'He's Not Breathing': Michael Jackson's Final Moments Revealed 15 Years After His Shocking Death
Diana and Jackson, who were two of the most famous people on the planet in the late '80s, bonded over the pressure of the intense media attention and scrutiny they faced.
June 26 2024, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Michael Jackson’s final moments were revealed in tragic detail this week as the world mourned the 15th anniversary of the beloved King of Pop’s shocking death, RadarOnline.com can report.
In a heartbreaking development to come 15 years after Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, from a heart attack caused by a fatal combination of drugs, a minute-by-minute account of the Beat It singer’s last days resurfaced.
Tuesday marked 15 years since Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009 from a heart attack caused by a fatal combination of drugs.
According to Daily Mail, the tragic series of events that would ultimately lead to Jackson’s death started in March 2009 when the pop superstar announced his 50-date This Is It residency at London's O2 arena.
“This is the final curtain call,” Jackson, who acknowledged that the eight-month residency would include his last performances, said at the time. “This is it and I love you.”
But the stress of the upcoming residency reportedly forced the Thriller singer to seek out the drug propofol – a powerful intravenous anesthetic that Jackson referred to as his “milk.”
While Jackson pleaded that he “needed something to sleep,” he also reportedly assured his close friend Cherilyn Lee that it was “safe as long as somebody is here to monitor me and wake me up.”
Tour promoter AEG Live hired Dr. Conrad Murray to serve as Jackson’s personal physician in May 2009.
Flash forward to May 2009, and tour promoter AEG Live hired Dr. Conrad Murray to serve as Jackson’s personal physician. Dr. Murray reportedly began giving Jackson nightly infusions of propofol to help the singer sleep.
Then, by June 2009, those closest to Jackson started to notice that the Smooth Criminal singer was “deteriorating” and beginning to show “signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-disorder-like behavior.”
“I have watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks,” production manager John Hougdahl wrote in an email on June 19, 2009, as others suggested that Jackson’s This Is It tour be called off.
On June 25, 2009, it was revealed that Dr. Murray provided Jackson with several different drugs that ultimately resulted in the King of Pop’s fatal heart attack.
“Just make me sleep,” Jackson begged just minutes before he stopped breathing. “It doesn't matter what happens.”
Dr. Murray gave Jackson 10 milligrams of valium, 2 milligrams of lorazepam, a 2-milligram dose of the sedative midazolam, another 2 milligrams of lorazepam, and a further 2 milligrams of midazolam all between 1:30 AM and 7:30 AM on the morning of the singer’s death.
Then, at 10:40 AM, Dr. Murray reportedly gave Jackson a massive 25-milligram dose of propofol that would prove to be fatal.
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“Just make me sleep,” Jackson begged his final words just minutes before he stopped breathing. “It doesn't matter what happens.”
Although Dr. Murray left Jackson’s bedside shortly after he administered the fatal 25-milligram dose of propofol, he returned at 12 PM and found the singer had stopped breathing. He waited 21 minutes to call 911.
Dr. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison in November 2011.
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“I need an ambulance as soon as possible,” Dr. Murray told the 911 operator at 12:21 PM on June 25, 2009. “We have a gentleman here who needs help and he's not breathing. We're trying to pump him, but he's not breathing.”
Jackson was ultimately pronounced dead at 2:26 PM at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was 50 years old.
Jackson’s devastating death led to two major lawsuits – including a wrongful death lawsuit brought against AEG Live by Jackson’s family and an involuntary manslaughter charge brought against Dr. Murray.
The Jackson family lost its lawsuit against AEG Live in October 2013, while Dr. Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison in November 2011.
Dr. Murray was later released from prison less than two years later in October 2013 due to jail overcrowding.
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