Despite his fame, Michael Jackson also suffered a lot.
Despite being a global music legend, Jackson’s private life and his bizarre behavior regularly made headlines. There were rumors and allegations of physical and emotional abuse as a child, and he was also implicated in child molestation cases, as a suspect.
The superstar has admitted that his shyness has prevented him from revealing his personal relationships, which has forced others to tell his story. Despite becoming one of the most famous singers with countless devoted fans around him, his life was not as ideal as people often think. This is the tragic life story of the pop legend, Michael Jackson.
Why Michael Had So Many Surgeries
Michael’s appearance changed dramatically over the years. He suffered from vitiligo, a skin condition that caused some areas to become lighter than others, and there were widespread rumours of extensive plastic surgery. At one point, his nose appeared to have been “broken” after so many rhinoplasty procedures. In his 1988 autobiography, Moonwalk (via The Telegraph), he admitted to having had two nose surgeries. But what many people don’t realise is that the reason behind Jackson’s extensive cosmetic surgery was years of bullying over his appearance.
According to The Washington Post, 9-year-old Jackson’s father and brothers taunted him with the nickname “Big Nose.” Was plastic surgery a way for him to erase the painful memories of being humiliated by his own family?
Rumors of bullying.
Before his death, Michael Jackson was very outspoken about his relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson, alleging that he used to discipline the Jackson brothers with physical force. Michael shared: ” He would throw you and hit you as hard as he could. ”
In addition to the physical abuse, Jackson also shared that he had to deal with psychological abuse while growing up. For example, to teach his children about leaving the window open while sleeping, Joseph would climb into the open window and wear a scary mask.
It sounds like a real-life nightmare, but there have been many reports of Joe keeping his distance from his children. While many families indulge their children, especially when they are the ones providing for the family, according to a source close to the New York Post, the Jackson brothers always had a complicated relationship with their father, who wouldn’t even let his children call him “Dad.” He told them to call him Joseph.
In 2013, Joseph defended his parenting views in an interview with Piers Morgan Tonight. He said:
” I had to be like that because at that time, life was difficult. There were a lot of gangs in the area where we lived. ”
Joseph believed that his strict education would keep his son away from social evils. But perhaps, Michael’s avoidance of the streets sacrificed his mind, health, and sanity.
An incomplete childhood
In an interview, Michael described that he desperately wanted to go out and have fun like a normal kid, but he was too busy recording. He confided
” I could see the park right across the street, but I had to go to another building and work late into the night to finish the album. I sat there looking at the other kids with tears rolling down my face and I would probably say I’m stuck and have to do this for the rest of my life. ”
Many child stars in similar situations have shared similar stories. However, Michael was quite sensitive and it hurt him more than he could have imagined. Sharing with Boteach, Michael felt really “lonely” at that time. No friends, no one to talk to, maybe he would just sit in his room and cry.
This led to his purchase of “Neverland Ranch,” a complex of an amusement park, a zoo, and a movie theater that contained the fun and excitement of a fantasy land. In a 2003 interview with CBS News, he shared:
” I wanted a place where I could create everything I couldn’t have as a kid. ”
This place became the King of Pop’s place to let loose and keep himself safe.
$400 million debt
Michael sold more than 1 billion records worldwide and sold out his concerts at lightning speed. So how could the man behind the best-selling album of all time be so deeply in debt? According to Billboard, he was $400 million in debt when he died at age 50. A large portion of his fortune was reportedly used to pay multimillion-dollar settlements to families of children who accused him of molesting them, including a $25 million settlement in 1993. Jackson was acquitted of ten felony counts at his 2005 child molestation trial, but prosecutors continued to expose his financial woes and revealed that his beloved Neverland Ranch was on the brink of foreclosure.
His financial woes eventually faded, but Jackson didn’t live to see it. Eight years after his death, Forbes listed him as the highest-earning dead celebrity of 2017, with earnings of $75 million. According to Billboard, his estate has generated $500 million in profits, thanks to posthumous deals, including the release of his documentary, This Is It.
