Sixteen years after Michael Jackson’s tragic death, new insights into the King of Pop’s final days have emerged from one of his closest confidants. John Mason, Jackson’s longtime friend and personal attorney, offers a revealing account of the star’s health struggles and state of mind in the weeks leading up to his passing.

In Mason’s recently published memoir, Crazy Lucky: Remarkable Stories from Inside the World of Celebrity Icons, he shares intimate details about Jackson’s condition as the singer prepared for his highly anticipated This Is It concert residency, scheduled to run from July 2009 to March 2010. Tragically, Jackson died just one month before the series of shows was set to begin.

Mason recalls receiving a distressing call in 2009 while living in Reno: “Michael was in ‘really bad shape,’” Mason writes, according to Radar Online. “He was trying to tour again, but he had collapsed onstage during rehearsals. Yet, he was back at it the next day. Michael was Michael.”

As Jackson faced mounting concerns over his health, he was also battling severe insomnia. To manage the condition, concert promoter AEG reportedly brought in Dr. Conrad Murray, who administered nightly doses of propofol—an anesthetic typically reserved for surgical procedures—to help Jackson sleep. This controversial treatment has been widely scrutinized in the years since.

Mason reveals Jackson’s final words: “I can’t function if I don’t sleep. They’ll have to cancel it. And I don’t want them to cancel it.” Those words highlight the immense pressure Jackson felt to fulfill his professional commitments despite his declining health.

Dr. Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Jackson’s death. His medical license in Texas was revoked, and his licenses in California and Nevada were suspended. Although sentenced to four years in prison, Murray was released on parole after serving two.

Beyond health struggles, Mason also sheds light on Jackson’s financial difficulties. He claims the singer was under significant pressure, nearing bankruptcy, and faced the threat of losing his cherished Neverland Ranch. According to Mason, the medications were intended to help Jackson rest and maintain his performance schedule—but tragically, the cocktail proved fatal.

Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, from cardiac arrest caused by a lethal combination of sedatives and propofol. Mason’s memoir adds a poignant perspective to the ongoing narrative surrounding Jackson’s final days, offering an inside look that is both heartbreaking and haunting—though some details remain contested.

As fans and the world continue to remember the King of Pop, these revelations serve as a solemn reminder of the immense pressures behind the scenes of fame and the fragility of even the greatest icons.