New Delhi: Michael Jackson's sister La Toya has said there was a conspiracy to murder her brother.
"People come into your life, wiggle their way in, control you, manipulate, control your funds, your finances, everything that you have," she told Piers Morgan on CNN this week.
She said her brother knew he was going to be killed, and claimed he told her shortly before his death: "La Toya, I'm going to be murdered for my music publishing catalogue and my estate."
La Toya has been making similar allegations since Michael's death. But her new memoir, out this week, goes further and offers more detail of who she thinks wanted Michael dead - and how much the singer knew about the plot.
"Michael told me that they were going to murder him," she told Morgan. "He was afraid. He was afraid for his life." She added: "I believe that when Michael walked in that house that night, whatever it was that greeted him, he knew that his end was upon him. And as soon as he had passed, some of the very people he had expressed suspicions about now controlled his estate." She also says Michael's children were also worried about him, sensing something was about to happen.
While La Toya does not accuse anyone of masterminding the murder, she condemns the behaviour of Dr Tohme Tohme, who managed Michael's affairs towards the end of his life. "As soon as [Tohme] began acting as Michael's business adviser, he fired key people who had been close to Michael for years," she said. "Once Tohme shut out the rest of the world, he would be able to steer Michael toward business ventures that were profitable for Tohme and his friends."
On searching Michael's bedroom after his death, La Toya says she found notes scattered everywhere, including written pleas to help get "these people out of my life". Michael was in the last stages of rehearsals for his mammoth comeback residency at London's O2, and La Toya blames "everyone that surrounded that and was involved in that" for the singer's death.
Athough Michael's private physician, Conrad Murray, is due to stand trial for the singer's death, La Toya suggests he was far from the centre of the conspiracy. "I truly feel Dr Murray was simply the fall guy," she told the US TV show Extra.
"I think it's too easy to blame him. I think the investigation needs to go ... further." Although the Jackson family has presented no evidence of a murder conspiracy,
La Toya's allegations echo comments by Jermaine Jackson in 2010: "This is bullshit," he told reporters. "Murray's the fall guy."
"People come into your life, wiggle their way in, control you, manipulate, control your funds, your finances, everything that you have," she told Piers Morgan on CNN this week.
She said her brother knew he was going to be killed, and claimed he told her shortly before his death: "La Toya, I'm going to be murdered for my music publishing catalogue and my estate."
"Michael told me that they were going to murder him," she told Morgan. "He was afraid. He was afraid for his life." She added: "I believe that when Michael walked in that house that night, whatever it was that greeted him, he knew that his end was upon him. And as soon as he had passed, some of the very people he had expressed suspicions about now controlled his estate." She also says Michael's children were also worried about him, sensing something was about to happen.
Advertisement
On searching Michael's bedroom after his death, La Toya says she found notes scattered everywhere, including written pleas to help get "these people out of my life". Michael was in the last stages of rehearsals for his mammoth comeback residency at London's O2, and La Toya blames "everyone that surrounded that and was involved in that" for the singer's death.
Advertisement
"I think it's too easy to blame him. I think the investigation needs to go ... further." Although the Jackson family has presented no evidence of a murder conspiracy,
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Woman Dies After Jumping Off Elevated Platform At Delhi Metro Station: Cops On Camera, Jagan Reddy's Party Member Hacked To Death On Busy Andhra Road US Cop Who Laughed After Indian Student Jaahnavi Kandula's Death Fired Abhishek Likes Post On "Divorces" Amid Rumours Of Separation From Aishwarya The Big Surprise In Stree 2 Trailer: A Cameo By Tamannaah "Usse Jab Dulhan...": Shraddha Kapoor On Rahul Mody Wedding Rumours "Every Time I Try To Eat Healthy" - Video Creator's Editing Skills Amaze Internet Watch: Comedian's Wholesome Interaction With Indian-Origin Woman Is Viral Donald Trump Accepts Republican Nomination Amid Chants Of USA From Crowd Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.