"Michael, my brother, what's the matter?"
Unlike the superficial camaraderie of someone like Little Bush, Michael Jackson genuinely treated Martin as a brother.
Martin was at his farm when he suddenly received a call from Michael Jackson. The agitation in Michael's voice through the receiver sent a chill down Martin's spine.
Could it be that the inevitable had finally happened?
In 2002, Michael Jackson made a bold move.
On July 9, 2002, Michael appeared at the National Action Network headquarters in Harlem, New York. Alongside other musicians, producers, and music executives, he openly criticized the corruption and conspiracies within the record industry. He protested against oppressive terms proposed by Sony Music at their summit and spoke out against the industry's injustices, giving a voice to all the oppressed.
This act was later dubbed by the media as Jackson's "declaration of war against Mottola" (the Sony Music president).
Martin hadn't participated in this movement, nor had Michael invited him. Knowing Martin's family had amicable ties with Mottola, Michael didn't want to put his good friend in a tough spot.
As a person, Michael Jackson was the epitome of kindness.
But soon, Mottola retaliated viciously, launching a smear campaign against Michael. Allegations of child molestation, accusations of skin bleaching, and intentional public embarrassments were orchestrated to discredit him.
The most infamous instance occurred on August 29, 2002—Michael's birthday.
That day, Michael attended the MTV Video Music Awards. Britney Spears, a close friend, introduced him as an "eternal artist" and presented a birthday cake to celebrate his 44th birthday.
However, in a backstage setup, someone had deliberately misled Michael into believing he had won an award. As Michael took to the stage to deliver an impromptu acceptance speech, the situation quickly turned awkward. Fortunately, Britney noticed the blunder and promptly intervened to diffuse the situation.
Despite the humiliation, Michael kept his composure, smiling warmly and waving to his supporters in the audience.
Three days later, Michael publicly accused Mottola of manipulating employees through wiretapping and withholding salaries. The feud between Michael and Mottola escalated dramatically.
Adding insult to injury, Mottola orchestrated delays in releasing Michael's payments, leaving him unable to pay the interest on his substantial bank loans.
Michael's business empire was vast, and his annual loan interest payments alone were astronomical.
This wasn't Mottola's first time pulling such a stunt, and Michael was furious.
"Martin, I need this money. Mottola is trying to force me to sell my share of the music catalog. Damn it, that bastard is even egging that kid to keep accusing me!"
In hindsight, many in America suspected Sony Columbia Music of orchestrating the 2003 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson.
Such suspicions weren't baseless. From the beginning of the trial, several witnesses had hinted at Sony Columbia Music's potential involvement in framing Michael.
2003 was a critical year for the SONY/ATV music catalog contract, with only two years left before its expiration.
Back in 1995, Michael's ATV music catalog merged with Sony's, granting both parties shared ownership of its assets.
Sony's original goal was to acquire half the rights to Michael's songs. What they didn't anticipate was Michael's keen eye for talent, which saw the catalog expand exponentially under his management.
Today, the catalog boasted over 200,000 song copyrights, far exceeding the original few hundred it began with. Its value had skyrocketed to an estimated $4-5 billion, with Michael personally owning half (approximately $2-2.5 billion).
This kind of wealth was intolerable to Sony Music shareholders. After all, even Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures had cost "only" $4.8 billion.
Meanwhile, Mottola, who had already lost credibility with the board due to his scandalous divorce from Mariah Carey, became the perfect candidate to spearhead an attack against Michael, especially given his racist inclinations.
The SONY/ATV catalog contract, valid from November 1995 to November 2005, was nearing its end. With less than three years to go, Sony was desperate.
Martin recalled the intricate details of the 2003 trial. The case was riddled with inconsistencies, and it became increasingly evident that Sony's ultimate goal wasn't to imprison Michael but to financially cripple him.
The unprecedented $3 million bail set for Michael was proof enough of this strategy.
While facing charges, Michael was barred from traveling abroad, performing, or releasing albums—effectively cutting off his primary sources of income.
This created a perfect storm for financial disaster, making it nearly impossible for Michael to repay his loans. At that point, Sony could exploit his predicament, buying out his catalog rights at a fraction of their worth.
Looking back, the flood of rumors about Michael's supposed bankruptcy and the calculated erosion of his financial reputation were all part of this grand conspiracy.
Even during the trial, prosecutors argued that Michael's financial woes were his motive for the alleged crimes—a completely unfounded and irrelevant claim that the judge inexplicably allowed, fueling widespread speculation of behind-the-scenes manipulation.
As Martin considered these events, he couldn't help but recall Michael's ominous words:
"There's a massive conspiracy surrounding me."
Even Michael's ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, had once revealed a chilling conversation: Michael had asked her detailed questions about Elvis Presley's death and, after a long silence, remarked, "I fear I'll end up the same way."
Tragically, his premonition proved true.