Michael Jackson: 15 curiosities 15 years after his death

Fifteen years agothe world lost Michael Jackson. To give the bombshell news, that sad guy June 25, 2009the “gossip bible” TMZ. Slammed by a heart attackdue to a lethal dose of propofol (an anaesthetic), the King of Pop passed away in his Holmby Hills villain Los Angeles, at the age of 50 years. Eighteen days later, the residency show was scheduled This Is It which would have marked his great return and farewell to the stage. For the tragic death of the most successful artist in history, his doctor Conrad Murray he was sentenced to four years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. Having served half his sentence, however, he was freed in 2013 thanks to the pardon: an event that shocked public opinion.

Eighth of ten children From a working-class family in Gary, Indiana, who lived in a two-bedroom house, Michael Jackson began his glorious career as a child prodigy in his brothers’ band, the Jackson 5. Over five decades, the The iconic star has accomplished more professionally than anyone before him, and there is still no other musician who can match him. But Michael’s golden existence was also full of shadows, amidst controversies and scandals. Controversy also abated over the highly anticipated biopic on his life, Michaeldirected by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, true nephew of the King of Pop. Produced by Lionsgate, ready to bet that it will become the studio’s biggest grosser ever, the film will be released in cinemas on April 18, 2025. Today, 15 years after the death of the record-breaking man, here are 15 things to know about life, death and miracles.

Michael Jackson’s death sent the internet into a tailspin

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News of the King of Pop’s death spread quickly online, causing websites (from Google to Wikipedia to TMZ, the first to break the news) to crash and slow down due to user overload. But social media at the time, such as Facebook and Twitter, also went down.

The last words of the King of Pop

Shortly before his death, Michael had asked for milk, which is the nickname with which he called Propofol: the powerful anesthetic that killed him.

The king in flames

His addiction to drugs and painkillers began in 1984, after he burned his scalp following an accident on the set of a Pepsi commercial. He suffered severe third-degree burns that reached almost to his skull.

The whole truth about “lightening” your skin

Michael Jackson
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According to his detractors, Jackson “lightened” his skin to deny his Afro-descent. In reality, the autopsy confirmed that the singer suffered from vitiligo diagnosed in 1986. The rhinestone glove and long sleeves (even in summer) served to hide the depigmentation, a source of embarrassment for the King of Pop. Karen Faye, Michael’s personal makeup artist, followed him like a shadow for 30 years covering his vitiligo with makeup.

Other skin diseases

MJ suffered from systemic or possibly discoid lupus erythematosus. These pathologies cause high photosensitivity to sunlight and skin damage.

Michael gets married and “welcomes” his three children

Michael Jackson
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In 1994, the King of Pop married the daughter of the King of Rock Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, but the marriage lasted just 19 months. In 1997, he married a nurse named Debbie Rowe, mother of his two children: Prince Michael (27 years old) and Paris Michael Katherine (26). Debbie and the singer separated in 1999. In 2002, MJ “welcomed” Prince Michael Jackson II, who he nicknamed Blanket, conceived through in vitro fertilization. Today, the third born goes by the name Bigi.

MJ’s economic legacy

In 2009, Michael Jackson’s estate was approximately $500 million. Fifteen years after his death, the hitmaker has earned more than 2 billion. The King of Pop’s three children are his direct beneficiaries but in his will, the singer allocated 40 percent to their mother Katherine.

The legal battle for his immense heritage

Today, it is a legal battle between the King of Pop’s three children and their grandmother Katherine. The 93-year-old matriarch is trying to tap into funds from her late son’s estate to challenge a deal to sell half of Michael Jackson’s catalog to Sony, purchased for a record $600,000.

Who lives in Neverland today

Michael Jackson
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The ranch-funfair where the pop star lived for more than 15 years was purchased in 2020 by billionaire businessman Ronald Burkle, a friend of the Jackson family, for 22 million dollars as a “land banking opportunity”.

What happened to Bubbles?

Michael Jackson
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The most famous chimpanzee on the planet today resides at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchulu, Florida. He is 41 years old and loves to paint.

King of style

Michael Jackson
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The man behind the King of Pop’s pharaonic wardrobe is called Michael Bush. MJ’s personal costume designer, he was the creator of the legendary sparkling glove and the anti-gravity shoes of smooth Criminal and the rhinestone-studded blue jacket from the Grammys.

Balsamic candies

Michael Jackson 15 curiosities 15 years after his death
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Before performing, the singer took Ricola dissolved in hot water.

His “first time”

According to Daily Mail, the King of Pop was still a virgin at age 32. It is said that he remained so until he was 36.

Long live the king

Michael Jackson 15 curiosities 15 years after his death
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Michael Jackson became King of Pop, thirty-five years ago, on the night of the Soul Train Awards when his friend Elizabeth Taylor gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award, describing it as: «the true king of pop, rock and soul». Eventually, the epithet was shortened to “King of Pop.”

Jacko, the philanthropist

Michael Jackson
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Michael Jackson’s controversial life was also filled with humanitarian commitments, mostly towards less fortunate children. The world’s busiest entertainer, the King of Pop has supported 39 different charities.

Source: Vanity Fair

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