Jackson’s mom slams shakedown claim

LOS ANGELES, USA – Michael Jackson’s mother slammed Thursday, October 4, a claim that her failed lawsuit against tour promoter AEG Live was an attempt at a “shakedown” to make money after her son’s death.

Katherine Jackson, 83, also insisted that the 5-month trial had revealed the “truth,” that AEG Live hired doctor Conrad Murray, even though a jury rejected the lawsuit overall.

Murray, who was jailed in 2011 over Jackson’s 2009 death, welcomed the verdict, saying he sobbed when he saw jurors rule that he had not been unfit or incompetent to do the job for which he was hired.

“My immediate reaction was one of tears; certainly, I cried,” Murray told NBC’s Today show. “I cried because for once the world was allowed to hear some of the facts … much of which I was denied and my attorneys could not present during my criminal trial,” he said.

“I was very relieved that at least the world had a chance of hearing some of the facts.”

Katherine Jackson, in her first public reaction to the verdict, tried to put a positive spin on the rejection of her lawsuit after a 5-month trial.

“We have said from the beginning that this case was a search for the truth. We found the truth. AEG hired Dr Conrad Murray, the man who is in jail for killing Michael Jackson,” she said, according to the TMZ celebrity news website.

“AEG has denied for years, and continues to deny, that they hired Dr Conrad Murray. The jury found unanimously that AEG hired Dr Murray,” she said.

AEG Live lead attorney Marvin Putman repeated after Wednesday’s verdict his view that the whole lawsuit was an attempted “shakedown,” to try to get money out of the promoter by making false allegations.

“AEG has repeated the mantra that this lawsuit was a shakedown,” said Katherine Jackson.

“Such a statement is a slap in the face of the entire judicial system that allowed this case to go to a jury.”

It is not known if the Jacksons will appeal the verdict. – Rappler.com