Testimony from Debbie Rowe continued Thursday as part of the Jackson family's lawsuit against AEG Live. Rowe, the mother of pop star Michael Jackson's two oldest children, described the effects of her ex-husband's death on son Prince, but mainly the effect on daughter Paris.
"Their father is dead," she said, weeping. "I almost lost my daughter! She is devastated. She tried to kill herself. She is devastated. She has no life. She doesn't feel she has a life anymore."
Paris Jackson attempted suicide early in June, and has been in treatment ever since. Although it has been more than four years since Michael's death, some have suggested that Paris never completed the mourning process and is in pain now as a result.
Rowe was mainly there to testify regarding Michael's addiction to painkilling drugs. She had worked for dermatologist Arnold Klein, one of Jackson's doctors, prior to their marriage. She explained that Jackson suffered from vitiligo, a condition that caused his skin pigment to disappear. Rowe said Jackson was very self-conscious, and very fearful of pain.
"Michael had a very low pain tolerance, and his fear of pain was incredible. And I think that doctors took advantage of him that way," she said. "Michael respected doctors immensely, that they went to school, that they studied and to do no harm," Rowe said. "Unfortunately, some of the doctors decided that when Michael was in pain or something that they would try to outbid on who could give him the better drug and so he listened to those doctors."
Rowe revealed that Jackson was so paranoid about cosmetic issues that surgeons would treat him even if there was nothing wrong. During a specific incident, Jackson claimed to have scarring on his nose, and a surgeon put Jackson under before simply placing medical tape on his nose.
