The British newspaper The Sun got their hands on a “leaked” autopsy of Michael Jackson. I’m not sure if this legitimate – but I think there’s a good chance at least part of it is. Most of the findings are what you’d expect – supposed evidence that Michael Jackson was some kind of prescription drug addict, Michael had a lot of plastic surgery, and he was very, very thin, between 112 and 126 pounds depending on which account you believe. The Sun also reports on a lot of the bruising and damage allegedly done to Michael’s body in the last hours of his life, and perhaps even post-mortem, as the doctors and paramedics attempted anything to revive Michael. I edited it out that stuff, because it seemed really judgy, and we have no real idea what the doctors and paramedics were doing, and if they helped or hurt Michael. If you’d like to read the whole thing, in all of its tabloid-glory, you can read it here. Here are the basics of the state of the report:
Harrowing leaked autopsy details show the singer was a virtual skeleton — barely eating and with only pills in his stomach at the time he died. His hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds — believed to be the result of injections of narcotic painkillers, given three times a day for years. And a mass of surgery scars were thought to be the legacy of at least 13 cosmetic operations. The examination showed the 5ft 10in star — once famed for his on-stage athleticism — had:
*Plunged to a “severely emaciated” 8st 1oz. It is understood anorexic Jackson had been eating just one meager meal a day. Pathologists found his stomach empty aside from partially-dissolved pills he took before the painkiller injection which stopped his heart. Samples were sent for toxicology tests.
*Lost virtually all his hair. The pop pin-up was wearing a wig when he died and pathologists said little more than “peach fuzz” covered his scalp. A scarred section of skin above his left ear was entirely bald — apparently the result of a 1984 accident when his hair caught fire as he filmed an ad for Pepsi.
*The autopsy also found unexplained BRUISING on Jackson’s knees and on the fronts of both shins. And there were CUTS on his back, indicating a recent fall.
*The King of Pop’s once handsome face bore a network of plastic surgery scars, while the bridge to his nose had vanished and its right side had partially collapsed.
As inquiries into the tragedy last night focused on the star’s personal physician Dr Conrad Murray, a source close to the Jackson entourage said: “Michael’s family and fans will be horrified when they realise the appalling state he was in. He was skin and bone, his hair had fallen out and had been eating nothing but pills when he died. Injection marks all over his body and the disfigurement caused by years of plastic surgery show he’d been in terminal decline for years.”
“His doctors and the hangers-on stood by as he self-destructed. Somebody is going to have to pay.”
A second autopsy demanded by the Jackson family was carried out at a secret location on Saturday after the first ruled out foul play. Family friend Rev Jesse Jackson said the family were deeply suspicious about what caused his death.
[From The Sun]
Yesterday, The Mail printed this absolutely horrible story written by Ian Halperin. It seems loosely based on The Sun’s copy of leaked autopsy, but taken to a really gross level. Halperin claimed that Michael had lost his voice, he couldn’t dance anymore, and that there was no way he could have done one show, much less fifty. Halperin is a wingnut – he runs that horrible “Ian Undercover” site that seems dedicated to promoting the grossest versions of the worst tabloid stories. When Michael Jackson’s full autopsy report is released, I’m sure we’ll find he was truly in a horrible state – but that’s no reason to jump to conclusions about the specific actions of his doctors, his family, and his friends.
Update: According to TMZ, this autopsy story “was fabricated and [is] completely false”
Photos are of the memorial on Michael Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Credit: PRPhotos
How on earth did Jackson pass fitness medicals for his UK tour? It’s just not possible that any professional doc would have given him the go-ahead for one concert, let alone 10 or 50.
Tmz just posted that the leaked autospy is a fake
Exactly, Geronimo. Exactly.
And I’m so tired of these crazy stories coming out after his death. Some of them are even worse than the crazy ones they came out with while he was alive.
It’s really sad what is allowed to go to print even in respected publications. He hasn’t even been dead a week.
And props to Kaiser for edited some of this stuff out and off of CB blogging.
I doubt the The Sun would get it leaked before other American tabs.
I have to say this. I remember a time when people didn’t quote National Enquirer, News of the World (where the ‘interview’ came from), Star, The Daily Mail, The Sun, etc., as legitimate news sources. These are after all the same magazines that allege meetings between the president and aliens. Since the invention of blogs, these rags suddenly are taken as some sort of news source to be listened to and believed. Before, people used to read them as a joke, to get a daily laugh. Public standards have dropped to such a low that no one takes responsibility for the news or shows or media they ingest and are so gullible they’ll believe everything, including that reality TV is “real”. I am terrified by the implications of this information and deeply troubled. I already knew this as a Jackson fan, but I am sad to see it continue in death as well. Michael was in great shape physically, he had to pass a four hour physical to do the tours and passed with flying colors. The night before he died, he was dancing in top top shape. Please take responsibility and see where the stories are coming from, for once.
And for even more sickness – The Times (of London) has printed the exact same load of BS.
I too am sick of this utter rubbish that is being printed daily since his death. It’s as if the lies are just gonna keep coming and he’s not even buried yet.
I’d heard he’d had the physical for insurance purposes to cover the 50 gigs in London (which makes sense) – is that true? If so, just from looking at him, he seemed frail, one wonders how a doctor decided he was well enough to perform for such a prolonged period of time.
I always question it when a UK tabloid gets news about an American performer before a US tab does. Why would anyone with good dirt on an American performer ever go to the UK tabs first? They wouldn’t, simply put.
Oh and Zoe…
Someone in “top form” doesn’t fall down dead from a shot of Demerol. Someone on a large amount of prescription drugs isn’t in “top form”. In fact, many onlookers said he looked sluggish and “out of it” during many rehearsals.
Zoe – Yes, it was for insurance purposes but how could any bonafide doctor have declared him physically fit to perform? (Not to mention mentally.) Also, think it was supposed to be 10 concerts he originally signed up for, not 50, all of which is telling me that he was being pushed way beyond his capabilites by people whose interests in him began and ended with money. Just sad all round.
Not sure I believe it’s a false autopsy report either. Unofficial yes, but not false. This statement –
“The report that is being published did not come from this office. I don’t know where the information came from, or who that information came from. It is not accurate. Some of it is totally false.”
– reads more like it was leaked, not that’s it’s untrue. All the above statement is saying is that it didn’t come from an official source and that there are innacuracies in the Sun’s reported account. I doubt the official one will differ too much in reality from the unofficial one.
Others said he was keeping up with the 20yo dancers at the rehearsal.
Did he keep it up with this 20yo dancers or he was looking sluggish and “out of it”!?
Please, just STOP.
The third thumbnail in and header photo;
Is that a pic of Liz Taylor as Cleopatra? Who is the queen who left that token? Zoe, agree. Nothing more annoying when British tabloids write inside articles when they are an ocean away from things that happen in California or NY. Pure speculation. The British media needs to be reigned in because they are making the British people seem silly for allowing such things to be published.
i don’t know how reliable a good physical would be as to attest to his health. you know that doctors always fudge everything for stars. like the need all their unnecessary drugs. you know the dr felt pressure to let a lot of people make an obscene amount of money on his tour. if one dr denied it they’d just go to another dr whos opinion they could buy.
as for keeping up with 20 yo dancers, i’m sure he could out dance them in his sleep- or half sleep as it were.
i think in reality, he was probably as physically frail as he was mentaly. which is what only furthers our need to defend what might be difficult to cope with. the king of pop was in bad shape; chewed up and spat out by all those he spent his life trying to get attention from. i think it’s too late for people to act like they care now, and the best all these bandwagoners can do is to let him rest in peace! they should stop picking on an mj who really can’t (instead of won’t) defend himself and write an article about a positive side for once.
Geronimo: The LA Coroner’s office flat-out denied the autopsy report and said the whole thing was fabricated.
They are not going to release their report for a few weeks yet.
American tabloids are bad enough, but these Brit slag rags make the National Enquirer look like Time Magazine.
“Yesterday, The Mail printed this absolutely horrible story written by Ian Halperin.”
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IAN HALPERIN?!!? The guy’s a pathological liar and a certifiable nutcase. What newspaper editor in their right mind would print anything Halperin wrote? Is The Mail another tabloid or a legit newspaper?
i think there might be some truth over this. he was really very thin at the latest fotos taken of him, and in some pictures not worked over with photoshop you could see he was wearing some kind of plaster where his nose was supposed to be. and there are several comments of different kinds that he might be anorexic.
and you can insurance everything it is just a question of the price