Michael Jackson’s Former Bodyguards Speak
Posted by Media Outrage on July 2, 2009
Two of Michael Jackson’s bodyguards have spoken to the media from London regarding his drug abuse.
Via YahooMusic:
Two of Michael Jackson’s former confidantes, medium Uri Geller and ex-bodyguard Matt Fiddes, say they tried in vain to keep the pop superstar from abusing painkillers and other prescription drugs suspected of leading to his death — but others in the singer’s circle kept the supplies flowing.
“When Michael asked for something, he got it. This was the great tragedy,” Geller said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his suburban London home.
Geller, who said he suffered a terrible falling-out with Jackson several years ago over the issue, said he often had “to shout at Michael, to scream at Michael” as he sought to confiscate the singer’s stocks of medication during his travels in England. Geller said he slept on floors or sofas in Jackson’s hotel suites in a bid to talk sense into his sometimes-incoherent friend.
“Most of the people around Michael could not say `No!’ to him. He desperately needed someone there all the time who could say `No!’ and mean it, who could warn him of the dangers … and tell him the truth,” Geller said. “The big problem was that many people wanted to help Michael, to save his life, but we could not be there all the time.”
Geller said Jackson relied on medications to help him cope with relentless pressure and media criticism in his later years. “With his sanity buffeted and health wracked by global bullying nonstop, I think it’s actually incredible that Michael held up as well as he did,” he said.
Fiddes, an English karate instructor who worked as a senior bodyguard during Jackson’s travels in Britain for a decade, said the pop idol abused prescription medications, not recreational drugs, and took so much that it could be difficult to wake him for engagements.
“I confiscated packages and Uri did too. I mean, Uri confiscated injection equipment from his room,” Fiddes said in an interview broadcast Thursday by Sky News. “And Uri would scream at Michael, you know, intensely, to stop doing this. But we just were getting pushed out.”
Fiddes recalled one occasion when Jackson planned to visit London Zoo to see the gorillas, chimpanzees and other primates — but was too spaced out to go anywhere.
The bodyguard said he and Geller “were both shaking him trying to wake him up. It was clear that he had taken something that morning and he was hard to wake. We were extremely concerned … We couldn’t get him in a state that would portray him in a good light.”
Fiddes said both he and Geller told others supplying medications to Jackson to stop, but when their efforts “got back to Michael, he would have a screaming fit that we were interfering with his private life. He was in denial.”
Several other Jackson confidantes have expressed concern since his death at the volume and mixture of medications he was taking. Self-help guru Deepak Chopra said he rejected Jackson’s 2005 appeals for painkillers and that their relationship suffered lasting damage because of it.
Geller said he was fearful that Jackson could not have completed his planned 50-concert run in London, which was due to start July 13. Stress over the imminent comeback, as well as drug misuse, combined to kill his friend, he said.
“Whatever the autopsy will come back with, part of what made Michael Jackson’s heart stop involved the stress and the anxiety that, ‘My God, in a few days I have to get on a plane and fly to England.’ But he could have done it,” Geller said.
Dickwell Thrust said
Damn, everyone is making it look like Mike was one big Pookie, Let’s concentrate on the music people!
Media Outrage said
Lol @ dt
Media Outrage said
Yo dt let then continue to come out of the woodworks. IT doesn’t matter what they say about him, his music will live on forever. The family and media just want answers on to why he died at the young age of 50. He could have been found in the bed with 2 aliens and the world would still love this man beyond belief. Nothing is going to TARNISH his legacy. So if it is the media’s intention to try and throw dirt on him, which we don’t think it is, it won’t work.
Dickwell Thrust said
Yeah, I guess your right MO
Media Outrage said
Think about it, some members of the media are probably really PISSED, that all of this stuff is coming up and people are still KILLING themselves over MJ. His music is dominating the airwaves and record sales. Every media outlet is reporting non-stop on MJ. Everyone has already labeled him the GREATEST ENTERTAINER EVER! The Arab world which kind of HATES the U.S. has embraced MJ. They’re moonwalking over in Egypt. The more they throw dirt the bigger he becomes. They can’t fcuk with this man. It’s crazy cause he’s almost untouchable. How many other people have you ever seen get this kind of media coverage. Sheit, when 9/11 happened it got this kind of coverage but that was a terrorist attack on the wealthiest and most influential nation on Earth. MJ’s almost as big as 9/11 LOL! They can’t touch him.
lowridaz said
great point @ MO , very great!!! them fuckers will never touch that man, they hate him becuase he was bigger than that prejudice ass elvis, and he did the ultimate and pimped his daughter, LOL i bet elvis flipped over in his grave, he didnt care for blacks, he once said all blacks can do for him is shine his shoes, so look at smooth ass mike, come along and bag that bitch!! lol thas my boy
lowridaz said
its so funny how now, everyone has a story to tell about mike, but shit was all hush when he was here, i wonder why?
Lio said
Because they are lying punks…I bet you that if I make a little bit of reaserch all this mofos hire an agent in the 5 days… All they see is $$$$$, they never cared about mike ? But the fans will not hear or allow this bullshit to go on..trust me
Yvonne said
The fact MJ was so great is why people are so consumed with what was going on in his personal life. This goes along with the territory of being a superstar.
I am also curious and do read these articles. Whatever is printed about his personal life, and if people want to believe it or not, will in no way take away from his musical genius and what he gave to his fans.
Yeah I Said It said
How is it everybody claim to have tried to save Michael but none of them did? I don’t for one minute believe their story. I think as a bodyguard they did just that. They did not step in a say jack-shit cause they were on duty when he went places. Who needs a bodyguard in their own home?
If Michael truly had anybody around him that was willing to step up to the plate,they would have staged an intervention. Folks make me sick talking to much! Hell let the man get buried before you start throwing him to the wolves. I don’t care what I hear or read about him and his personal life,it has nothing to do with his music. And that’s all I care about. And to be honest I don’t care how he died, it’s sad that he did but take his music and keep it moving.
Pray for the family and his children for peace and comfort.
ucanb2 said
All they need to focus on is the good that he did and that he has minor children still alive hearing/seeing/reading this “ish” about their Dad!
MissTX85 said
Damn everybody took the words right out my mouth! LOL!
I ain’t thinking about the fuck ass media! I’ve never liked they asses so I’m good. And I definitely ain’t trippin’ on these folks that all of a sudden have something to say now that the man is dead. Like I said before, he ain’t even in the ground and they saying all this shit.
And yeah, what about his babies?! That’s what bothers me. Those kids are 12, 11 and 7 yrs old. They don’t need to be hearing all this negative shit about their dad. I hope Mrs. Jackson isn’t allowing them to hear it at least.
Again, prayers and condolences to the entire Jackson family.
R.I.P. Michael J. Jackson…You’ll be missed!
marialenit said
Now that Michael is dead everybody is on his side. I wish the same thing happened when he was in court before and all those people who poured out tears now were the same who stand by his side to give him much support, courage, strength and inspiration.Maybe GOD KNOWS much how pittyfull Michael was thats why he took Michaels life and made him rest.