People News

Jackson's bodyguard blames doctors

Jul 3, 2009, 9:20 GMT

Workers set up signage in front of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California USA 2 July 2009. US pop star Michael Jackson memorial service will be 07 July at the Staples Center EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Michael Jackson's former bodyguard says his doctors "have blood on their hands".

Matt Fiddes, who worked for the star for 10 years, claims he confiscated needles from the 'Thriller' singer out of fear he would kill himself with prescription drugs.

He said: "We went to great efforts to keep the doctors away. But as soon as we said anything and it got back to Michael, Michael would have a screaming fit that we were interfering with his private life, that he knew what he was doing."

Blaming Michael's personal medical team, he added to Sky News: "As far as I'm concerned they have Michael's blood on their hands. They know what they've done and there's people out there who could have helped, could have stepped in, but didn't do for financial reasons."

Matt also said he wouldn't describe Michael as a "druggie" because he never took anything illegal, but confessed he thought the star was addicted to painkillers.

He also claimed Michael had a "secret girlfriend."

Matt added: "I don't know how long they've been a couple. I know she's been with him for some time in different capacities. It's up to her if she wants it to come out or the family to speak."

Meanwhile, Michael's personal photographer Ian Barkley says there were "two sides" to the singer.

He explained: "When he wasn't dosed up on pills, he was extremely mentally sound, very business-like, very smart, but when he was on drugs, he would do some really odd things.

"It was basically flipping a coin and depending on what day it was, was how he was. Some days Michael would show up to an event and we could tell because he had this giggly laughing face on. I am not sure what kind of meds, but I know there were mixtures."

Ian also added that he believed Michael was addicted to drugs.

He told E!: "Fifty per cent of the time he was on drugs. He had doctor after doctor working with him and had people score him prescription drugs that he knew he didn't have prescriptions for. He definitely had a problem.

"I think he just never got off of the drugs from the many surgeries he had."

He also added the star underwent an unorthodox treatment for his prescription addiction, but it didn't work.

Ian added: "A witch doctor was around to get Michael off the drugs, to go through a detox thing, but it didn't work."