Grace was under pressure: Mallika

Michael Jackson's ex-nanny never pumped his stomach of drugs, maintains Mallika Chopra.
Deepak Chopra’s daughter is livid. “In the aftermath of Michael Jackson’s death, I found myself in a surreal situation that gave me a glimpse into the dark side of bloodsuckers, media and celebrity,” she writes.

She is particularly incensed by tabloid reports claiming that Grace Rwaramba, introduced to Michael Jackson by her father, pumped the singer’s stomach of a cocktail of drugs on several occasions. She says, “For the record, Grace never pumped Michael's stomach. (She has no idea how she would even do such a thing.) Which quotes are true, which are in context, (many are not) to me frankly doesn’t matter.”

Mallika puts the blame squarely on Daphne Barak, “a so-called journalist who claims to be a friend of the Jackson family” and who steadily cultivated Grace for a potential scoop. Says Mallika, “Daphne reached out to Grace a few weeks ago, when she knew she was in a vulnerable place, having recently been let go by Michael yet again (this was a regular pattern). In the 17 years that Grace has worked with Michael, she has never spoken to the press. She loves Michael and his children at her core.”

She reveals, “I witnessed Daphne act as a friend while trying to bait information from Grace on her conversations with Jackson family members and friends about his death. She warned Grace that the family was going to try to set her up for Michael’s downfall, and that it was critical that Grace speak with a lawyer before leaving. As a friend, she had organized a ‘lawyer’ to get Grace’s story before she left for the airport.”

She posts online, “Grace feels used, insecure and shaken that she could have been so naïve, particularly having witnessed so many vultures in Michael’s world over the years. She made a mistake. The sad truth is that when you are a celebrity, or a close friend or family of one, in a world of tabloids, you must be impeccable in what you say and to whom. Michael probably faced the epitome of vultures, bloodsuckers and hanger-ons displayed in his endless cycle of managers, enabling doctors, and new business partners. How could anyone blame him for becoming so paranoid in his life?”

She refers to Grace as more than a best-friend and a sister., “She thinks of my parents as her own (she actually calls my father papa).” Earlier, Deepak Chopra, referring to Grace as the King of Pop’s children’s nanny and surrogate mother, wrote, “His children's nanny and surrogate mother, Grace Rwaramba, is like another daughter to me. I introduced her to Michael when she was eighteen, a beautiful, heartwarming girl from Rwanda who is now grown up. She kept an eye on him for me and would call me whenever he was down or running too close to the edge. How heartbreaking for Grace that no one's protective instincts and genuine love could avert this tragic day.”

“In the article, Daphne tries to portray a rift between Katherine Jackson and Grace. This is not true. I would like to go on record, with Grace’s permission, to say that Grace firmly hopes that the Jackson family gets custody of Prince, Paris and Michael. It would be detrimental to the children to be separated, and they should be with Michael’s family. They should know their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and they should learn about who he was as a person, not just as an icon. She has no interest in custody, and just wants the children to be happy and secure. She will be there for them whenever they need or want her.”

Mallika concludes, “As for the appetite for the salacious details of Michael’s life, my hope is that we let him go in peace. We already know he led a tortured life. He also led a great one in which he loved, and was loved, by many. Let his family heal, and let his fans celebrate his music and his giving heart."