Abbott, a motivational speaker and guru, was introduced to Sydney Andrews through Rikki Abbott, his wife and Sydney's roommate at the time. Rikki and Martin manipulated Sydney into leaving Melrose Place and come live with them at their desert retreat, which turned out to be a polygamous religious cult. Martin Abbott was the leader of the cult and supposedly offered Sydney a chance to leave of her own free will, but when she try to leave, he and Rikki kidnapped her against her will and locked her up in a cellar.