LONDON - Michael Jackson nearly died after taking a morphine overdose following his infamous interview with British journalist Martin Bashir, a doctor who treated him has claimed.

Bashir spent eight months interviewing the King of Pop at his Neverland ranch for the controversial TV special Living With Michael Jackson.

The broadcast showed Jackson’s confession of offering his bed to child friends, which later led to sexual abuse charges against the late icon for which he was found not guilty.

A doctor, who was treating Jackson’s brother Randy, alleged that the Thriller hitmaker landed himself in danger after he worked himself up into a “frenzy of anxiety” over a TV interview and collapsed in 2003.

“His frame was light but not severely malnourished. He probably weighed about 11 stone,” the Daily Star quoted the expert as having told Britain’s Mail on Sunday newspaper.

“Randy said Michael had been under severe stress because of the television programme which had aired that night.

“I recall him saying that an earlier TV documentary had caused all manner of problems and that Michael had worked himself into a frenzy of anxiety over this one,” he added.

The doctor further said that he warned the family against the singer’s addiction problems, saying: “I was deeply disturbed by the event. I told Randy that his brother should voluntarily go to a rehabilitation centre to deal with his obvious addiction problem… I wanted to discuss with Michael directly the damage he was doing to his health and the very real concerns I had for his well-being. I never heard from any of them again.”

Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest amid speculation he had taken a cocktail of prescription drugs. (ANI)