(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Quincy Jones has denied reports he used to kick Michael Jackson to keep him in line, but says he knew how to handle the late star.

The 77-year-old record producer worked with the late King of Pop on three of his most successful albums, Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. Quincy has admitted Michael had the tendency to behave like a diva, but says he always managed to get him to toe the line without resorting to physical violence as some reports have accused him of.

"Ha ha! No, but I knew how to handle Michael, Quincy laughed when asked if rumours he often kicked Michael were true.

Michael fired Quincy after 1987 record Bad, saying he wanted to move in a different direction. Despite this, the pair remained friends until Michael died in June 2009 of acute Propofol intoxication by intravenous injection of another.

The stars personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for his involvement in Michaels death, but Quincy insists no one is to blame.

"There was no way to know [Michael was in a bad way]. There's no way anybody could be blamed for what happened, Quincy told British newspaper The Guardian.

Artists of that stature they can do whatever they want. You'd have to monitor him 24-7 to know what's going on. I don't know, man. It's personal. So, so personal. There's too many details. Unless you're totally cognisant of everything, it's hard to make a judgment." (C) Cover Media