Michael Jackson Confidant Tried For Intervention Weeks Before His Death
Sep. 21 2009, Published 7:34 a.m. ET
A lifelong friend of tragic ‘King Of Pop’ Michael Jackson has told RadarOnline.com of her failed intervention over the star’s drug abuse just two weeks before he died.
Dr Susan Etok - who had known the star for 11 years – turned down an offer of $500,000 from the mega-rich star to supply drugs and medical assistance from her family while he was doing his O2 tour in London.
Etok, 32, was so worried about Jackson’s failing health and drug dependency that she:
Bombarded his security staff with calls telling them to monitor his health 24/7 Constantly tried to call and warn his personal assistants and staff at his Beverly Hills home that his health was failing. Sent Jackson a copy of Jehovah’s Witness magazine Awake about escaping drug dependency to the home where he died.
“I knew that Michael Jackson was in trouble, so, I did my best to reach-out to the people around him but unfortunately those appeals fell on deaf ears,” she said.
“The trouble was he could be very convincing and he distanced his own family from the people that directly worked for him and who he could control – it was hard to say ‘No’ to Michael Jackson.”
Click here to read how Michael Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide
Dr Etok (who is not a licensed physician but has a degree in biomedical engineering) realized that Jackson’s life was going off track at a rapid rate when she met-up with him in person for the last time at the five-star Lanesborough Hotel in London on March 6, 2009.
Click here to read about Michael Jackson’s funeral
After being picked-up by a chauffeur she was taken to the superstar’s private $5000 a night suite it soon became obvious that the performer was going to struggle to complete his fifty date This Is It tour at London’s 02 Arena.
She revealed: “Michael started off catching-up with what was going on in my life but then he started to complain about all the physical pain that he was in.
“There were at least two other assistants with us when he asked if I could help get him a long list of drugs varying from Diprivan, Demerol and Paxil to Zoloft.
“He told me that he didn’t trust the British press because they had always been horrible to him and that it would be impossible for him to see a doctor without the newspapers knowing.
“So he offered me $500,000 to help get him the drugs and for my family to provide him with treatment and medications also.
“A lot of my family hold down medical positions, my mum is a pain management nurse and my brother is a dentist while my aunt is anesthesiologist.
“I was really nervous at this request, so, I excused myself by going to the bathroom where I saw plenty of anti-depressants strewn all around.
“Before leaving I told Michael I would see what I could do and his driver also pressured me to comply when he gave me a lift back to the rail station from the hotel.
“Obviously, it was something that I couldn’t go along with for so many reasons but I just didn’t know how to tell him because our friendship had gone back eleven years and he had always been so kind to me.”
Click here to watch video of Jackson’s post funeral memorial
Over the next couple of weeks Jackson called her obsessively to see if she would give-in to his request before she finally told him that she would not and that he would have to get his medications from an American doctor.
Dr Susan Etok – who first befriended the star after meeting him at a private party in Las Vegas – went on to see him in various countries over the years as they became confidants.
Click here to watch video about Janet Jackson’s tribute to Michael
She added: “Looking back there were signs of Michael’s drug dependency but I never paid that much attention to them.
“One time in 2006 when I was in Egypt and he was in Bahrain he asked me to get him some Demerol which he said was for his driver.
“I sent him some pills in the post and never thought anything of it at the time then a couple of years later he called me in the middle of the night asking for medication from my dentist brother because he had a bad tooth-ache.
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“But he never showed-up for the appointment we scheduled for him the very next morning to take care of the problem.
“The sad part was that during our last conversation we had he thanked me for caring about him and he sounded really upbeat about the London concerts.
“However, he was in denial that he had a problem and I only wish that those around him weren’t that way because he might be still alive today.
“I do believe that Joe Jackson and the rest of his family were trying to intervene but Michael was a difficult person to help.”