According to an addiction expert testifying in the AEG Live wrongful death trial, Michael Jackson had been suffering from "quite extensive" drug addiction for the last 15 years of his life.
Lawyers for the concert promoter hired Dr. Petros Levounis to improve its defense argument that the King of Pop was very secretive about his addiction, and the AEG executives had no way of knowing the singer was in danger when he was preparing for his comeback concerts in 2009, CNN reported.
But the Jackson's lawyer Michael Koskoff retorted by saying that MJ had announced his addicted to painkillers in 1993 when he cut his 'Dangerous' tour short to enter a rehab program, substantiating his argument that it wasn't a closely guarded secret.
Levounis testified that the late pop singer's drugs of choice were opioids, painkillers given to him by doctors repairing scalp injuries suffered in a fire and during cosmetic procedures, but according to the Los Angeles County coroner, the aforementioned drugs had no role to play in his death.
AEG Live has been sued by Jackson's mother and three children contending the concert promoter is liable for his death in June 25, 2009 because it negligently hired, retained or supervised Conrad Murray, who is serving a prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter as he had administered the surgical anesthetic Propofol which resulted in his death.
