Long Time Doctor Says Drugs Were Present

Dr. Steven Hoefflin gave an interview on Thursday to Access Hollywood. Dr. Hoefflin performed surgery on Michael following the horrific burning he received while filming the infamous 1984 Pepsi commercial and provided care for Michael for many years. He said that he was not speaking out on authorization by Katherine Jackson.

Dr. Hoefflin said that Michael had "lethal amounts of Demerol and Propofol in his body" at the time of his death. He also said that he last provided care for Michael in 1998 and participated in an intervention in 2002.

Results from the L.A. coroner's official autopsy have yet to be released to the public.

Dr. Hoefflin said that Michael told him about his heavy use of drugs during the time of the 2002 intervention, saying that he was then receiving regular injections of Demerol. Dr. Hoefflin told Access that he has not been paid for any of his interviews, including one he gave to British newspaper, The Sun. In that and in other interviews, Hoefflin named doctors that he says were involved in giving drugs to Michael. Whe he was asked by Access if the Jackson family planned to "go after" those they believed were involved in Michael's death, Hoefflin said "Of course they are."

Dr. Hoefflin spoke about specific treatments Michael allegedly received from doctors, citing injections of Benoquin, a permanent bleaching agent used to lighten his facial skin, as well as collagen injections. Michael was also treated for acne on his face and nose with injections of Celestine, a powerful cortisone.

Dr. Hoefflin disagreed with the use of both the collagen and cortisone, saying that Michael, who suffered from lupus, should not have received collagen. He also said that "cortisone injections can thin out tissue on the face. I told him that he should not have any further injections...as it was thinning out his face and nose." Hoefflin also said that at least one doctor prescribed prescriptions for Michael under the alias Omar Arnold.

Also during the interview with Access, Hoefflin said that the Jackson family will be seeking legal recourse against the "biographer" Ian Halperin who penned the book "Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson" earlier this month. In the book, Halperin says that Michael was gay and that greed led to his death. Hoefflin said that Michael's fans should boycott the book and burn it on the streets.

Source: MJFC / MSNBC