Samantha de Gosson: pressure led to Michael's death
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Samantha de Gosson?(front) and Michael Jackson |
Samantha de Gosson, a Los Angeles photographer, was a loyal fan of Michael Jackson for about 20 years.
She saw him for the first time in 1992 when she was 17 years old. She first met him in 2003 in Las Vegas. She said he looked more beautiful in person and she savored everything about the moment from the strength of his hands to his smell. To de Gosson, he was more than an entertainer; he was an inspiration.
He motivated her to quit smoking in 2004, she said. She started again the day he died.
Still smoke-free on June 24, 2009, de Gosson said she and two other fans saw Jackson dance and sing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles the night before he died.
"Me and two other followers were waiting when we noticed a section that was open," de Gosson said. "His voice was amazing but his clothes were obviously too big for him. That part is not in the actual 'This Is It' movie. "
Financial issues due to lawsuits, bad management and people stealing from him forced Jackson to hold the concerts, de Gosson said. When the 50-show tour was announced, de gosson said she was shocked.
"He still was rich with a lot of assets, but no immediate cash," de Gosson said. "I believe the pressure had a lot to do with Michael's death. They stressed him to the point where it was easy to take him out."
After the tour was announced, de Gosson said she could see Jackson's health and spirits degrading.
"We wrote to him about our concerns, our fears and that he should stop right now and forget the concerts," de Gosson said. "[We wrote] that we didn't need that from him, that he had already proved himself to us and that him staying alive meant more to us than any show."
She last saw Jackson the day he died. He left the Staples Center in Los Angeles at 1 a.m. after finishing rehearsal.
"He put his window down and leaned all the way out and waved and smiled," de Gosson said. "That behavior was so different from the last few days where he didn't look happy or well. I don't know what was different about that very last moment. Maybe a sign, our last goodbye."
