Monday, April 29, 2013 4:21pm ET by  
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Michael Jackson's close friend says he was "paralytic" during 'This Is It' tour speech

Mark Lester, godfather to Michael Jackson's three children and close friend of the late King of Pop, has revealed that Jacko had developed a serious drinking problem before his death in 2009.

Speaking to Britain's The Sun newspaper, Lester (pictured left) explained that Jackson had a serious case of insomnia and would self-medicate with alcohol to the point where social events were potentially damaging.

He confessed that when announcing the 50-date 'This Is It' London residency, the 'Billie Jean' icon was incredibly inebriated and only just made it through the speech:

"Michael passed out on the hotel bed. His doctor said he’d drunk two-thirds of a bottle of whisky and was paralytic. He sobered up enough to struggle through the 'This Is It' speech, which he just about got away with."

 

 

 

 

Watch Jackson's video for 'They Don't Care About Us' here: