TRAGIC recordings of Michael Jackson were published in the Sun on May 11, 2010 - in which he pleads for financial help and fears for his life are revealed.
They show the star sometimes rambling and at other times virtually incoherent.
Desperate to seek refuge from his Neverland ranch and besieged by money worries, the star left a series of messages on a friend's telephone answerphone.
The Sun has not paid for the tapes. They were handed to US journalist Daphne Barak after she wrote a book on celebrity addiction.
Ms Barak told The Sun they had been passed to her by friends, who wished to remain anonymous, to illustrate how the star appeared to be suffering the effects of an addiction to prescription drugs more than SIX YEARS before his death last June.
Daphne said: "Some of Michael's closest confidents talked to me exclusively about his addictions - and provided audio tapes of Michael never heard before. "These demonstrate different states of mind he was experiencing under the influence of pharmaceuticals."
The messages come from 2003. In February that year Jacko was reeling from a public backlash after the Martin Bashir TV documentary exposed him for sharing his bed with children.
Throughout the recordings Jackson, who died aged 50, appears anxious and paranoid his life is under threat.
In the first message he is determined to move away:
"It is Michael calling. It is very important, I want that 150 in that account for me, because... I am very concerned about my life. I am hearing a lot of stories that (name withheld) is still trying to sabotage (inaudible) me and I want to be in a different environment and, um, I've found a place that I like and now (inaudible) I want to be away for a while where they can't find me. So please help me, help (inaudible) help me, and, um, more important than (inaudible). We are brothers".
In a second, his voice is slurred and slow, which Daphne believes is due to medication. He expresses concern about a figure who he says could be involved with the Italian Mafia.
"It is Michael. Ahh, it is 4:30 in the morning here that's why I sound very sleepy (laughs) and I'm really worn out... but please check the message I left a day or so ago. I am very concerned. I don't trust that man. We think he's bad, we think he is Italian mafia. Please... we must be smarter than him. So please, help me with this. I need to get that, those funds so I can do that, I wanna be away. . . I don't want to be in Neverland right now."
In a separate message Jackson again seems to be seeking money urgently.
"If you get this message call me immediately at 805 *** ****. What I want to talk to you about is very top - top secret... I need a German or Swiss bank... "
A little later Jackson calls again asking for cash to be put into an account. He appears to use a code word "Sun Screen" - possibly suggesting protection money.
"I am very embarrassed. But, um, there should be that I have some finance that's coming up January, February 2nd, and um... that's why I, we need to have on Sun Screen to the account 150. Please don't be mad at me for... (inaudible) It's something that's very important to me and my family, because I'm (inaudible) that I'm being stalked and I think it is (name withheld)."
Only one tape - in which Jackson discusses investing in a project linked to the emerging craze for super-heroes - shows the singer at his most lucid. Jackson urges his friend to work with him, saying: "I would love to work together, but as far as timing... The, uh, I really feel in my heart - we must move as fast as we can because the, on the film side of it, ah, I don't know if you have been reading the paper... but Marvel already have sold off their internet rights and the fact that stock is so low now.
"They put out Spider-Man, now they got Incredible Hulk coming, they got X-Men 2 coming and they also got Spider-Man 2 coming. It is going to jump, it's going to change! I mean, you know... and this huge frenzy for superheroes... and all the things we can do... I wanna get in before the stocks... we have to jump in now. The timing is perfect."
