Los Angeles: Michael Jackson's doctor, who refused to testify at his trial, said in an interview broadcast on Thursday that the singer lied to him about his medical history and never revealed he had an addiction problem.
"I would hate to put blame on Michael as an individual," Dr Conrad Murray told the "Today" show in the interview done days before the doctor's conviction.
"I only wish maybe in our dealings with each other he would have been more forthcoming and honest.to tell me these things about himself," he said.
Interviewer Savannah Guthrie asked: "Do you think he lied to you?"
"Definitely," Murray said.
"About what?" she asked.
"Certainly he was deceptive by not showing me his whole medical history, doctors he was seeing, treatments that he might have been receiving." Murray answered.
"Did you really not know he had an addiction problem?" Guthrie asked.
"Absolutely not," said Murray. "Did not have a clue."
Murray was convicted on Monday of involuntary manslaughter for supplying the insomnia-plagued Jackson with the powerful operating-room anesthetic propofol to help him sleep as he rehearsed for his big comeback.
During the interview, Murray was shown video of bottles of medications from other physicians arrayed on Jackson's bedside table, suggesting Murray's suspicions should have been raised.
"I cannot prevent Michael from seeing other doctors for whatever reason," the doctor said.
"You must have realized the reason he hired you was to give him this drug, propofol," Guthrie said.
"No, not at all," Murray replied. "I met Michael with propofol. This was not something I introduced to Michael."
Experts testified at Murray's trial that propofol should not have been administered in Jackson's home, but the doctor disagreed.
Murray revealed Jackson was under the influence of propofol during a recording found on the doctor's cell phone. Murray said the recording, in which the heavily drugged Jackson talked in a slurred voice about his goal of building a major children's hospital, was made by accident.
Murray, 58, described Jackson as "a desperate man, desperate" during his final hours.
Asked by Guthrie how it felt to be blamed for Jackson's death, he said, "I loved Michael too. I'm as much of a fan as any of the others. To be blamed for his death has not been an easy thing."
"Are you the cause of Michael Jackson's death?" Guthrie asked.
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