Michael Jackson claims acquaintances tried to steal his fortune during his 2005 child molestation trial. The pop star, who admits he was close to financial ruin when disloyal advisors attempted to take advantage of him, has singled out his older brother Randy's close friend as one of the main culprits.
Jackson, who was found not guilty on 10 accounts of child abuse, says he was only saved after Reverend Jesse Jackson and billionaire Ron Burkle advised him. Jackson's revelations appear in a sworn deposition he gave last July for a federal lawsuit, set to go to trial this week.
He alleges Don Stabler, Randy's close associate, attempted to get him to sign a deal that would see him lose a large part of his fortune. However, Jackson refused after Burkle warned him not to.
In one transcript, obtained by the New York Daily News newspaper, Jackson recalled: "I vehemently told them, 'No, I am not signing this.' And I just remember how angry, the intensity of the anger in the room. And so they marched out."
Jackson, whose career has been in freefall since the court case, said his experience has left him wary of the entertainment industry.
He said: "It's full of sharks, charlatans and impostors. Because there's a lot of money involved, there's a bunch of schmucks in there."
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