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Jackson believed God was talking to him, producer testifies

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Michael Jackson’s behavior and gaunt figure were so troublesome to a producer that she told the director of the “This Is It” concert series that she believed the singer was dying and should be immediately taken to a hospital.

Alif Sankey also testified Wednesday that the director for the concerts told her Jackson believed God was talking with him.

Sankey recalled that on her way home from rehearsal one night, she pulled her car over and called Kenny Ortega, who was directing what was to be Jackson’s comeback tour. It was only days before Jackson’s first concert was to take place.

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“I said, ‘He needs to be put in the hospital now,’ ” Sankey said. “He kept listening to me because I kept going. I kept saying, ‘Michael’s dying, he’s dying.’”

Sankey, who was emotional and paused during her testimony, said she begged Ortega to do something.

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“Please, please. I kept saying that. I asked him, ‘Why is no one seeing what I’m seeing?’ ”

Sankey testified that the previous night, Jackson had been at rehearsal for a costume fitting but was sent home because he “was not looking good or feeling good.”

Afterward, Sankey said that Ortega was worried about Jackson, who mentioned God was speaking to him. Both became emotional after discussing their concern for Jackson.

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“[Michael] didn’t understand why God was speaking to him. We were both crying. We were crying because he seemed — he was not speaking normally to Kenny.”

A few Jackson fans in the courtroom sniffled throughout Sankey’s testimony.

The civil suit was filed by Jackson’s family who allege that concert promoter AEG was responsible for hiring and controlling Dr. Conrad Murray, who administered the fatal dose of propofol to Jackson in 2009.

Sankey said after being copied on an email from an AEG executive about Murray that she had believed the doctor was paid by AEG.

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corina.knoll@latimes.com

@corinaknoll

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