Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Jackson chef recalls doctor's role, final days
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
Yahoo! Search
Search:
Sign InNew User? Sign Up
News Home -
Help
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Jackson chef recalls doctor's role, final days
By LINDA DEUTSCH,AP Special Correspondent AP - Thursday, July 30
LOS ANGELES - On the day Michael Jackson died, his personal chef says her first hint of something amiss was when his doctor didn't come downstairs to get the juices and granola he routinely brought the King of Pop for breakfast each morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kai Chase, a professionally trained chef hired by Jackson to maintain a healthy food regimen, recalled in an interview with The Associated Press the singer's final days. She also spoke about the role of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who is now the focus of a manslaughter investigation.
Chase said Tuesday that she had gotten used to seeing Murray coming and going from the mansion. The doctor usually arrived about 9 or 9:30 p.m. and would go upstairs to Jackson's room, and she said she would not see him again before she left _ sometimes late in the evening _ but understood he was staying the night.
In the morning, when she arrived for work, Chase said she would see the doctor coming down the steps carrying oxygen tanks. When Murray didn't come downstairs the morning of June 25, "I thought maybe Mr. Jackson is sleeping late," Chase said.
"I started preparing the lunch and then I looked at my cell phone and it was noon. About 12:05 or 12:10 Dr. Murray runs down the steps and screams, 'Go get Prince!' He's screaming very loud. I run into the den where the kids are playing. Prince (Jackson's oldest son) runs to meet Dr. Murray and from that point on you could feel the energy in the house change.
"I walked into the hall and I saw the children there. The daughter was crying. I saw paramedics running up the stairs."
At that point, Chase said, the small group that was gathered _ the children, their nanny, a housekeeper and Chase _ held hands and began to pray. As paramedics raced up to the room, Chase recalls, "We were all praying, 'Help Mr. Jackson be O.K.'
"Then everyone was very quiet."
At about 1:30 p.m. she said security guards told her and other staff to leave the property because "Mr. Jackson was being taken to the hospital."
When she came outside, she said, ambulances were in the courtyard and a crowd had gathered.
Chase, 37, who has cooked for other celebrities and comes from a show-business family, was hired by Jackson in March, let go in May, then returned on June 2. She said the pop star's focus was on fresh, healthy food for him and the children.
She said she prepared meals for the family and occasionally for Murray. She said Jackson was in training for his upcoming shows in London and told her: "You have to take care of me."
On most days, she said, Murray would bring Jackson the special fruit juice drinks Chase prepared for him, followed by granola with almond milk. For lunch, Jackson would eat with the children from a menu that included such things as spinach salad and chicken.
Murray sometimes joined them for dinner, which might be a seared ahi tuna. She said the doctor conferred with her about the 50-year-old pop singer's food and made sure that he ate.
The only oddity was the oxygen tanks. Chase said she never asked about the purpose of the oxygen and she saw no sign that Jackson was on drugs or was in failing health.
"Normally in the morning, he would bring oxygen tanks from upstairs downstairs, one in each hand," she said.
Authorities searched Murray's Las Vegas home and medical office Tuesday as part of an investigation that included raids last week of his clinic and storage in Houston.
With toxicology reports pending, investigators are working under the theory that the powerful anesthetic propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Murray told investigators he regularly administered the drug to help Jackson sleep, and had done so sometime in the early morning of June 25, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Propofol is supposed to be administered only in monitored medical settings by trained personnel; the official told AP that Murray left the bedroom and returned to find the star unresponsive. Police have said Murray is cooperating and have not labeled him a suspect, and his lawyer, Edward Chernoff, has said the doctor "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson."
Like Murray, Chase said she was hired to accompany Jackson to London for his comeback concerts and the request was personally made to her by his 12-year-old son, Prince Michael II.
"Prince said, 'Daddy wants me to tell you he wants you to go to London with us,'" she recalled. "I said, 'Tell your daddy that I'm pleased and honored."
She said she had already filled out paperwork and submitted a copy of her passport to the Jackson staff and expected to leave for London on July 3.
On June 23, she said Jackson told her: "I'm packed and I'm ready to go." Two days later, he was dead.
It was the end of her dream job and an idyllic time in Chase's life, a time that had begun in March with a call from Jackson's assistant, Michael Williams. She was told that "a client" wanted her services as personal chef but she was not told the client was Jackson until she was hired.
"I couldn't believe it," she said. "I asked him if I was on 'Candid Camera.' I said, 'Am I being punked?'"
She said Jackson had seen her resume which included jobs cooking for Macy Gray and Jamie Fox as well as catering a fund raiser for President Barack Obama. She said he also knew she was from a multiracial background and her godfather was Redd Foxx.
But before she started she had to pass muster with three other people: the Jackson children.
"I came to the house and the first people I met were the kids. They started interviewing me," she said. "They told me: 'We're into healthy eating."
When they approved her, she went to work and "We developed a really great bond."
Most days, she said, Jackson made a point of having both lunch and dinner with the children, Prince, 11-year-old Paris; and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, and each meal was preceded by Paris saying grace. After weeks of healthy food, she said she wrote Jackson a note with a suggestion:
"I said, 'What about doing comfort-food Saturdays? We could do barbecued chicken and corn on the cob, maybe Mexican food or soul food.'" She said he loved the idea, but as the concerts approached, healthy eating returned full time.
"He said, 'I'm a dancer,' and he wanted food that would not make him cramp up while he was dancing."
She now treasures little notes she received from the children and from Jackson and a present he gave her.
"One day he handed me a little gift bag and said, 'This is for you from me and the children.' He had given me an iPod Touch because the children told him I still had a Walkman. It had the 25th anniversary 'Thriller' album loaded on it."
She said she has visited with the children since Jackson's death and they are doing well. "They have so many cousins to play with."
As for Chase's future, she said Jackson encouraged her to write a cookbook and she has written one tentatively titled, "Fit for a King." It includes recipes she cooked for Jackson and the story of the time she worked for him.
"He was an inspiration to me," she said.
___
On the Net:
http//http://www.kaichase.com
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Sign in to recommend this article »
0 users recommend
Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle
Swedish worshippers fume at church newspaper's Bruno promoAFP - Thursday, July 30
Bryce Dallas Howard joins third `Twilight' filmAP - Thursday, July 30
Johannesburg gets work by major SAfrican artistsAP - Thursday, July 30
Bob Barker asks Cherokee chief to end NC bear pitsAP - Thursday, July 30
Bauhaus anniversary show draws many visitorsAP - Thursday, July 30
Most Popular – Entertainment
Viewed
Doctor gave Jackson drug that killed him: CNN
Police raid Vegas home of Jackson doctor
Sunbeds elevated to top cancer risk level: WHO
Lost love letter reunites couple after 16 years
Ex-boxing champ Forrest shot in back and killed
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Thursday, 30 July 2009 Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
Spain blames separatists in car bombing, 64 injured
British watchdog clears iPhone advert
Two more Iraq hostages 'likely' dead
Spain's Santander bank profit slips
Germany consumer prices fall
ArcelorMittal loss depress shares
U.N.'s Ban says willing to visit North Korea
| International
|
World falling short on emergency food aid: U.N. body
| International
|
Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace
| International
|
Moldovan Communists top parliament vote: exit poll
| International
|
Indian students losing college places in Australia
Taiwan leader calls for China trade pact but no rush to meet Hu
Lawmaker urges regulations for file-sharing
| Technology
|
Prisons ban inmates from having pen pal ads
Dalai Lama receives honorary citizenship of Polish capital
Waking up is getting serious on smartphones
| Technology
|
'Al-Qaeda' blog claims bombing as Indonesia hotels re-open
Gates: Some US troops may be leaving Iraq early
Intel sees no first-time PC buyers for netbooks
| Technology
|
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Sony plugs Google's library into e-readers
| Technology
|
Myanmar warns against predicting Suu Kyi verdict
Pakistan, Tajikstan to cooperate on terror fight
Deal far from done in UBS tax evasion case
Obama renews sanctions against Myanmar
Responsibility claim for Indonesian terror attacks
Closing arguments set for ex-congressman's trial
Scientists seek new tools to fight malnutrition
Uighur activist demands investigation of missing
Record heat wave continues in Seattle, Portland
Health care onus on Westerners Baucus, Reid
Philippine gov't, Muslim rebels meet in Malaysia
US terror arrests spur warning to police
Pieces of Hollywood history on auction block
Honda, Nissan see flickers of hope
Japan's Toshiba still in red
Japan's Nomura posts first profit in six quarters
Ballroom show to hit Broadway amid dance popularity
| Entertainment
|
Now Germans can pre-book holiday sunloungers
Honda says profits dive on weak sales
Swedish worshippers fume at church newspaper's Bruno promo
Jakarta hotels reopen after suicide bombings
SAfrica's poor say enough to empty gov't promises
UBS sued in HK over investor's $26 million loss
Art-deco's unlikely claim to fame, in western France
In Virginia, health fair tends to America's poor
South Korean film snags coveted release in China
A life in comedy leads Apatow to `Funny People'
Jackson chef recalls doctor's role, final days
Philippine ex-president, 72, shoots comeback movie
Britain to call for revamped Afghan aid effort
Britain and U.S. defend war effort in Afghanistan
| International
|
Cyber-criminals targeting social networks: experts
Twitter and Facebook make Afghan election debut
Jackson autopsy released next week: coroner
Kenya arrests Dutch citizens heading to 'jihadist' camp
Stray South Korea fishing boat held in North
| International
|
Sudanese woman in court in trouser 'test case'
Twitter unveils new frontpage
IMF gears up for 'unprecedented' support of poor nations
U.S. unsure on success of Pakistan's Swat offensive
| International
|
Susan Boyle Joins Megan Fox, Cheryl Cole As Women Men Would Most Want To Date
Rocket-battered Israeli border town enjoying calm
Microsoft going after Google's home turf
As indicators point up, Obama sees end of slump
Kurd polls keep status quo in Iraq
Johnny Knoxville Agrees To Pay Ex-Wife $6K In Child Support
Fauna play key role in circulating seas, says study
Tennis Star Martina Navratilova Asks For Long Delay In Divorce Case
Clinton "deplores" any abuse of prisoners in Iran
Honduran leader softens tone in fight over Zelaya
| International
|
Iraq police clash anew with Iran rebel camp residents
Hulk Hogan And Estranged Wife Linda Finalize Divorce
Black Eyed Peas And Kings Of Leon Battle For Top Spot On iTunes
India's outsourcing sector sees export growth slide
Ruling parties win majority in Kurdish elections
Judge Appoints Independent Guardian To Protect Finances Of Octomom Nadya Suleman's Children
China publicizes list of Uighur fugitives
| International
|
Chip maker Infineon trims loss, sees larger writedowns
Iran to try 20 vote 'rioters' as opposition vows defiance
STMicoelectronics sees chip market firming
British opposition chief apologises over Twitter gaffe
Moldova liberals seek coalition, Communists falter
| International
|
Working women in front line of slowdown
| International
|
Google Maps accused of unfair competition in France
Heavy rains, landslides kill 66 in southern China
| International
|
UN chief backs NKorea's call for direct talks with US
US judge orders release of Guantanamo detainee
Mac flaw could let hackers get scrambled data
| Technology
|
Japan's DPJ revises its foreign policy stance
Gates hints at faster Iraqi pullout if leaders curb feuds
Foxconn suicide turns spotlight on China counterfeiting
| Technology
|
Whose 5 stars? Online `user' reviews get scrutiny
Microsoft, Yahoo in 10-year Web search partnership
| Technology
|
San Diego Zoo says giant panda Bai Yun is pregnant
Yahoo investors disappointed, but hold out hope
| Technology
|
Wis. dad of dead girl says he trusted God to heal
Current wars barely register on fashion's radar
A look at the deal worked out on health care
Death penalty possible in museum shooting
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
Share prices mask uncertain India economy outlook
Top S.Korean officials agree exit talk premature
S.Korea government bonds rise early, stocks eyed
Korea Hot Stocks
Japanese industrial output up 2.4 percent in June
Seoul shares flat after N.Korea reports, U.S. loss
Terror suspect purportedly claims Jakarta blasts
Hong Kong's yoga boom sparks injury surge
NZ cenbank threatens rate cut on currency fears
NY sparks fears for Coney Island's freaky soul
RPT-PREVIEW-S.Korea banks set to recover after weak Q2
Uighur leader's book sales rise: publisher
Russell Crowe to star in 'Next Three Days'
NZ dollar falls after cenbank warns on recovery
TEXT-NZ central bank holds cash rate at 2.5 pct
Gretchen Wilson to start her own record label
Jackson's mother seeking info from estate lawyers
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works
| Entertainment
|
Kristinia DeBarge not saying goodbye anytime soon
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens
| Entertainment
|
Property of Jackson doc searched in investigation
Actor Jude Law to be father to fourth child
| Entertainment
|
Galactica producer Harvey Frand dies at 68
| Entertainment
|
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5
| Entertainment
|
Howard to replace Lefevre in 3rd Twilight film
| Entertainment
|
Russell Crowe eyes remake of French thriller
| Entertainment
|
It'll be a mob scene, really, on NJ waterfront
| Entertainment
|
Rachel Weisz sizzles in Streetcar
| Entertainment
|
Taliban call for boycott of Afghan polls, 'jihad'
Zimbabwe lifts reporting ban on BBC: broadcaster
Iran police arrest mourners in cemetery memorial
| International
|
Renault slumps into loss
Israel orders Gaza war probe: report
Rolls-Royce profits soar six-fold
Two Spain police killed by new bomb blamed on ETA
| International
|
Study finds pesticide link to childhood leukemia
Iran to begin first trials of protesters
Nigeria says routed Islamic rebels; clashes go on
| International
|
U.N. council extends mandate of Darfur peacekeepers
| International
|
South Africa's Zuma accepts libel damages from UK paper
| International
|
CORRECTED: Kurd polls keep status quo, U.S. urges Iraq peace
| International
|
Airbus to fund extra search for Air France black box
| International
|
China seeks to reduce its abortion toll
"Radicalization" of Americans worrying
Malaysia to deploy dubious task force in crime fight
Congress urges pardon for first black boxing champ
Australia finds last two Vietnam War missing: gov't
Mass. woman killed, fetus removed from womb
NKorea's Kim undergoing kidney dialysis: report
US officials warned Pakistan on Taliban spillover
Weeping Suu Kyi supporters brace for the worst
Microsoft and Yahoo challenge Google: Bing it on
China publicises list of Uighur fugitives
Torrential rain in China kills 66 since June
Mosquitoes deliver malaria 'vaccine' through bites
China rejects Uighur claim over 10,000 disappeared
Babies die slowly after Bangladesh drug scam
Japan's Sharp in red, eyes full-year profit
Sumitomo Trust to buy Citigroup's Nikko Asset
Sony posts smaller than expected Q1 loss
ADB warns Asian growth at risk from inequality
China to reimpose air fuel surcharge: state media
Mitsubishi Motors bleeds red ink
Work halted after deaths at Vietnam's tower site
Seoul shares end firm; banks, Samsung Elec rise
San Miguel offers to run Philippines toll road project
'New wave' directors make a splash in Bollywood
Pakistan c.bank buys back 11 bln rupees of T-bills
Jackson mother gets custody, Rowe gets visits: report
| Entertainment
|
Polish comic books cover Nazi camps
NY museum exhibit to show unseen Tim Burton works
| Entertainment
|
Sour notes Down Under for Aussie rock icons
Diane Keaton to star in HBO comedy series
| Entertainment
|
Ashley Tisdale sheds Disney image in new Aliens
| Entertainment
|
Comics find something to laugh about with Gates
Work day ends for Broadway musical 9 to 5
| Entertainment
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights