media in defense of their First Amendment rights," according to his official biography. 
Philip Anschutz: The billionaire owner of AEG, parent company of AEG Live, is on the Jacksons' witness list. He is the force behind the effort to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles to lure a National Football League team to the city. He recently pulled his company off the market after trying to sell it for $8 billion. 
Tim Leiweke: He was recently fired as AEG's president as Philip Anschutz announced he was taking a more active role in the company. The Jackson lawyers say Leiweke's e-mail exchanges with executives under him concerning Michael Jackson's health are important evidence in their case. 
Paul Gongaware: The AEG Live co-CEO worked closely with Michael Jackson as he prepared for his comeback concerts. He testified at Dr. Conrad Murray's criminal trial that he contacted the physician and negotiated his hiring at the request of Jackson. AEG lawyers say it was Jackson who chose, hired and supervised Murray. Gongaware knew Jackson well, having been tour manager for the singer in previous years. 
John Branca: He's one of two executors of Michael Jackson's estate. Branca was Jackson's lawyer until about seven years before his death. He said Jackson rehired him just weeks before he died. 
- Katherine Jackson learns a consultant for her son's estate is helping defend AEG Live
- Michael Jackson's mother is suing AEG Live, contending it's liable for her son's death
- Consultant Eric Briggs says the estate approved his work for AEG Live's defense
- Briggs consulted for the Jackson estate in the past
Los Angeles (CNN) -- A lawyer for Michael Jackson's estate gave an entertainment industry consultant permission to help AEG Live in its defense of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the pop singer's mother, the expert testified.
The revelation was a surprise to Katherine Jackson, who was sitting in court Tuesday listening to the expert testify that he believed her son would not have earned any money even if he had not died of a propofol overdose.
If jurors decide AEG Live is liable in Jackson's death, testimony by Eric Briggs -- whose company billed the concert promoter $700,000 to prepare his opinion -- could be used to determine how much in damages the company would have to pay to Michael Jackson's mother and three children.
Briggs, however, previously consulted for the Jackson estate in determining a value of it's biggest asset -- the Sony-ATV music catalog that includes the Beatles songs. He testified that before he signed a contract to serve as an expert in AEG Live's defense he sought and gained permission from the Jackson estate lawyer Jeryll Cohen to waive any potential conflict of interest.
"She (Cohen) was well aware of everything that was going on," Briggs testified.
Prince Jackson testifies against AEG 
Paris Jackson's deposition 
"Glee" star Cory Monteith was found dead at a hotel in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday, July 13. While the cause of death was not immediately apparent, police have ruled out the possibility of foul play. Monteith had been public about his struggle with addiction and checked into a rehab facility in late March. He previously told Parade magazine that he started using drugs at 13 and had entered rehab by 19. Click through the gallery for a look at other celebrities who have had drug and alcohol problems over the years. 
Matthew Perry has previously struggled with an addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol and recently landed on the cover of People magazine to discuss his road to sobriety. While he was on "Friends," he said, "it would seem like I had it all. It was actually a very lonely time for me because I was suffering from alcoholism." 
"Sex and the City" actress Kristin Davis told Health magazine in 2008 that unlike her cocktail loving character Charlotte York, she is a recovering alcoholic. The 48-year-old admitted that she was drinking so much, she didn't think she'd live past 30. 
Ben Affleck surprised friends when he checked into rehab for alcohol abuse in 2001, People magazine reported. 
Jamie Lee Curtis has reportedly said she was once so addicted to prescription pain medicine that she stole some from a relative to help feed the addiction. 
Jodie Sweetin, who played innocent Stephanie Tanner on "Full House," documented her drug problems in her memoir "unSweetined." A low point, she said, was using cocaine, meth and ecstasy while on tour to discuss her sobriety. 
There have been questions as to whether or not Bob Dylan was telling the truth when he reportedly told a journalist in 1966 that he had kicked a $25-a-day heroin habit, but, according to Rolling Stone, he had a period during his 1966 tour where he used "huge amounts" of amphetamines. 
In 2012, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie told Oprah that her drug use proceeded from ecstasy to crystal meth. She became so paranoid she thought the FBI and SWAT teams were following her before she successfully sought treatment. 
She was known for her wholesome role as Laura Ingalls on the television series "Little House on the Prairie," but at her worst Melissa Gilbert was covering up feelings of sadness by drinking up to more than two bottles of wine a night, the actress told More magazine. 
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe told GQ magazine that he had his last drink in 2010. "There were a few years there when I was just so enamored with the idea of living some sort of famous person's lifestyle that really isn't suited to me." 
A year before People magazine reported that the actress checked into a substance abuse facility in 2008, Eva Mendes told reporters she "wasn't comfortable at all" and needed a cocktail to film a sex scene in 2007's "We Own the Night." 
In 2004, a then 19-year-old Kelly Osbourne reportedly entered rehab for an addiction to pain killers. "The amount of pills that was found in her bag was astounding," her father Ozzy said. 
Samuel L. Jackson was reportedly able to portray crack addict Gator in "Jungle Fever" so authentically because of his own past struggles with drugs and alcohol. He landed the breakout role two weeks after leaving rehab. 
Kristen Johnston talked about her addiction to drugs and alcohol in her 2012 memoir "Guts" and admitted she was depressed during her time on "3rd Rock From the Sun." "And you're not supposed to be," she said. "You can't tell anybody, 'I'm so bummed you gave me an Emmy.' You can't be sad when you're being celebrated. So it was a big conflict and there's no shrink that can understand it." 
Actress Kelly Preston has said she gave up drugs and alcohol to be a better mother to her kids and better wife to John Travolta. "I don't drink anymore. I don't smoke anymore. I don't do drugs anymore. All of those come with an 'anymore.' I used to do everything and a lot of everything," she said. 
Jane Lynch wrote about her addictions to alcohol and cough syrup in her memoir "Happy Accidents." She told Access Hollywood in 2013 that she has been sober for 21 years. 
Sir Elton John told USA Today that he swore off drugs and alcohol in 1990. He said, "If I ever find myself in a situation where there are drugs, I can smell the cocaine. I can feel it in the back of my throat, that horrible feeling of taking the first hit of cocaine. And I leave." 
Country star Tim McGraw said in an interview in 2013 that he replaced drinking whiskey with working out to clean his life up. 
For those who may not remember because she has so completely turned herself around, Drew Barrymore entered rehab at the tender age of 13. Most fans were unaware that the then beloved child star partied so hard. She chronicled her early struggles in her memoir "Little Girl Lost." 
It was years after Meredith Baxter portrayed one of America's favorite moms, Elyse Keaton on "Family Ties," that she revealed that she is a recovering alcoholic. 
Backstreet Boys member A.J. McLean last checked into rehab in 2011. He had previously been treated for depression, anxiety and excessive alcohol consumption. 
Country star and "American Idol" judge Keith Urban told Oprah in 2010 that his wife Nicole Kidman and several close friends staged an intervention to help him overcome his addiction to cocaine and alcohol. Celebrity substance abuse confessions
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Michael Jackson's 2009 death from an overdose of propofol stunned the world. Four years later, we're still talking about the King of Pop's passing, as his family confronts AEG Live in court with claims that the company is liable in the star's death. The testimony has been emotionally wrought in an increasingly controversial case. But in Hollywood, controversial celebrity deaths are far from uncommon. 
James Dean's death is part of his legend. The actor's life and career were cut tragically short on September 30, 1955, when the 24-year-old got into a collision while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on a California highway. He never lived to see his iconic movie, "Rebel Without A Cause," arrive in theaters that October. 
"The Adventures of Superman" star, George Reeves, was found dead in his home on June 15, 1959, at the age of 45. He died from a gunshot wound to the head, which was ruled as suicide. But many still believe that Reeves was murdered. 
The August 5, 1962, death of Marilyn Monroe is still shrouded in mystery. The screen siren died in her Los Angeles home at the age of 36. The official cause of death was an overdose, but that hasn't stemmed the tide of persistent theories that something more nefarious led to Monroe's untimely passing. 
Actress Natalie Wood mysteriously drowned in the Pacific Ocean on November 29, 1981, in a death that was initially ruled accidental. That changed in 2012 when a renewed investigation into Wood's death caused the Los Angeles coroner to amend her cause of death to "drowning and other undetermined factors" because of questions surrounding the bruises found on Wood's body. 
Guitarist Brian Jones, a founding member of the Rolling Stones, was found dead in a swimming pool in July 1969 after a party at his home. The hard-living 27-year-old's passing was ruled death by misadventure, yet theories abounded that he'd been the victim of a crime. In 2009, police in Sussex, England, began to look into his death once again. 
The gruesome 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate -- along with four others -- left a mark on pop culture that still appears today. Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski, was 26 years old and eight months pregnant when she was murdered, an act committed by members of the Manson Family. 
Jimi Hendrix is another legend who died young, passing away at 27 in September 1970. According to Rolling Stone, police said at the time that it was a drug overdose, and that he'd died of suffocation in his own vomit. We can only imagine what the rock star could have gone on to create, given the incredible influence he had on music in the short span of time he was internationally known. 
Musician and poet Jim Morrison of The Doors was found dead in the bathtub of his Paris apartment in 1971, also at the age of 27. But the cause of his death has been a hot topic of debate: His passing was officially due to natural causes, but a 2007 book fueled theories that there was a cover-up. 
As a master of martial arts and an action star, Bruce Lee was reaching the zenith of his career when he died at 32 in July 1973. He was in Hong Kong at the time of his death, which was blamed on a brain edema caused by an allergic reaction to painkillers. His sudden and shocking passing came just a month before the premiere of his classic 1973 film, "Enter the Dragon." 
Elvis Presley's death at 42 in August 1977 left some fans so shocked they refused to believe it. Hopeful conspiracy theorists swore that the King was still alive and well in the years following his collapse in his bathroom at Graceland. Although Elvis' death was ruled to be the result of an irregular heartbeat, there were accusations that prescription drug abuse was a factor. 
The final chapter in the lives of Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is one of music's most famous. In October 1978, Nancy died from a stab wound in Room 100 of New York's Chelsea Hotel, and Sid was arrested as a top suspect. Four months later and out on bail, Sid died of a drug overdose. 
"Hogan's Heroes" actor Bob Crane was found bludgeoned to death in his apartment on June 29, 1978, at the age of 49. Even after the case was reopened in 1990, Crane's murder has still not been solved. 
John Lennon was shot and killed outside of his Manhattan apartment on December 8, 1980. In 2010, the convicted assailant, Mark David Chapman, told a parole board that he gunned down the Beatles giant because he thought at the time "that by killing John Lennon I would become somebody." Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, has poignantly referred to Lennon's death in efforts to curb gun violence. 
Twenty years after his father Bruce Lee's death, actor Brandon Lee died at 28 after being fatally wounded on the set of "The Crow." The shooting was accidental -- it was supposed to be Hollywood gun play for the sake of the scene -- but it sparked plenty of rumors that Lee's death wasn't an accident. 
Even though Kurt Cobain died 19 years ago, many of a certain age can still recall the exact place they were in when they learned the Nirvana frontman had been found dead at 27. As Rolling Stone explains, "People looked to Kurt Cobain because his songs captured what they felt before they knew they felt it," and that remains true even after his death -- which some aren't convinced was a suicide, as authorities ruled it to be. 
Already the "Queen of Tejano" to fans of the genre, singer Selena was on the cusp of crossing over into pop stardom when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar in March 1995. Although she was just 23 at the time, the Grammy-winning artist had established an incredible legacy at the time of her death, one that her husband, Chris Perez, recently chronicled in the book "To Selena, With Love." 
On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was leaving a boxing event in Las Vegas when he was shot multiple times. Six days later, he was dead at 25. He left behind an ever-increasing fan base, a catalog of music and one of culture's most persistent mysteries. The presumption is that his death was caused by the volatile East Coast/Wast Coast rap war of the era, a feud that held Tupac and New York rapper Notorious B.I.G. as its avatars. Although nearly every fan has his or her own theory on who was involved in the young talent's death, his murder remains unsolved. 
Just a year after the loss of Tupac, hip-hop weathered the death of another giant of the genre, Notorious B.I.G. The rapper was shot and killed at 24 while leaving a music industry party in March 1997. Like Tupac's, his slaying remains unsolved. 
Fashion designer Gianni Versace was fatally shot on the steps of his Miami Beach, Florida, mansion on July 15, 1997. Police believe a 27-year-old named Andrew Cunanan killed the 50-year-old head of the renowned fashion empire, although they couldn't uncover a motive. Cunanan took his own life on a nearby houseboat a week after Versace's death. 
An official inquest into the August 1997 death of Princess Diana ruled that it was her "grossly negligent" driver and the paparazzi who trailed him that caused the car crash that ended her life. The beloved Princess of Wales was just 36 when she died in Paris. Although the inquest aimed to offer closure to the grieving, there are those who've claimed the British Royal family had something to do with Diana's passing. 
The death of comedic actor and "Saturday Night Live" star Phil Hartman stunned fans in May 1998, when he and his wife were discovered shot to death in their Los Angeles home in an apparent murder-suicide. Autopsies revealed that Hartman had been shot in the head several times, while his wife, Brynn, died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. 
Singer Aaliyah was just hitting her stride when her life ended in an August 2001 plane crash in the Bahamas. The 22-year-old had released her third album the month prior, and was lining up future movie projects as well. Investigators said the plane was overloaded with luggage at the time of the crash, which killed all nine people on board. 
Topless dancer-turned-model-turned reality TV star Anna Nicole Smith died at 39 in February 2007, after being found unconscious in her Florida hotel room. Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, but her death led to a two-year legal drama that involved Smith's lawyer-boyfriend and two doctors. The three were accused of conspiring to feed Smith's drug addiction, and using false names to obtain the drugs, but most of the charges were tossed out in 2011. That wasn't all: Following Smith's death, there were also legal battles over custody of the former Playboy Playmate's body, as well as the custody of her daughter, Dannielynn. 
Heath Ledger, too, was poised to ascend to a new level of stardom when he died at 28 in January 2008. The actor had already been nominated for an Oscar for 2005's "Brokeback Mountain" and was set for another nod for "The Dark Knight" when he was found dead in his New York apartment. Police later said he died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications, including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills. He didn't live to see the Academy award him the best supporting actor Oscar for his role of The Joker. 
Actress Brittany Murphy's death hit like a bombshell in December 2009, when she unexpectedly died of natural causes at 32. A coroner later said that the actress died from a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and multiple drug intoxication. Her husband, Simon Monjack, died five months later of acute pneumonia and severe anemia, "just like Brittany," the coroner said. 
Brit songstress Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London home in July 2011, just 27 years old. The soulful singer, who openly struggled with drug and alcohol abuse during her career, died of accidental alcohol poisoning -- a finding that sparked a global conversation on the nature of substance abuse and its treatment. 
Whitney Houston was on the verge of a comeback when she was found unresponsive in her Beverly Hilton hotel room in February 2012. The 48-year-old had been in Los Angeles with plans to attend a pre-Grammys party, and had just performed an impromptu duet two days before her sudden death. An autopsy later showed that the music icon drowned face down in a tub of water about 12 inches deep; the drowning was ruled as accidental with the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use" listed as contributing factors. Controversial celebrity deaths
Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen
Photos: Controversial celebrity deaths A spokesman for the Michael Jackson estate was unaware of the circumstances or reasons why the estate would approve the waiver that could be counter to the interests of its beneficiaries -- Jackson's mother and three children.
Bad news hurt Jackson's earning potential, witness says
An entertainment industry analyst hired by Jackson lawyers testified he was "reasonably certain" Jackson would have earned $1.5 billion from touring before retiring if he had not died while preparing for his comeback concerts in 2009.
Briggs testified that it was "speculative" that Jackson would have even completed the 50 "This Is It" concerts that AEG Live had already sold out in London.
Briggs said that based on what he'd learned from testimony in the case, he believed that Jackson would have died before the first show -- even if he had not suffered the fatal overdose of a surgical anesthetic on June 25, 2009. He cited the testimony of a doctor who said that Jackson would have been dead within a week if he remained under the care of Dr. Conrad Murray.
The Jackson lawsuit contends AEG Live is liable in Jackson's death because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the pop icon's death.
The Erk opinion included $300 million that he estimated Jackson would have earned from endorsements and sponsorships. But Briggs testified that "significantly negative headlines, drug abuse and other issues" had ruined Jackson's ability to earn endorsement and sponsorship money.
"Q score" data for Jackson, which measures his "likability," became dramatically negative by 2006 -- a year after he was acquitted in a child molestation trial, he testified. More than seven people said they disliked Jackson for every one who said they liked him, he said. Companies would be "very anxious" about putting someone with such a negative "likability" next to their products, he said.
Jackson's drug use explored in trial
One issue hurting Jackson's endorsement deal potential was his financial debt, estimated to be $400 million at the time of his death, Briggs said.
But Jackson lawyer Brian Panish asked Briggs if he considered that Jackson's assets -- most notably the Sony-ATV catalogue -- were greater than his debts.
Briggs stuttered on the witness stand, saying he was reluctant to discuss Jackson's assets because of a client confidentiality issue. He eventually acknowledged that he had worked for the Jackson estate as a consultant analyzing the value of the music catalog. He signed a confidentiality agreement with the estate, which he said prevented him from discussing it.
His company did, however, clear his participation in the wrongful death case with a Jackson estate lawyer before he agreed to be an expert for AEG Live, he said.
Briggs also said AEG Live lawyers were aware of the potential conflict before hiring him and had no problem with it.
Wednesday is the 60th day of testimony in the trial, which began 14 weeks ago in a Los Angeles County court. The judge told jurors she expects testimony to conclude in mid-September.
Celine Dion 'bigger than MJ'?
Source : http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_entertainment/~3/BaPKzcK1ZRg/index.html
