Michael Jackson was exhibiting signs of paranoia right before his death, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. Jackson had a breakdown before a show, according to an email sent by Randy Phillips, a promoter from Anschutz Entertainment Group.
“MJ is locked in his room drunk and despondent. I [am] trying to sober him up,” said the email. “I screamed at him so loud the walls are shaking. He is an emotionally paralyzed mess riddled with self-loathing and doubt now that it is show time.”
This information was made public because of a lawsuit filed by AEG against the insurer, Lloyds of London, for the shows that Jackson was unable to do. The insurers want the $17.5 million policy nullified because they claim AEG misled them about Jackson’s health and ability to perform.
According to the report, Jackson was also 90 minutes late to a press conference and at the conference made odd comments. The Times also mentioned that the messages would play a role in the lawsuits, which will go to trial in 2013. Lawyers for AEG claim the emails paint an incomplete picture and they say Jackson was able to handle his own affairs. “If you are in the creative arts business, you are going to be involved with individuals who have a great many problems,” said Marvin Putnam, one of the lawyers. “Michael Jackson was an adult and … it is supercilious to say he was unable to take care of his own affairs.”
This isn’t the only Jackson-related information that has hit the media. According to a report by the New York Daily News, a trust fund that was planned for Jackson’s children is still empty. One of the executors of Jackson’s estate confirmed that the funds are empty due to the estate trying to pay off Jackson’s debt. “The probate is still pending, and although almost all of Michael’s personal debt has been or is about to be paid in full, the estate is technically still in debt,” said estate lawyer Howard Weitzman. “Once all of the creditors’ claims, taxes and pending litigations have been resolved, the trusts will be funded per court order.”
