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Top AEG Lawyer Referred To Jackson As 'Freak'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emails displayed in court show a lawyer for the parent company of AEG Live LLC referred to Michael Jackson as a "freak" on the day the singer signed a contract for his ill-fate comeback concerts.

The emails were shown by Brian Panish, an attorney for Jackson's mother. He says the messages indicate how the pop superstar was viewed by AEG executives.

The emails show Jackson was called a freak by Anschutz Entertainment Group General Counsel Ted Fikre in a message to AEG Live corporate lawyer Shawn Trell.

In his reply, Trell described an upcoming meeting with Jackson as interesting but "kind of creepy."

Panish said after court Wednesday that the emails demonstrate AEG's disdain for Jackson and its desire to use him as a moneymaker.

AEG Live attorney Jessica Stebbins Bina said displaying the messages was only meant to embarrass AEG.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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