Michael Jackson - A physical wreck pushed to the limit - video permission Sony BMG (NZ ) ltd

Behind the face masks, and the bewildered stare, and that ashen brow that needed to be held together with sticking plaster, there was a hopeless vulnerability about Michael Jackson.

His sudden death might have shocked the world when it was first reported yesterday. But it also felt grimly inevitable.

Stars die young, of course. And though Jackson had reached the age of 50, he had never quite shaken off the fragile demeanour of a small child.

For years, he had looked thin, gaunt, and pallid. Since 2005, he'd been largely confined to a wheelchair and unable to work. Fans hadn't been able to see him on tour since 1997; his last original album was released back in 2001.

He also had long-standing problems with substance abuse. Evidence that emerged during his child molestation trial revealed that he suffered from an addiction to powerful opiate-based prescription painkillers.

He'd started taking them in the mid-1980s to cope with a lower-back problem that had frequently been aggravated by performing. There was no indication that he ever stopped.

Court documents released at the 2005 trial also suggested that Jackson's lifestyle was hopelessly, comically indulgent: a typical day involved rising at lunchtime, knocking back painkillers from silver pillboxes, watching Disney films and drinking bottle after bottle of expensive wine, which he controversially offered to his young companions, telling them it was "Jesus juice".

Elizabeth Taylor, the 77-year-old best friend who has now managed to outlive him, was probably in better shape.
Little wonder that even hopeless optimists among the 750,000 fans who helped tickets to the "This is it!" tour to sell out in hours, generating almost $255 million in overnight revenue, bought their seats in a spirit of hope rather than expectation.

Little wonder that music industry rivals were quick to question the wisdom of concert promoter AEG's decision to indulge the singer's attempts at a comeback, and remained quizzical about the nature of the insurance policy covering any "unforeseen events" that might cause the lucrative gigs to be cancelled.

Put simply, Jackson was in debt; vast quantities of it. Estimates of how much he owed ranged from a conservative $60m ($NZ92.9m), cited by news agencies yesterday, to the astonishing-sounding figure of $500m (NZ$775m) quoted by the Wall Street Journal in an investigation earlier this year.

Unfortunately, even existing was an expensive business. Many experts described him as a millionaire who was attempting to live like a billionaire. Since the early 1990s, the singer had fallen into the habit of spending between US$20m and $30m a year more than he made. Some of this was spent on $10,000-a-night hotel suites he liked to live in for weeks at a time. Other portions were spent on shopping splurges.

Staff costs, to maintain the often-dodgy entourage that surrounded him, have been estimated at $4m annually.

At the time of his death, he was living in a rented, French-chateau-style house in Los Angeles, once owned by Sean Connery, and costing $100,000 a month.

He'd spent 2006 in Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, and later years in Ireland, where he lodged with the Riverdance star Michael Flatley. He has also popped-up in Dubai, Germany, the South of France and Japan, where he was seen signing autographs at $600 a pop.

The concert series, which would earn him an immediate $50m, was intended to be the first part of a string of ventures that would ultimately encompass a three-year world tour, a new album, promotional movies, a Graceland-like museum, musicals in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a Thriller casino.

In May, it also emerged that he was suffering from minor skin cancer. AEG was suddenly forced to delay the scheduled date of the opening night of his London run, due to what it described as "unforeseen circumstances".

An investigation by The Wrap, a Hollywood website, then revealed that Jackson had only showed up to two rehearsals at the venue in Burbank where the concert was being put together. He had been due to attend more than 40. When he did appear, one witness said he seemed "lethargic."

Jackson's father worried that he was addicted to morphine.

In the pressure-cooker atmosphere of recent weeks, with the O2 run fast approaching, Jackson had finally begun attending rehearsals under the watchful eye of creative director Kenny Ortega. He was running through his routine at the Staples Centre in Downtown Los Angeles on the eve of his death.

Either way, the coming months will almost certainly represent a bloodbath for lawyers and a slew of other former connections, who will attempt to extract their pound of flesh from Jackson's estate.

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[secretblueangel]

Obviously not a 'physical wreck' looking at his rehearsal video from 48hrs before his death

[Sisterofmercy1]

His doctors, public doubt, corrupt families of those kids and AEG killed him. If only we'd all looked out for him more and show more support a few years back. Maybe he'd still be here now. Booking him in for 50 gigs for OTT, I know they were spaced out but its still alot. Michael your songs were the first I sang along too and I love singing. RIP you were a misunderstood gentle soul xx

[87shadowfox]

The man died because he overdosed. Ive never done the drugs MJ did, but they are addictive nontheless. Why is it so suprising to people he died? He just wanted to get higher and higher. The media didnt drain him, he drained himself

[travpoet]

Two words: Bull shit.

[01oceanspray]

Awful description. Complete fabrication.

[ThePianoStudio]

The description and the movie does not match. It's not just insulting - it's full of lies. Nothing here or represented by the media panned out, and in the wake of Michaels passing, his fans know the real truth. About Michael, his gift to the world, and the media who sucked the life out of him.

[Whoozinga]

That discription is arrogant. Nothing is referenced, but much is assumed. How can anyone know what a "typical day" for MJ is, and certainly no one knows what the mindset of the fans was when they bought their tickets. Please.

[JaniceJolo]

the video description is just a lot of bull

[RachelsWaffles]

Here here Brinal1!

[Brinal1]

Look, no one knows what really went on with Michael, not even his own family because he was distant. The only thing we probably know for sure is that he was lonely and he was quoted saying he was one of the loneliest ppl on earth and it was sad being him. That's all we know. So don't go on wikipedia or wherever you get this trash from and think you have Michael's life down to a T. He was obviously in good shape when he took the physical and in the rehearsal footage!

[DarthMonkey180]

i kno right, i can believe people are still tryna bring him down.