Home Uncategorized Michael Jackson Case: AEG Never Paid Conrad Murray, He was Jackson’s Employee

The Michael Jackson trial goes on in Los Angeles, and some people are twisting what’s going on with the testimony. To clarify; AEG Live never paid Conrad Murray to be Michael’s doctor or anything. Emails from AEG may indicate, rhetorically, that “we’re paying him.” But AEG never paid him. Or hired him. AEG was giving Michael Jackson the money to pay Dr. Murray. But Michael had been paying him already. He was Jackson’s doctor.

There’s no smoking gun unless there’s a check made out to Murray from AEG or a receipt that Murray has from them. Promoter Paul Gongaware may be shaky on the stand. But his testimony is not going to win the case or lose it.

The headlines coming out of the trial can be misleading. All the back and forth about Jackson’s health and his disposition to working, etc are irrelevant at this point. All that matters now is establishing who was responsible for Dr. Murray, the man who presided over Michael’s death. Whether Michael was thin or eating or tired or sleeping all day or not rehearsing on schedule–none of that is pertinent to this case.

Who hired Conrad Murray? From the beginning it was clear that Michael Jackson hired him, chose him, approved of him, and wanted AEG to provide him with the funds to keep him doing his bidding. The rest of it can be written about or debated for years to come. But it won’t bring the Jackson family the millions and billions they expect to reap from this case.

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Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
5 replies to this post
  1. I just want Michael to be left alone. He was great entertainer with a caring heart. too bad too many conartists were around hi and took advantage of his kindness. But Michael is with God and that is the greatest and more important and being with GOd is something we all must come to face one day (Rich or poor) is we live right.

  2. Emotional buttons are being pushed. Allowed claim is did AEG negligently hire and supervise the felon. Both sides apparently want to make this about the deceased who isn’t here to confirm or deny conflicting testimony. Closest we’ll get to that will most likely be his children’s input.

    Just one thing, Mr. Friedman, it is actually the AEG-KJ trial, although both sides don’t seem to understand that, either.

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