Randy Phillips, one of the top music promoters in the world, called Michael Jackson an “emotional paralyzed mess” right before the singer died of a propofol overdose.
Phillips in an email to his boss at Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) wrote:
“MJ is locked in his room drunk and despondent. I [am] trying to sober him up.”
After reading the message, AEG President Tim Leiweke wrote back “Are you kidding me?”
Phillips then responded:
“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.”
That was one of the nearly 250 pages of messages that were sent as Michael Jackson prepared for his comeback tour, an event that was desperately needed by the singer to recover from financial ruin.
The Michael Jackson emails could signal bad new for AEG as it heads to court with its insurers who have asked a judge to nullify a $17.5 million policy. The insurance company claims AEG lied about Jackson’s health. Jackson’s family is also suing AEG, claiming they forced him to push on despite his failing health.
AEG in the meantime says the Times leaked messages that painted the company in a negative light without their full context being offered to readers.
From the very start, AEG knew Michael Jackson was a big gamble; in signing an agreement with Michael in 2009, the singer was forced to agree that, should he fail to perform, AEG would take over his company and use the earnings from his music catalogs to recoup its losses.