Michael Jackson’s three children largely live their lives away from the spotlight, despite their father’s fame. But the iconic singer’s eldest son recently reflected on the memories he has of Michael, including the entertainer’s insecurities.

Prince Says Michael Jackson’s Biggest Insecurity Was His Skin

“When I was younger, he was always explaining to me, speaking about that,” Prince explained while appearing on the podcast “Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson”, “I think it was even in the autopsy report. I think the cause of it is up for speculation, but it’s either vitiligo or some form of lupus contributed to the vitiligo.”

In 1983, Michael received a diagnosis of vitiligo, a skin condition. The Grammy-winning artist utilized fair-colored makeup and creams to conceal the discoloration, resulting in a notably pale complexion. Michael publicly discussed this condition for the first time during a 1993 interview.

“I have a skin disorder, the pigmentation of my skin. It is something I cannot help,” the ‘Thriller’ singer said at the time. “When people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. It’s a problem for me. I can’t control it. But what about all the millions of people who sit in the sun to become darker, to become other than what they are? Nobody says nothing about that.”

Michael, who would later pass away from cardiac arrest in 2009, also insisted that the skin condition was hereditary.

“It’s in my family, I can’t control it. It makes me very sad,” he explained, denying skin bleaching accusations that ran rampant during his career. “I try to control it, and using makeup evens it out because I have blotches on my skin and I have to even it out. But you know what’s funny? Why is that so important? That’s not important to me.”

Prince Admits Michael’s Insecurities Caused Him Anxiety

Vitiligo is a skin condition characterized by the loss of pigmentation, resulting in white patches on the skin, hair, and sometimes even the eyes. It is believed to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing skin pigment, leading to depigmentation. Symptoms include the development of milky-white patches on the skin, often with irregular borders and varying sizes.

During Prince’s recent interview, the podcast’s host Mike Tyson chimed in, saying that people believed Michael “was changing his skin because he wanted to be white, he was changing it because he wanted to glow. He wanted to be a light, he wanted to shine.”

Prince went on to explain that, despite his father’s outgoing attitude, his skin condition caused him a lot of anxiety behind-the-scenes. “He had a lot of insecurity around, kind of looking blotchy in his appearance,” Prince revealed. “So he wanted to see if he could smooth out his appearance, to help with his security on his physical appearance.”

Prince, 26, has dabbled a bit in the entertainment industry, with various stints on TV shows an eve n as a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight. He has an estimated net worth of $100 million.