Five days before he died, Michael Jackson was in such a sorry mental state that the director of his ill-fated “This Is It” concert series said he needed a psychiatric evaluation.
Kenny Ortega sent the June 20, 2009, email to Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, which was putting on the 50 London concerts. He wrote “trouble at the front” in the email’s subject line.
“I honestly don’t think he is ready for this based on the continued physical weakening and deepening emotional state,” Ortega wrote.
“There are strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior. I think the very best thing we can do is get a top Psychiatrist in to evaluate him ASAP. It’s like there are two people there.
One (deep inside) trying to hold on to what he was and still can be and not wanting us to quit him, the other in his weakened and troubled state …
I honestly felt if I had encouraged or allowed him on stage last night h