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An expert testifying on behalf on AEG Live in the trial into the unlawful death of Michael Jackson has claimed that the Thriller star was a drug addict for the last 15 years of his life.
In the ongoing lawsuit filed by MJ's family against the concert promoters for causing the wrongful death of the star, Dr Petros Levounis has claimed that Jackson's substance abuse was done in secret, and that AEG executives were totally unaware f the danger that he in during the preparations for his 'This Is It' comeback shows at London's O2 Arena in 2009.
"Michael Jackson's addiction was quite extensive and I have very little doubt that his pleasure-reward pathways had been hijacked and he suffered from addiction," said Dr Levounis.
Levounis also added that he thought that Jackson and his doctor, Conrad Murray, were had too close a relationship for Murray to be able to treat him effectively.
"A very close friendship between an addicted patient and a doctor is problematic," said Levounis. "It makes it much easier for a patient to ask for drugs and it makes it more difficult for a provider to resist."
Watch Michael Jackson announcing his This Is It comeback shows in 2009 below:
However, Jackson's family lawyers claimed that the Bad singer's drug addiction had been known for years, adding that Jackson had ended his 1993 Dangerous tour early to enter rehab to treat his dependence on painkillers.
Earlier this month, Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe was testifying at the trial when she claimed: "His fear of pain was incredible," , adding that he had a 'very low tolerance for pain'.
Rowe said doctors 'took advantage' of Jackson, prescribing drugs including Demerol, Dilaudid, Oxycodone and Vicodin to treat everything from acne to the burned scalp he famously suffered during the filming of a Pepsi advert in 1983.
"You don't call someone and say let's take Dilaudid instead of Aspirin," she said. "He foolishly, foolishly trusted people."
The wrongful death trial is now at its 77th day and is expected to conclude in September.
