AceShowbiz - One of Michael Jackson's former bodyguards has blamed the child abuse allegations against the late star for causing his death. MJ's devoted ex-confidante and bodyguard Matt Fiddes has spoken up in defense of the King of Pop in an interview with the Daily Star.

Matt, who protected Jacko from 1999 to 2009, claims the star was a "complete mess" after facing the allegations that he was a pedophile. The fitness entrepreneur, who now runs a chain of martial arts school, says the "Billy Jean" singer was never the same after the high profile Gavin Arvizo trial in 2005.

MJ was charged with seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to commit a child sexual abuse felony against young cancer survivor Gavin. He was eventually found not guilty on all counts, but Matt insists the damage had been done.

"It was clear after the verdict he was never going to be able to click his fingers and be back in Michael Jackson mode again," Matt shares. "He was like a walking deadman by the end. Eating and sleeping was a battle, he was just a complete mess."

Matt adds that the accusations took a toll on MJ's physical health. "He lost so much weight. It took a big toll on him. But he was adamant he wanted to prove his innocence," he says. "Michael wanted to get all this rubbish behind him. He struggled, it was awful for him to hear all those things said about him."

Matt says MJ became paranoid since he faced the pedophile allegations. "He was a man scared of his own shadow," the bodyguard reveals in the tell-all interview. "He was a changed man, he wouldn't trust anybody. He would test us...."

According to Matt, the "Thriller" hitmaker was scared that someone would shoot him on stage. "He was terrified about being assassinated on stage, and was making silly suggestions about wearing a bulletproof vest while performing. We talked to him and said the public love you, you are going to have no problems, I am going to here for you with security and making sure you are looked after you," he recalls.

Although MJ had a difficult relationship with his father Joe, people around him believed that Joe was the only one who could've helped Michael and tried to reconcile them. "His dad would have done a better job looking after him. If his dad had got to him Michael would still alive," so the bodyguard claims.

All in all, Matt has nothing but good words for Michael, saying, "Michael had no ego. He was the biggest star in the world but the most humble man you ever met."

He also slams Wade Robson and Jame Safechuck, whose testimonies about their alleged experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of the late star become the center of HBO's documentary "Leaving Neverland". Matt says, "They need to go back to the rock they crawled out from under and tell the truth. They are just after money."