Jackson's mom blames promoter for not helping 'sick' son

The mother of late pop starMichael Jackson testified Friday in her wrongful death lawsuitthat concert promoter AEG Live failed to get her son propermedical attention when he became sick while preparing for acomeback tour in 2009.

Katherine Jackson, 83, broke down when recalling the deathof her famous son and later asked to suspend her testimony aftergrowing distressed under cross-examination. It was the firsttime Jackson had taken the stand in the trial in which she andMichael's children are suing AEG Live.

The "Thriller" singer died at age 50 in June 2009 in LosAngeles from an overdose of surgical anesthetic propofol whilepreparing for a series of shows in London.

The lawsuit alleges that AEG hired Dr. Conrad Murray as hispersonal physician. Murray was caring for the singer as herehearsed for the shows and the doctor was convicted ofinvoluntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering the propofolthat killed Jackson.

Katherine Jackson's testimony on Friday ranged from atearful recollection of learning her son had died to accounts ofher family's humble beginnings in a four-room house in Gary,Indiana. She described Michael as a musically inclined baby whowanted to dance with his brothers.

Under cross-examination from AEG attorney Marvin Putnam, shegrew frustrated and confused and ultimately asked to stopshortly after a lunch break. She returns to the stand on Monday.

When Putnam asked why she filed the lawsuit in 2010, sheresponded: "I want to find out what happened to my son."

"My son was being pressured," she added. "He asked for hisfather. My son was sick. Nobody said 'Call the doctor. What'swrong with him?' Nobody said that.

When Putnam said he did have a doctor, Jackson said: "My sonneeded another doctor, an outside doctor, not Dr. Murray."

Katherine Jackson's lawyer, Brian Panish, said later thathis client had slept only three hours and accused the defensecounsel of trying to mock her.
"If they want to continue to attack her, bring it on,"Panish told reporters.

Michael Jackson had shown signs of physical distress as heprepared for his planned 50-date comeback concert "This Is It."Kenny Ortega, who was to direct the shows, has said that lessthan a week before Jackson's death, he turned up at rehearsalschilled, incoherent and psychologically troubled.

AEG Live has said it did not hire or supervise Murray andargues that Jackson had prescription drug and addiction problemsfor years before entering into any agreement with the company.AEG Live representatives have said they could not have foreseenthat Murray posed a danger to Jackson.

'MR JACKSON WAS SICK'

The Jackson family matriarch has been a courtroom fixturesince the trial began in late April, but said she was nervous onthe stand because it was her first time testifying before ajury. She had also faithfully attended nearly all the hearingsduring the criminal trial of Murray.

Dressed in a purple print dress and purple jacket, Jacksontold the court repeatedly that it was hard to sit there everyday and listen to "to all the bad things they say about my son."

"All I heard was that he was lazy. Mr Jackson was sick andcouldn't rehearse," she said.

Jackson said she was very close to her son and that shedepended on him financially at the time of his death. He fixedup the family house, gave her cash, cars and other gifts."Michael took care of me," she told the court.

Jackson's will named Katherine Jackson and his threechildren as his only beneficiaries.

Jackson said she was unaware that her son had abusedmedication and that "sometimes the mother is the last to know."The family had a reunion in May 2009, and she said Michael hadlooked "OK."

"Then I saw he was thinner. I didn't notice at first becauseof how he was dressed. He had a jacket on," she said.

Michael's oldest son, Prince, 16, has already testified. Theyounger children Paris, 15, and 11-year-old Prince Michael II,also known as Blanket, were not expected to testify. Michael'snephews T.J. and Taj Jackson, sons of brother Tito Jackson, havetestified.

The family testimony has opened a window into MichaelJackson's character and his final days, in which they said hewas a happy family man.

The trial, which started in April and was supposed to lastthree months, is expected to wrap up in September.

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