MJ 'suffered fits of rage due to financial troubles'

New York, Mar 9 : Michael Jackson's former bodyguards have revealed that the King of Pop became frustrated during the final years of his life because of financial difficulties.

Bill Whitfield and Mike Garcia, who served as the Jackson's minders, revealed that he often suffered fits of rage.

"We were asked to leave hotels because the credit card on file was denied," the New York Post quoted Whitfield as saying on 'Good Morning America'.

Also, Whitfield added: "We smile about it, but it''''s really more painful and hurtful.

"He got so frustrated he threw my cell phone out the window, through the window and broke the glass.

"And he looked at me and said, ''''Bill, you''''re going to need a new phone.''''"

The bodyguards also mentioned that he tried to avoid Jackson's three kids - Prince, Paris and Blanket - from seeing images of their father on magazine covers.

He added: "I''''ll be ahead of him, because I know he''''s coming this way, and I''''m looking at magazine racks that may have something about him on them and I''''ll turn it around. Sometimes he''''s seen them, and you would actually see him take it and turn them around so the kids didn''''t see them."