The Michael Jackson wrongful death trial is going to get ugly.
"We're going to show some ugly stuff," AEG Live's lawyer said, according to CNN.
AEG intends to reveal Michael's "deepest, darkest secret" during the course of the trial to defend itself against the Jackson family's wrongful death suit.
Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, filed the suit against AEG Live and believes the company should be held civilly liable for her son's death.
The Jackson family says AEG Live is responsible for the King of Pop's death in 2009 by employing Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray routinely administered the drug Propofol to Michael, which led to the singer's eventual overdose.
Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
The Jacksons allege that the "ruthless guys" at AEG Live knew of Michael's deteriorating health and drug abuse, but were more concerned with Michael being ready for their ambitious "This Is It" tour.
"There were no rules. It didn't matter to them what it took. They were going to get it done," Jackson family attorney Brian Panish said of AEG Live. "No matter what problems Michael Jackson had ... there was nothing, nothing going to get in the way."
The family contends that AEG executives pressured Murray to do whatever it took to have Michael ready to tour. The family's lawyers will present an e-mail that AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware sent to show director Kenny Ortega 11 days before Jackson's death:
"We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary," Gongaware reportedly wrote. "We want to remind him what is expected of him."
AEG argues that, as concert promoters, they knew nothing of Michael's drug abuse and could not have prevented his death.
"This case is about personal choices," an AEG Live attorney said in court. "People have responsibility for their personal choices. It was not a tragedy of AEG Live's making."
The Jackson family seeks billions from the company in the amount equal to the money Michael would have earned over the course of his lifetime if he were still alive.
A long trial is expected, and the jury will hear from doctors, financial experts and Jackson family members.
The trial began on Monday. A detective who investigated Jackson's death will be Tuesday's first witness.
