Prince Jackson, the King of Pop's oldest son, is ready to testify in the family's wrongful death lawsuit and could take the stand Wednesday, CNN reported.
Tuesday marks the fourth anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, an overdose of propofol. Prince, Paris, Blanket and their grandmother Katherine are filing the wrongful death lawsuit against AEG Live, Jackson's last concert promoter, for negligently hiring and retaining Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
The Jackson family is accusing AEG Live of pressuring Murray to get Jackson ready for rehearsals while neglecting obvious health warning signs. The doctor told police he had used surgical anesthetic propofol almost every night for two months to treat Jackson's insomnia.
AEG Live lawyers argue that their promoter and producer had no way of knowing about the dangerous treatment Murray was using and also that Jackson knowingly chose and supervised the doctor.
Also at issue is a possible medical conflict of interest. Dr. Gordon Matheson, director of Stanford University's sports medicine department, testified as an expert on medical conflicts of interest on Monday.
He said AEG Live created a conflict of interest in Murray's contract to serve as Jackson's personal doctor. Matheson said the $150,000 a month "was likely to lead to poor medical decisions."
Murray closed his clinics to take the job and was also reportedly a million dollars in debt. Murray was no inclined to oppose with AEG because he said his contract was structured so the doctor answered to them. The contract could also be cancelled if the tour was called off.
"I think that conflict played out as Michael Jackson's health began to deteriorate," Murray previously said.
The improper use of propofol stemmed from a sleeping problem Jackson was having while preparing for his "This is It," comeback tour. The regular use of the drug most likely interrupted his sleep cycle and robbed him of REM sleep (rapid eye movement), which is vital in keeping the brain and body alive.
"The symptoms that Mr. Jackson was exhibiting were consistent with what someone might expect to see of someone suffering from total sleep deprivation over a chronic period," Dr. Charles Czeisler, a Harvard Medical School sleep expert, testified Friday at the trial.
Prince has been called to testify because he was confidant of his father's business dealings. Prince was 12 when his father died, but Michael still shared with his young son who he trusted and who he did not.
The family's chef Kai Chase said Prince was "daddy's little man" and that Michael was very proud of his oldest son.
"Prince has always been, even at 12, the little man," Chase testified. "He wanted his father to be very proud of him, which Michael was."
