Michael Jackson trial: Randy Jackson talks brother's drug abuse

Miriam Hernandez

8/10/13

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Jurors on Friday heard from Michael Jackson's brother, Randy Jackson, as the wrongful death trial focused on the pop star's history of drug abuse.

When Michael Jackson was living at Neverland Ranch, he was struggling with prescription medications and was in denial, according to his brother.

"He just said he's fine," Randy Jackson said in a video deposition. When asked if he thought his brother had a problem, he said, "Yes."

Randy Jackson described four intervention efforts at the Santa Barbara home and as many as three others in a New York hotel, Jackson's home in Las Vegas, and in the rented house in the Holmby Hills within months of the star's death.

He stated it was Grace Rwamba, the children's nanny, who called him several times. He described an early intervention attempt where the Neverland gates were open, and he and other siblings walked in.

"I told him I was taking him to rehab. He said he's not going," Randy recalled.

Randy Jackson says the attempts at Neverland Ranch happened between 2000 and 2004. He said on one occasion, he and sister Janet took professional addiction specialists with them.

"I told them that there had been prior attempts getting him help and it wasn't successful," said Randy.

Jurors learned from earlier testimony that Michael Jackson was seeing several doctors during that time period, including a doctor who implanted a device in him to combat the high delivered by opiods.

Randy Jackson said that in 2005, his brother was under the influence of something and collapsed. Randy said he called a doctor who was able to revive him.

The attorneys for Katherine Jackson, who is suing tour promoters at AEG Live, say they do not dispute that Michael Jackson struggled with dependency, but they blame Jackson's death on the AEG tour promoters, who they claim hired Conrad Murray as the singer's physician. AEG says Michael Jackson's history reveals he endangered himself.

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