Michael Jackson was convinced that he would be assassinated during his live comeback shows, a former bodyguard of the star has revealed.
Matt Fiddes, who looked after Jackson around the time of his death, said that Jackson had worn a bulletproof vest during his trial for child molestation in 2005 and considered wearing one onstage for his O2 live shows.
Fiddes told The People: "Michael said to me, 'I fear I'm not going to make these concerts, or may get assassinated onstage. Please could you make sure my children are OK.'"
"He was a mess. He told me that during his four-month trial, he had to wear a bulletproof vest every day. Michael said he would have to wear one through the concerts and wasn't sure how he'd get through them because of his worries."
He added: ''Michael got it into his head that someone would shoot him so he drank whiskey, virtually a half-bottle, to steady himself. It was his first public appearance for ages and he believed he was going to get murdered because of all the bad press from his past.''
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray, who was working with Jackson ahead of his ill-fated comeback gigs in London, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.