Dark Secrets About Michael Jackson’s Life

He kept child-sized mannequins

(Image/ Source: thesun.co.uk)The singer kept child-sized mannequins at his lavish home and would talk to them on a regular basis. He gave them names, ‘shared secrets’ with them, and cried to them about how lonely he was. Apparently this was the reason that the star knew that ‘something was wrong’ with him, as he’d never had a chance to be a normal child.

His brother Jermaine was jealous of him

(Image/ Source: independent.co.uk)

Apparently, Jermaine Jackson was deeply jealous of his brother Michael- and it goes far beyond typical sibling rivalry. Family friend Stacy Brown said Jermaine ranted about Michael on an almost daily basis, feeling he should have been the one to become rich and famous. He was quoted saying, "That should have been me" many, many times.

He allegedly had a secret love child

(Image/ Source: ebony.com)

A fair few people have claimed to be Michael’s love child over the years, but the most convincing story came from Brandon Howard. To start, there's a strong resemblance between Michael and Howard, in both looks and actions, but those aren't the only similarities. Brandon’s DNA is a 99.9% match to the singer’s.

He was encouraged to preach door-to-door

(Image/ Source: people.com)

During their childhood, Michael and sister La Toya Jackson were encouraged by their mother to preach door-to-door, who was a devout Jehovah’s Witness. Michael was only five at the time, but Katherine Jackson still sent her children out every morning in Los Angeles to try and convert people to her faith.

He tried to convert his neighbourhood

(Image/ Source: thesun.co.uk)

Even after he became famous, Michael Jackson continued to preach to his neighbourhood. He would wear disguises like moustaches, glasses and hats to avoid being recognised as he tried to convert people. But when he went on to release his video for the hit single Thriller

, his relationship with the church started to break down.

The family nanny says she pumped Michael's stomach

(Image/ Source: abcnews.go.com)

After Michael's death in June 2009, his children's nanny lifted the lid on the star’s supposed drug abuse in the months leading up to his passing. Grace Rwaramba told UK reporters that she "had to pump his stomach many times. He always mixed so much of it. There was one period that it was so bad that I didn't let the children see him...He always ate too little and mixed too much."

The singer had pet names for his children friends

(Image/ Source: usatoday.com)

Michael Jackson has always been fairly vocal about his “love” for children, and even had pet names for all of them.  Jordan Chandler and Gavin Arvizo were called “Rubba”,  Wade Robson was known as “Little one”, and James Safechuck was allegedly called Applehead. This seems to be in keeping with his own children; Michael famously nicknamed his son, who was born Prince, with the pet name “Blanket”.

He had a stash of child photos under his bed

(Image/ Source: morningconsult.com)

Back in 2019, investigators allegedly found a collection of erotic material and bondage pictures of small boys in a suitcase under his bed. There were pictures and magazines with the fingerprints of Jackson and a few other boys on the same pages. This was used as evidence to build up the case against Michael Jackson’s estate.

La Toya has a conspiracy theory about his death

(Image/ Source: abcnews.go.com)

In her book Starting Over

, La Toya says she's convinced that "business advisers and doctors" had been scheming "to work [Michael] to death with the 'This Is It’ concerts and then profit off his estate.” This is something that was suggested in the media shortly after the singer’s passing. But things began to get even more mysterious…

And the star's

physician

was charged with 'involuntary manslaughter'

(Image/ Source: cheatsheet.com)

In July 2009, DEA officers raided the clinic of Michael Jackson's former physician Dr. Conrad Murray. He was later charged with ‘involuntary manslaughter’ after giving the singer a dose of propofol just before he died. The physician was subsequently "sentenced to four years" in jail, but only served two of them.

He gave the mothers of his child friends expensive gifts

(Image/ Source: ew.com)

Apparently, Michael Jackson gave the mothers of his victims expensive gifts. Wade Robson’s mother was given a permanent resident visa, the Safechucks were given a house, and James Chandler’s mother received a diamond bracelet. The mothers remained oblivious to the situation of their young children.

He sued papers who mocked his plastic surgery

(Image/ Source: houseandwhips.com)

After he got surgery to restore his hair and face in the aftermath of a fire accident, Michael quickly became addicted to surgery. While he claimed his changing appearance was down to everything from a vegetarian diet to stage makeup, it was clear that the singer looked unrecognisable. He sued The Mirror in 1992 when the paper called him ‘hideously disfigured’. They settled out of court six years later.

His monkey Bubbles attempted suicide

(Image/ Source: thesun.co.uk)

Bubbles the monkey used to be joined at the hip to the star. But as the monkey got older and more aggressive, he had to be transferred to a sanctuary. In 2003, a bizarre story emerged- apparently Bubbles had attempted suicide and was rushed to hospital. He’s since recovered, and lives at the Center for Great Apes in Florida. According to his keepers, he spends his time painting, listening to flute music.

The singer was abused by his father

(Image/ Source: buzzfeednews.com)

As a child star, Michael suffered hideous abuses at the hands of his dad. He was regularly whipped and cursed at, and in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he shed tears and claimed that he was so terrified of his father that he would often vomit when he saw him. It’s clear just how much mental damage this has done to the singer over the years.

His mother's strange habits affected him

(Image/ Source: birminghamtimes.com)

Michael’s mother Katherine wasn’t just a devout Jehovah’s Witness. She was also a fairly unusual individual with strange habits, which later affected her children. She was said to swab her children with rubbing alcohol – part of an obsession with cleanliness so extreme it turned her children into germophobes – and smear their faces with Vaseline so it made them look “nice and shiny”.

His brother Jermaine made preparations for his trial

(Image/ Source: globalnews.ca)

When Michael Jackson was on trial for sexual molestation, brother Jermaine was busy making preparations. If Michael was found guilty, Jermaine had a plan; he would jet Michael over to the tiny Middle-Eastern island of Bahrain, which has no extradition treaty with the US. Apparently Michael had no idea of the plan.

His estate condemned the Leaving Neverland documentary

(Image/ Source: deadline.com)

The Michael Jackson estate was NOT happy about Leaving Neverland

. According to The Washington Post, the documentary effectively put "Michael Jackson's cultural legacy and $2 billion empire in jeopardy." Before the film was released, the estate condemned it, calling it "an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson.”

Michael was strictly anti-drug until he became addicted to painkillers

(Image/ Source: m.economictimes.com)

Sister La Toya has been vocal about Michael’s life, and her book went into more detail about his final years. She claimed that Michael was fanatically anti-drug before he "[became] addicted to painkillers" later in life. "Michael didn't believe in putting any chemicals in his body and he was devoted to health food.”

His doctor wrote a book about him

(Image/ Source: today.com)

After Dr Conrad Murray served time for manslaughter, he wrote a memoir called This Is It! about his former patient. It’s full of strange stories about the singer, including a time when Jackson allegedly told Murray: "You know, for the rest of your life and my life, our names will become inseparable." When Murray asked what he was talking about, Jackson allegedly responded: "I am clairvoyant.”

Bubbles the monkey was a 'stepbrother' to his children

(Image/ Source: guardian.com)

Before Bubbles moved to his sanctuary, he and the singer were inseparable. Bubbles would sleep in a cot in Jackson’s room at Neverland, eat at the family dining table, and even use Michael’s private bathroom. It was said that Jackson hoped his children would keep in touch with their monkey ‘stepbrother’ after his death.

He bought the rights to The Beatles' music- and fell out with Paul McCartney over it

(Image/ Source: billboard.com)

In 1983, Paul McCartney advised Michael Jackson to invest in music publishing. But it was advice he’d come to regret, as Michael went on to buy all the rights to McCartney’s work with The Beatles before McCartney could do it himself. This immediately ended their friendship. Paul said: “I think it’s dodgy to do things like that, to be someone’s friend and then buy the rug they’re standing on.”

He blew his entire $2 billion fortune

(Image/ Source: news.sky.com)

Despite making $2 billion, Jackson was such a big spender that he burned through the lot. At the end of his life, he had around $350 million worth of debt to his name. Apparently, in his final years, he was spending $20-30 million more per year than he actually earned, pushing him further and further into debt.

Sister La Toya is convinced her brother was a child molester

(Image/ Source: nme.com)

New York Post

writer and family friend Stacy Brown has claimed that La Toya Jackson not only believed there was truth in the allegations of child molestation made against Michael, but that the rest of the family was "silent collaborators" in his crimes. Stacy wrote about this in detail in his articles for his publication.

Michael Jackson Planned To Be Immortal

Image Source / WikipediaJackson wanted to live forever - whether he actually wanted to find the secret to immortality or just wanted his name to live on forever, only he knows. But he likened his dreams of immortality to figures like Walt Disney and Charlie Chaplin.

He Didn't Trust His Legal Advisors

Image Source / YouTubeJackson apparently also wanted to be the first multi-billionaire entertainer-actor-director. But he apparently didn't trust his financial advisors and wanted to take matters of money into his own hands. He wanted to remake Hollywood films, too, to earn extra cash.

Jackson Worried He Would Be Murdered

Image Source / Bloody DisgustingWe suppose that many celebrities might worry about this when they're in the spotlight. But Jackson particularly feared being murdered. He apparently wrote down his fears, which included "I'm afraid someone is trying to kill me. Evil people everywhere" and "The system wants to kill me for my catalogue".

Jackson's Maid Claimed To Have Seen Him In The Shower With A Young Boy

Image Source / Heavy.comBlanca Francia, Jackson's maid who worked at the Neverland ranch, claimed to have seen Jackson and a young Wade Robson (an Australian dancer) in the shower together. She said that she saw Robson's spiderman underwear and Jackson's underwear on the floor.

She Also Claims To Have Seen Them In Bed Together, Too

Image Source / NBC NewsOn not one, but two other occasions, Francia also claims to have seen Michael and Robson in bed together whilst watching television. Apparently they were nude from the waist up, with the tops of their bodies visible over the covers.

And Her Own Son Was Allegedly Abused By The Singer

Image Source / The Patriot PostThe maid's story continued when she spoke of her own son being abused by Jackson when she took her son to work with her at the ranch. It was alleged that her own son told her that Jackson abused him when he was there and gave him $100 every time.

But Her Claims Were Discounted

Image Source / RedditA lot of people spoke out against the singer in regard to abuse allegations, and Francia's was one of many that ended up being discounted. It turned out that the maid had also accepted cash payouts, suggesting her claims were made to purposefully make some cash.

And Wade Robson Changed His Story

Image Source / EsquireWade Robson, the young boy who Francia had claimed to have witnessed in the shower with Jackson, originally denied that anything happened, but in his adult years, now says that something did actually happen but as a child he didn't understand it was abuse. Some of his claims match up to Francia's.

His Parents Had Their Own Music Dreams, Too

Image Source / Smooth RadioCould it have been his parents were overshadowed by his success, or maybe they encouraged their son's music career so much to live their own dreams through him? His mother was a pianist as well as playing the clarinet, and aspired to be singer. His father made money as a guitarist performing in local bands.

His Father Would Make The Jackson Boys Audition In The Living Room

Image Source / The GuardianWhen you think your own home - and your own living room - is a safe space to relax when you're a young boy, the Jacksons' father had a different idea when he encouraged the talent in his children by inviting music executives to come and visit the family home, making The Jacksons audition in their living room.

He Was A Fan Of Practical Jokes As A Kid

Image Source / PinterestMichael Jackson would apparently torment his sister, La Toya, with practical jokes when they were younger, including fake tarantulas and spiders. He would put the fake eight-legged creatures in hidden places and wait for her to find them.

He Apparently Hated His Voice During Early Jackson 5 Recordings

Image Source / WikipediaThe Jackson 5's music with Michael Jackson's vocals are iconic, and particularly for the way Michael's high voice sounded - but apparently he hated the high pitch of his young voice, and even described himself as sounding like Minnie Mouse.

Michael Had Another Brother Who Died Shortly After Being Born

Image Source / ABC NewsThe Jackson 5 could have been the Jackson 6, because Michael's mother's gave birth to twins, Marlon and Brandon, before Michael was born. Sadly, Brandon passed away around 24 hours after being born because of the premature pregnancy.

The Head Of Motown Records Didn't Like Michael

Image Source / Jim Carroll's BlogBerry Gordy didn't like Michael or his brothers, at first. He refused to sign them to his label and was distracted by the talents of Stevie Wonder instead. But he eventually changed his mind and signed them to his label in 1969.

Michael Was Very Young When He Sang The Heartbroken Lyrics To 'I Want You Back'

Image Source / Souvienstoi.netListening to Michael Jackson sing in such a heartbroken, unrequited-love fashion on 'I Want You Back' is a little weird when you consider he was only in his early teens at the time. Not that young people can't feel love, but it was very much a more 'mature' sentiment.

He Played A Creepy Scarecrow In 'The Wiz'

Image Source / GottaHaveRockandRoll.comFor Michael Jackson's first film role, he starred in 'The Wiz', which was an adaption of The Wizard of Oz. In the film, he played the scarecrow, and the film managed to be quite a bad one at that. But Jackson did get something good out of it, too - he became partners with his future album producer, Quincy Jones.

'Rock With You' Was Originally Called 'I Want To Eat You Up'

Image Source / Michael Jackson World NetworkThe 1979 famous single, Rock With You, was - yep - originally called 'I Want To Eat You Up'. Which meant that a young Michael Jackson would have had to sing these words - which were later changed because people thought it might be too 'risque'.

Armed Men Wanted Their Hands On The 'Dangerous' Album

Image Source / PitchforkMichael Jackson's 1991 album titled Dangerous was apparently very in-demand. Before it was released - 5 days before, in fact - there were three armed men who broke into a Los Angeles music warehouse and stole 30,000 copies of the album.

Jackson's Final Tour Was Announced After So Many Scandals And Court Cases

Image Source / NetflixDespite what the media was saying about him and the court cases he'd been involved in, Jackson still decided to do his next tour, This Is It, which would be his last. The tour would have made Jackson around £50 million just based on the first 10, and an apparent 50 were lined up. But the show was ultimately cancelled after his death.

The Secrets Surrounding The Album 'Xscape'

Image Source / WikipediaXscape was the second posthumous album from Michael Jackson, but it was surrounded in secrecy. Released in 2014, it was considered so important that secret sessions were arranged around the world for journalists to listen to it.