Jackson's Rabbi: Michael's Doctor Was a Drug Pusher

By Rob Shuter Posted Jan 13th 2011 09:20AM

Michael Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, learned on Tuesday that he will face trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the pop star's death. One person, however, has already decided that he's guilty: Michael's longtime friend, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

"Here is a doctor, who essentially acted as a pusher, now denying any and all responsibility for dispensing to Michael a truckload of prescription drugs that eventually killed him," the rabbi tells me. "Bodyguards have already testified that as emergency workers came to try to save Michael's life, Murray was gathering bottles of pills and removing them from the scene of the tragedy."

Boteach is convinced that Murray isn't the only person who needs to go to jail for Michael's death.

"I am still amazed that a year-and-a-half after Michael's death, we have still heard nothing about anyone else who facilitated his self-destruction," Boteach says. "Professionals who were on his payroll had a responsibility to protect him from harm, both from others and from himself. Instead, they pursued the opposite, content to allow Michael to indulge his growing dependency on piles of prescription drugs."

And why, Michael's friend asks, did the singer's so-called friends let him down?

"Because if they gave Michael what he wanted, you could stay on the inside, continue to get their big salaries and remain in the retinue of the world's biggest star."

Tags: conrad murray, michael jackson

Comments

(24)

Thursday 13 January

By Denise

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So Rabbi Shmuley, where were you when all this was taking place? Aren't you one of his friends..didn't you have an obligation as a friend to help him as well? Why don't you point the finger at yourself?

By Brooke

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Exactly!!! I couldn't have said it better myself! IF he wants to preach to the media about "others responsible" maybe he first should examine his roll within the context of his own words! where indeed was he when all this "drug addiction" was taking place

Tuesday 01 March

By Bee

Michael Jackson is the only one to blame for his drug abuse and habits. He was an addict. How dare you blame anyone when the one using the drugs lied to everyone as to his "PURITY". Give me a break!!!!!!!
Obviously, he didn't say "NO" to drugs. And his family was fully aware he was an addict. Blame them and the millions of dollars he shelled out to them over the years.

By RAS

M.J was the most responsible for his death. The staff and family enabled it and the doctor was certainly guilty of gross negligence but as typical with our society..everyone else is at fault except for the individual who was the addict. This would have happened regardless of if Dr.Murray was in charge or another doctor who would have turned a blind eye to get paid.

By YellowRose3218

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When a boss is using drugs, everyone that says anything negative about it would be fired. Thats why Michael's body gaurd, and the house keeper and everyone kept it under their hats. For fear of being let go. Its sad that Michael was living that way, I would hve never guessed it.
I hope Condrad goes to prison, and never practices medicine again.

By Lita

But they lost their jobs anyway, didn't they?

By Crys

While Michael is responsible for his own addiction, doctors take an oath to not do harm. They have a responsiblity to serve patients in the best possible way. That could mean saying "no" when a patient with an obvious addiction to perscription medications demands more.

A doctor is a professional and should know to not administer an anesthetic in a patient's home when that anesthetic is designated for hospital use only. A doctor is supposed to try to save his patient's life. This doctor administered CPR incorrectedly, failed to call for help right away, and was more concerned about hiding perscription bottles than helping paramedics.

Yes, Michael was an addict, acting as addicts often do. He had the power to push people away who wouldn't give him what he wanted. Still, any doctor deserving of his or her license to practice medicine would've set boundaries and valued the patient's life even above the paycheck and demands. If doctors can't see past being opportunistic for two minutes, then he or she needs to go to law school instead. While Murray isn't solely responsible for Michael's death, he definitely should face consequences for doing things that were illegal as well as irresponsible and greedy.

By imansmimi

Hey Rabbi, This kind of publicity is a negative for your profession. If you were a friend of MJ, why didn't you step in and help him? Were on his payroll too??

By the Timekeeper

I agree with you RAS. While I do not condone Dr. Murray's actions, Michael is the victim of his own addiction. I have known many addicts, and they all will get their drugs one wauy or another. Regardless of who they get to do it. Yes, MJ's family ( and all of those who are his fans) will alway slook at sopmeone else as the blame. MJ is like any other addict. They are going to get their drugs no matter what. I love him and his music as much as anyone else. But he was an addict plain and simple.

Friday 14 January

By saon

You are right about addicts, but propofol is not a drug you can get "one way or the other", like cocaine, heroin or painkillers. For propofol, you NEED a doctor who agrees to inject it into you. Several doctors told Michael "no" which saved his life on those occasions, but Murray said yes and that killed Michael.

Murray is fully responsible. He didn't just provide the drug, he was there killing Michael with it. Had he refused, Michael may well not have found another doctor willing to do this for quite some time, and survived June 2009. Unless someone really did want to murder Michael in his death was indeed first degree murder.

Monday 17 January

By BIG MAMA CORNBREAD

DR.KLEIN MADE PLENTY OF DRUG MONEY WHY ISN'T HE ON TRIAL...WHERE ARE THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST THAT WERE PAID BIG CASH ...TYRONE GOT CAUGHT HOLDING THE BAG IN THE GHETTO WAY CAR AS USUAL DRUNK OR SLEEP BUT NONE THE LESS KLEIN MADE MORE THAN 150,000 A MONTH FROM MICHAEL...FOR DECADES.

By Lee

I'm not a great fan of Boteach's, but he has said that he tried to get Michael to confront his addiction and lifestyle, and Michael pushed him out of that inner circle. They had a falling out because of it.

No, according to Schmuley himself he was the one leaving Michael. What he was not happy about was that Michael eventually refused to let Schmuley use him to front his own "charity" operations.

By Tell It Like It Is

DEAR MICHAEL- Love and miss U so much. Know family, friends tried 2 help U. Know would've helped self, if able. Addiction not easy. Boteach is right. Others aided w/condition, should B made liable. Quack however, was in BEST position 2 help U. Didn't. Guilty as hell. Now all solely out 4 bucks, at loss 2. Hope Murray exhausts every dime, 2 no avail. Nothing will bring U back 2 us. Nothing however, can diminish your legacy. Neither our love. Will never wane. "Forever Michael". Many continue struggle coping. "Even Though You're Gone", Jacksons. R.I.P.

Sunday 16 January

By glgirl

i dont know how i feel about this, ive heard so many contradictions about his death i dont know who to believe...RIP Michael :)

Can everyone please remember that Michael Jackson did not die from drug abuse? While he overused painkiller for periods of his life, they had no lasting effect on his organs (see autopsy report) and when he died, he only had in him what Murray gave him.

Michael Jackson did not ask for propofol to get "high", he did it because he suffered from severe insomnia. You can't work if you don't sleep. Instead of sending Michael to a insomnia clinic (there are clinics like that) or try hypnosis or anything sensible, Murray gave him a very dangerous anesthesia under the wrong conditions which was what killed him - simply because that was how he would get 150 000 dollars a month.

By bee

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Aren't you the naieve one!!!

Monday 11 April

By tigerladie1956

your so right. i dont know whats wrong with people that want to think he was a druggie he died of propofol intoxication not heroin or coke people need to get a life already abd let the dead rest

As for Schmuley, he let Michael down big time himself. He convinced a creative person to stop creating and instead doing lectures, he taped some conversations that I am not convinced Michael was aware of, he let him give his kids a dog and then he abandoned Michael because he "wouldn't be drawn into the vortex". He refused to go to Michaels 30th anniversary. Then, as soon as Michael died, he get his very judgemental book out in a hurry and made the TV circuit.

And this man considers himself a spiritual adviser (especially on "love") and thinks he has a say on who is a traitor to Michael? Ha!

By mjj

Maybe Rabbi Shmuley needs a refresher course - Judaism 101

"Do not go as a tale-bearer among your people, do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor..." (Leviticus 19:16)

“Judaic law, considers divulging information about another, particularly harmful or derogatory information, as a breach of Torah law. “ This man calls himself a Rabbi, therefore, he should be bound by the Torah law, yet the warmth had not left the body the man, before he published their confidential and privately taped conversations, along with his biting critique and opinions of the foibles of Michael Jackson. “The Torah strictly limits disclosure of private information to a third party, even though the information is true and no malice is intended, regardless of how or where the information is obtained.” It is unconscionable for anyone to share private information but even more abhorrent when intimate thoughts and feelings are published when obtained under the guise of a formal counseling session.

Let’s now go back to the Levitcus 19:16 - “First, the spreading of ‘tales’ about one's acquaintances is equated with shedding their blood, since serious harm may arise from the disclosure of private information.” With his first book, Rabbi Shmuley, unnecessarily and maliciously shed Michael’s blood just as if he had taken a knife and gutted him.

In Tabloid Junkie the lyrics “ ..they do me for the money..” and yes Rabbi Shmuley certainly DID MJ for the money. It is hard to imagine who would trust this man enough to confide in him after he demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has no honor; as a man, or as a Rabbi.

“Engagements may be broken, relationships shattered, and business partnerships dissolved, all because of gossip. This is the reason for the almost absolute ban on rechilut (tale-bearing)” The Rabbi continues to stab at the corpse of Michael Jackson with his “Opinion:Will Anyone Pay For Michael Jackson’s Death”, where he basically blames Michael for his own death. In this article while he attempts to twist the dagger a little deeper into Michael, he actually slits his own throat – Quote: “The decision to dull deep emotional pain with destructive pills rather than addressing the root cause was Michael’s most tragic mistake.” This statement doesn’t reflect very highly on Shmuley’s professional guidance skills because delving into the root cause was exactly why Michael so foolishly confided in Shmuley in the first place. Perhaps one of Michael's most tragic mistake was putting his trust in this so called man of God.

Obviously, the Rabbi was too busy dreaming about his future book sales, rather than addressing the root cause of Michael’s need for “destructive pills”. At the end of the day, it is unclear if Murray will be made to accept blame for his death in a court of law. It IS clear, however, that Shmuley, has defied Judaic law and sold his soul to the devil for a few golden eggs.

Budsgirl11954

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