Michael Jackson is known around the world as the King of Pop. He was introduced to the world as a little boy when he fronted the Jackson 5. As he got older, Jackson began to burst out on his own. What followed was an incredible solo career, which would see him lead the way and set the mold for the kind of pop star we know today.

This obviously brought Jackson an incredibly large level of fame very few could understand.

In fact, even other celebrities couldn’t relate to Jackson’s level of fame. This intense feeling of isolation caused Jackson to cope in ways some might consider unusual. In a revealing conversation, Jackson once admitted to filling his room with mannequins to help him cope with the loneliness of superstardom.

Michael Would Cope With The Isolation Of Fame By Filling His Room With Mannequins
The book “The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul In Intimate Conversation” featured conversations between Jackson and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Part of their discussion had to do with Jackson’s extreme level of fame and the loneliness that came with it.

Jackson even confessed to filling his home with mannequins in an effort to combat the isolation he felt.

“I needed someone… That’s probably why I had the mannequins,” Jackson admitted. “I would say because I felt I needed people, someone, I didn’t have… I was too shy to be around real people. I didn’t talk to them. It wasn’t like old ladies talking to plants.”

“But I always thought I wanted something to make me feel like I had company,” he added.

Jackson said that he would wonder why he felt comfortable in a room with so many mannequins.

“I always thought, ‘Why do I have these?'” Jackson said. “They are like real babies, kids, and people, and it makes me feel like I am in a room with people.”

Jackson told Boteach that as his fame was soaring, he would attempt to interact with the outside world. However, this would often lead to him feeling even more alone.

“I was looking for people to talk to. I was so lonely I would cry in my room upstairs,” Jackson said. “I would think, ‘That’s it. I am getting out of here,’ and I would walk down the street.”

“I remember really saying to people, ‘Will you be my friend?'” he continued. “They were like, ‘Michael Jackson!’ I would go, ‘Oh god! Are they going to be my friend because of Michael Jackson? Or because of me?'”

Jackson added, “I just wanted someone to talk to.”

This feeling of isolation even went as far back as his childhood, when Jackson’s music career was just beginning.
“I wanted so badly to play in the park across the street because the kids were playing baseball and football, but I had to record,” Jackson said of his early Motown recording sessions. “I could see the park, right across the street.”

“But I had to go in the other building and work until late at night making the albums,” he continued. “I sat there looking at the kids with tears running down my face and I would say, ‘I am trapped and I have to do this for the rest of my life. I am under contract.’ But I wanted to go over there so bad it was killing me, just to [meet] a friend to say, ‘Hi.'”

Michael Jackson Disguised His Voice And His Friends Believe It Was The Result Of His Fame
Jackson was a mysterious person in many ways. While his mysterious nature was known to the public, those who knew Jackson privately said he was even a mystery to them. Part of this mystery included Jackson disguising his own speaking voice around certain people.

There are many who knew Jackson personally who have revealed that his famous soft speaking voice wasn’t how the singer really spoke in private.

“I hope he doesn’t get angry at me for telling you this, but that’s his public persona,” Samm Brown III, Jackson’s musical director, told VH1 in 2005. “I remember a time I called him up and he answered the phone and I didn’t know I was talking to him, because he was talking in his normal voice, which is pretty deep.”

A similar account was shared by Jackson’s friends Liza Minnelli and David Guest in 2002. The former couple were guests on an episode of Larry King Live.

“I think people don’t know the real him. He doesn’t talk like [that],” Guest revealed.

Minnelli always believed Jackson’s high-pitched voice was real. She told King that she picked up the phone one night and heard Jackson talking to Guest in his real voice and was shocked.

“I said, Michael, you’re busted. I got you now. All these years you’ve been talking in that voice,” Minnelli said.

When pressed further, both Guest and Minnelli said they believe Jackson crafted a persona to protect himself from an intrusive public.

“This is who you think I am. And I can be me within these walls. But you can’t come in,” Minnelli theorized.

“He’s been hurt too much, Larry,” she continued. “I mean, they have said kind of rotten things about him. The person that we know is a rather regular guy, believe it or not.”

Michael Would Go Out In Public While Wearing A Disguise In Order To Blend In
In 2023, Akon appeared as a guest on Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive. During their conversation, Akon discussed his time working with Michael Jackson. The two collaborated on bonus tracks for Jackson’s “Thriller 25” album. Akon also collaborated with Jackson on the track “Hold My Hand,” which was released after his death.

Akon revealed that Jackson was a master of disguise.

“He was a king of disguises,” Akon said. “He would be standing right next to you and you would not even know it’s him.”

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Akon then told a story of the first time he went to see a movie in an IMAX theater and it was with none other than Jackson himself.

“My first IMAX theater experience was with Michael Jackson,” he said.

Akon then told a story of waiting for Jackson to get ready to leave his house.

“He said ‘Let’s go to the movies.’ In my mind, I’m like, ‘You can’t go to the movies, you’re f****** Michael Jackson,'” Akon said. “So I’m waiting for him to get dressed so we can go to the movies.”

Then, Akon was greeted by a man who sat next to him as he waited for Jackson come out. To Akon’s surprise, this man turned out to be Jackson himself in disguise.

Michael Jackson and Akon

“This guy comes out, sits, we’re watching TV for a second,” he said. “So I’m like, it’s 15, 20 minutes, like, damn, where’s Mike? ‘You going to the movies?’ Mike was like, ‘Oh I was waiting for you, let’s go.'”

Akon was shocked at how convincing Jackson’s disguise was.

“I thought it was one of his guests,” Akon said.