Michael Jackson didn't have a drug problem. He just couldn't sleep.
That's according to the late King of Pop's brother Jermaine Jackson, who sat down with Ellen DeGeneres to discuss this week's guilty verdict of Jackson physician Conrad Murray on involuntary manslaughter.
Asked whether he thought it was possible Michael could have hidden an addiction to propofol, the powerful anesthetic that caused the singer's death, Jermaine responds:
"No, he wasn't addicted. There was an addiction to Demerol in 2001 in…the early 2000s but that was because of pain. Even during the autopsy report there was no addiction to any of that.
"Michael just wanted to sleep. He did not want to die. He trusted the doctor and the negligence and everything," the Jackson 5er says on the Ellen segement airing today.
Jermaine also says that Michael's death is still devastating for the family.
"It's really sad because we lost an incredible person. To see and hear the verdict…My mother cried and we consoled her and the fans were cheering and everything but it's not bringing Michael back," Jermaine says. "We lost a brother.
As for the Murray verdict, will the maximum four-year sentence the doctor is facing make the family believe justice has been served?
"I think the sentencing was very soft. I mean you would probably do more time if you stole. If you went into the hospital and stole cases of propofol you would probably do more time then," says Jermaine. "And to give him two years for taking a life. Forget about Michael Jackson but taking anyone's life. But it happens to be my brother who loved the world and loved people and did so much for the world.He cared about people, human beings, children."
To that Ellen adds: "Well, clearly we all lost somebody great. That we all have feelings about and memories attached but the fact that a doctor someone we trust like you said, could be allowed to ever possibly get their license back after something like that. That should just be a given that he would never be able to practice again. That should be at the very least. We would know that he would never be able to practice again."
Murray is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29.