MJ driven to early death by concert promoters says family lawyer

Michael Jackson was driven to an early death because concert promoters were desperate for him to make them money, according to the Jackson family lawyer. Launching a 40 billion-dollar lawsuit by the Jackson family, lawyer Brian Panish said bosses at AEG were so keen to get the star to perform that "they didn't care who got lost in the wash". The family claim AEG ignored the pop legend's drug addiction and pressured him to sign up for a run of shows at London's O2 Arena, the Sun reported. Panish said AEG chiefs are the only people to claim they did not know about the King of Pop's addiction to prescription drugs. The lawyer - acting for Jackson's mum Katherine, 82, and kids Prince, Paris and Blanket - showed jurors emails between key AEG bosses. In March 2009 - before a press conference where Jacko announced his O2 shows - AEG Live boss Randy Phillips wrote to the former chief of AEG's parent company, Tim Leiweke, claiming the singer was drunk and refusing to address fans. Panish said that the singer's behaviour was just one of several warning signs that AEG ignored. Panish said AEG was under pressure from rival gig giant Live Nation and ruthless bosses were ready to exploit Jackson to catch their competitor. Jackson's family accuse AEG of failing to properly probe Murray - and say his 100,000 pounds-a-month wage demands should have been a warning. However, AEG's lawyer Marvin Putman claimed that the firm could not have known Jackson was on Propofol, a powerful anaesthetic usually only used in hospital. He said AEG had no access to private information between Jackson and his doctors. He branded the star an addict and said the company should not be held responsible for his death.