Michael Jackson had “everything to live for” in the days running up to his tragic death.
The global superstar died from an overdose of powerful anaesthetic Propofol in June 2009 – four years ago today.
Michael’s close friend, and godfather to his three children, Mark Lester says the singer’s passing was a shock as he seemed so healthy beforehand. He had his This Is It tour planned and British actor Mark says the King of Pop was ready to take on the gruelling string of shows.
“He was really excited, he was really fired up. I spoke to him on the phone several times before or during the rehearsals, and maybe three or four days before the tragic events that happened four years ago today, and he was really excited,” Mark explained during an interview on UK TV show Lorraine.
“He was going to come over to the UK, his kids had never seen him perform, he was really fired up about it, my daughter was going to go up on stage with one of the numbers, we were kind of working on that idea, he was renting a house just outside of London, big plans to go and stay over the summer holidays with him. Everything to live for and then…”
Michael is survived by Prince, 16, 15-year-old Paris and 11-year-old Blanket.
Mark feels an overwhelming responsibility for the star’s children now that his friend isn’t around, but knows that the situation is far more complicated than he’d like.
Michael’s mother Katherine currently has legal guardianship of the children and in the past Mark has publicly claimed he is actually the biological father of Prince and Paris. Another of Michael’s friends, Jason Pfeiffer, has alleged Michael told him Mark was his eldest children’s dad several months before he died.
“Michael made me their godfather and as a godfather I do have a responsibility and I would just love to go and just pick them up and give them a big hug and then we all go and have fish and chips… just be normal, hang out”, Mark said.
Katherine is in the process of suing concert promoter AEG Live as she feels the company was negligent in planning the This Is It shows. She claims Michael was pushed into performing and was not well enough to take to the stage.
Earlier this month Paris tried to kill herself and is currently recovering in the UCLA Medical Center psychiatric ward in Los Angeles, California. She is allegedly still feeling the strain of what she’s been through and there have been claims that speculation about her paternity greatly upset her, as did the on-going court case.
‘Paris is emotionally fragile and it’s important for her doctors to physically assess and monitor her on an occasion like the four year anniversary of her father’s death,’ a source told Radar Online.
‘She is just raw and exhausted. Plans are being made for Paris’ medical care once she leaves the hospital. It will be intensive. She has a very long road ahead of her, but the good news is Paris is getting help.’
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