Moonwalker.Fan
Proud Member
Michael Jackson's concerned family discussed kidnapping the ailing star a year before he died so they could host an intervention, his former bodyguard revealed today.
Celebrity martial arts trainer Matt Fiddes, who was befriended by Michael Jackson in the late 1990s, told brisbanetimes.com.au he had met the pop star's brother, Jermaine, in the English city of Birmingham where they discussed the plan.
"We talked literally about kidnapping Michael and getting him away from the doctors and the people who were around him who were supplying this stuff [prescription drugs]," he said.
"We met in secret and we were planning it because we were both concerned. We would look at Sky News sometimes and thought one day we're going to see a newsflash saying, 'Michael Jackson's dead'.
"So Jermaine said it's really serious so let's go for it, let's find where Michael is, we're going to intervene, we're going to kidnap him, take him back to the family home and let's get him sorted out.
"We tried everything, but we just could not get past the enablers. We'd get rid of one and another one would turn up."
Mr Fiddes, in Brisbane to promote his martial arts academies, said he had long been concerned by Jackson's drug use, which started with painkillers after his hair caught fire during filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984.
"I was getting calls from the family saying 'we've got to do something, he's wafer thin, he's not eating, he can't do these [comeback] shows - it'll kill him'," he said.
"His brother Randy tried to get into the mansion and the new bodyguards threatened to shoot him if he didn't leave 'on order of Mr Jackson' ... so we knew things were wrong."
But Mr Fiddes said although a team of doctors and "enablers" had provided the drugs whenever the star wanted them, it was ultimately Jackson's responsibility.
"Michael put his arm out, that's the thing, and it baffles me to this day why he didn't scream out for help," he said.
"He just didn't want to communicate with anyone about it."
Mr Fiddes said he could not say whether reports he was the biological father of Jackson's son, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket"), were accurate.
"I donated [sperm] to Michael, and people do that for people around the world every day, but because it was Michael Jackson it was blown out of proportion," he said.
"I don't know for sure if I'm Blanket's dad, I'm not making any claims on it and I've not asked for any DNA tests at this stage."
Mr Fiddes said he would only pursue tests if "something went wrong" and he feared for the children's welfare.
"We're monitoring the situation, we know what's going on. Michael's got a big family ... I'm hoping that Mrs [Katherine] Jackson, who is a lovely person, is doing a good job."
Life with the star, whose erratic public behaviour had earned him the moniker 'Whacko *****', was very different to what appeared in the tabloids, Mr Fiddes said.
"All these stories that came out about him, he was behind most of them," he said.
"He used to say to us that he wanted his life to be the greatest show on earth. He became Michael Jackson, with the high-pitched voice and everything else. He used to put it on and every now and then he'd forget and we'd have to remind him.
"His voice was just normal and the make-up was just for show."
Mr Fiddes said Jackson would disappear into his room to "become Michael Jackson".
"He'd come out with the make-up on, look totally different, the mask used to go on," he said.
"I asked him why he was wearing the mask and he said to satisfy the whole 'fuzzle duzzle' and what he meant by that was that mask would make him millions of pounds in publicity. It would be on the front page of the newspapers the next day and he was right every time.
"But towards the end, it got out of hand."
Mr Fiddes said Jackson's habit of playing the media led him to believe initial reports of his death was another publicity stunt to raise his profile before a series of concerts at London's O2 Arena.
"We didn't believe it at first because all these stories were quite normal for Michael, but I thought this was taking it a little too far," he said.
"We just shrugged it off ... but I called his best friend Mark [Lester - the star of the Oliver! movie] because he had easy access to Michael compared to us, and Mark was in tears because he'd just spoken to one of Michael's assistants."
Since Jackson's death, Mr Fiddes has been concentrating on his franchised martial arts studios in the United Kingdom.
Six had already been opened in Queensland, but Mr Fiddes said he was keen to expand them across Australia.
"We opened in Australia as a test two years ago," he said.
"We wanted to make sure it works before going further and it was a huge success right away. Basically, we want to expand nation-wide like we have in England."
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/people/michael-jackson-kidnap-plot-revealed-20101029-176wn.html
