Surprising Facts About Michael Jackson That Even His Biggest Fans Don’t Know

One of the most enduring points of confusion that swirls around MJ even to this day is how — and why — his appearance changed so drastically throughout his life. From the bushy-haired boy who sang in the Jackson Five, to the fair-skinned adult who moonwalked his way across the stage — the stark contrast in his looks has baffled people for decades.

Well, according to Jackson, his shifting complexion was due to a skin condition called vitiligo — which an autopsy would later confirm. Vitiligo can present on a scale of severity, with symptoms worsening over time. Patches of skin shift from their original color to completely pale, which could explain Jackson's looks later in life. Model, Winnie Harlow, is another notable star who suffers from this condition.

If there's one thing that's certain, MJ could tear up a dance floor! He electrified fans with flawless dance moves throughout his whole career, just like those seen in the video for "Smooth Criminal." In it, the pop star literally defied gravity by standing at a 45-degree angle. But did you know that he pulled it off with a cunning trick?

With two partners, Jackson filed for a patent for "Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion." The method used a pair of shoes with a slot in the heels and a retractable peg on the floor. Hook the slot on the peg, and you could lean as far as you wanted. Or in the patent's technical terms: "A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity." Where do we pick up a pair?

Neverland Ranch — a 2,700-acre private amusement park fit with its own zoo and working railroads. First and foremost, it was a place that Jackson cherished, a fantasy world where he could live out all his dreams. Perhaps it was a place to recreate the childhood he had never had, or maybe it was a reach for joy in a world of fame and misunderstandings. Psychologists, however, saw the sad reality behind the outlandish place Jackson called home.

In an interview with Oprah, Jackson revealed that, as a kid, he had suffered so much physical and mental abuse from his father that he would throw up whenever he saw him. Neverland Ranch, then, was possibly an effort to recapture a long-lost childhood that he'd never been able to enjoy himself.

According to sources, MJ spent a long time dreaming of playing a superhero on the big screen. Jackson famously threw his son a Spider-Man-themed birthday party, and, in the late '90s, he tried buying Marvel Comics when it filed for bankruptcy. In fact, he even planned to create a Spider-Man movie starring himself.

As you probably guessed, based on the lack of MJ Spider-Man flicks, the plan didn't work out. But that didn't stop him from lobbying for the role of Professor X in 2000's X-Men, though! Unfortunately for Jackson, that part didn't come to life either. It was eventually given to Star Trek veteran Patrick Stewart.

In the mid-2000s, fresh off the back of some damning allegations, Jackson mulled over two plans for a Las Vegas Revival. The first was a concert series with brilliant costumes and stage lights. The other? Jackson met with casino mogul Steve Wynn to pitch an idea for a Michael Jackson-themed hotel and casino. To promote these ideas, Jackson drew up a 50-foot robot version of himself that walked around the Nevada desert near the airport.

In 1984, two years after the release of "Thriller," Jackson was forced to undergo a major cosmetic change. See, Jackson agreed to do a Pepsi commercial. Producers wanted the commercial to feel like a live concert, so commercial crews brought out pyrotechnic machines to spark dazzling explosions. During the sixth take, however, a machine went off too early. The ill-fated pop star didn't notice when the explosion ignited his hair — he kept dancing.

Crew members swarmed him and snuffed the flames, but not before Jackson suffered serious burns on his scalp. After being taken to hospital and treated for second-degree burns, Jackson had to face the facts — at least a large part of his scalp would likely never grow hair again. Laser surgery was able to reduce the burn to a palm-sized injury, but the hair follicles were irreparably damaged. He reportedly had a hairline tattooed on his forehead and wore wigs for the rest of his life.

Speculation persists that the cosmetic procedures Jackson underwent even before the Pepsi incident were what kick-started his intense interest in plastic surgery. And, sadly, his evidently unhealthy relationship with painkiller medications. Between '84 and '88, it's claimed that he had at least two rhinoplasties as well as a prosthetic chin dimple inserted.

Those first few procedures were apparently far from the end of MJ's relationship with plastic surgery. Over the course of his life, he seemingly returned time and time again for a nip here or a tuck there. According to reports, he went under the knife so many times that doctors speculated he had body dysmorphic disorder — an unhealthy obsession with perceived physical imperfections, or "flaws," that it's unlikely anyone else would notice.

In the mid-1980s, tabloids began printing stranger and stranger stories about the larger-than-life King of Pop. Like how he supposedly tried to buy the remains of "Elephant Man" Joseph Merrick. Before long, these bizarre headlines amounted to him earning the nickname "Wacko Jackson." But the strangest part of the whole thing was even harder to understand than the rumor he was sleeping in an oxygen mask or trying to buy another human's remains.

And that's because, it's claimed, some of the outlandish stories being published about Jackson were actually leaked to the press by the pop icon himself! Eventually, though, he began to despise the nickname "Wacko Jackson" and even called out the tabloids' use of it in an interview: "I have a heart and I have feelings. I feel that when you do that to me — it's not nice. Don't do it. I'm not a wacko."

In the early '80s, Jackson became the proud owner of Bubbles, a baby chimpanzee. The adorable primate was rumored to have come from a biomedical laboratory in Texas — a far cry from what his life would become after joining the Jackson household! And just like a child, the ape followed Jackson closely, even joining the pop star at the dining table and on a tour to Japan.

As Bubbles grew older, he naturally amassed some serious strength, and so, Jackson apparently feared that the powerful ape might hurt his human son. He eventually donated his furry friend to the Center for Great Apes in Florida, where Bubbles will live out his years. According to the center's site, Bubbles enjoys painting and hanging out with his primate pals Ripley and Oopsie.

When Michael Jackson faced serious allegations in the early 2000s, Jermaine and the Jackson family — knowing Michael wouldn't fare well in prison — hatched a last-resort escape plan for their pop star sibling. Towards the end of the trial in 2005, unbeknownst to Michael himself, Jermaine arranged for a private plane to take Michael to Bahrain if the trial went poorly. The Middle-Eastern country had no extradition treaty with the United States. Jermaine revealed this plan to The Times Magazine in 2011.

“I look great,” a young Prince once reportedly told his father while combing his hair in the mirror. “No, you look okay,” Jackson supposedly replied. Perhaps concerned about his kids developing the same obsession with their appearance as him, the star seemingly went to great lengths to prevent any sense of vanity. It's said he didn’t even like them looking into mirrors for too long while they were getting ready.

Paris and Prince might not be the most conventional first names. But Jackson’s first two kids can consider themselves lucky compared to their younger sibling. The star’s third child was known as Blanket for most of his early life, though he was born Prince Michael Jackson II. He eventually adopted the name Bigi after being reportedly bullied for the nickname.

Jackson’s most notorious moment as a parent came when he dangled then-nine-month-old Blanket over a hotel balcony in Berlin, Germany. The star was chastized across the globe for the incident, which was captured by a crowd of stunned photographers and cameramen. Jackson later apologized for the stunt, claiming he had been “caught up in the moment.”

Prince and Paris were born to dermatology nurse Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s wife of three years. However, his two eldest kids didn’t have contact with their biological mother, who surrendered her parental rights to the kids in 2001. According to The Mirror, Blanket’s mom is a Mexican nurse called Helena, who gave birth to him in February 2002 and also signed over all legal rights to Jackson.

At the 1991 Academy Awards, cameras flashed as Madonna — homaging the legendary Marilyn Monroe in a white Bob Mackie gown — walked down the red carpet holding Jackson’s hand. It was glitzy, it was glam, and it seemed to come out of nowhere. When pictures hit the front pages, People magazine went with the headline, “The Oddest Couple,” which was funny and mean in equal measure.

Believe it or not, MJ apparently waited until the age of 35 to celebrate his first Christmas. Why? Well, according to long-time friend Elizabeth Taylor, it was because of his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness. Either way, he seemingly made up for lost time when he did cave. He reportedly kept up both the indoor and outdoor festive decorations at his Holmby Hills and Neverland homes throughout the whole year.

Jackson’s behavior following the birth of his daughter, Paris, in 1998 also raised concerns. The star once revealed that he was so keen to get her home that he rushed her out of the hospital almost immediately after she was born. Baby Paris had reportedly not even been cleaned up at the time.

Jackson’s friendship with child star Macaulay Culkin attracted attention for all the wrong reasons due to the Home Alone actor’s young age. But that didn’t stop him from choosing the actor to be godparent to both Prince and Paris. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, Elizabeth Taylor was also given the same honor.

As a result of their unusual conception, Jackson often referred to his three kids as “presents.” Wendy Murphy, an attorney specializing in family law, once told ABC News that she found this troubling. Referring to the famous Martin Bashir documentary about the star, she said, “He didn’t seem to be talking about his children from their perspective, even needing a mother in their lives.”

Jackson raised his three kids on Neverland, a 2,700-acre amusement park in Santa Barbara County. Paris, Prince, and Blanket very rarely got to move beyond its perimeters. Apart from the odd trip to his Bel-Air house, Jackson’s kids spent the majority of their early years shut out from the outside world completely.

Neverland’s attractions included a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and bumper cars. However, Jackson’s children apparently weren’t allowed to use these rides whenever they wanted. According to his friend Shmuel Boteach, they only could only fully enjoy the amusement park when it was their birthday or as a special reward.

Jackson was seemingly just as strict with his children when it came to toys. The star reportedly limited Prince, Paris, and Blanket to just four particular toys each and sent any they were gifted by others to various orphanages across the globe. When Prince was a baby, Jackson supposedly threw away all of his toys each night in an attempt to prevent germs, replacing them the following morning.

However, Jackson wasn’t averse to spoiling his three kids. According to longtime friend Uri Geller, the star went to great efforts to ensure the youngsters could watch a new movie on the big screen in peace. Geller said he often hired an entire cinema theater to avoid them being hassled by members of the public.

Having suffered physical abuse at the hands of his father during his own childhood, Jackson was apparently determined to ensure his kids never experienced anything similar. Friend Randy Taraborrelli said the star never laid a finger on his three children or raised his voice in anger during their entire upbringing. Whenever they did misbehave, Jackson reportedly chose the punishment of a time-out, which involved him reading a book aloud to them.

Whenever Jackson’s children left Neverland, their faces were hidden by colorful scarves and masks. One-time family confidant Stacy Brown claimed that this was a tactic to prevent his three kids from being kidnapped. But friend Shmuel Boteach once alleged that the masks were a way of preventing media speculation about whether he truly was his children’s biological father.

Jackson was apparently paranoid about the safety of his children at his own home, too. He reportedly had panic buttons installed across his Neverland ranch in case intruders managed to break in. Jackson’s bodyguard once recalled an incident in which, he said, the security team sprang into action after hearing a panic button alarm, only to discover that a young Blanket had been the one responsible for pushing it.

Jackson seemingly didn’t leave anything to chance when it came to those who looked after Prince, Paris, and Blanket in his absence. The star had a team of nurses and nannies who cared for the kids in shifts. But each employee was reportedly kept under constant surveillance via video technology monitored by a separate security team.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a star of Jackson’s magnitude, his three kids didn’t attend a normal school. Instead, Prince, Paris, and Blanket received their education at home. The singer likely believed that the trio would be constantly harassed by paparazzi if they were ever taught outside of Neverland.

As a result of their constant seclusion, Prince, Blanket, and Paris never got the chance to make any friends their own age. While speaking to Rolling Stone, Paris admitted that they simply had to be content with the relationship they had with their father. She also revealed that the Disney Channel became a substitute friend for the trio while growing up.

After helping Paris collect some snails from the Neverland gardens, chef Kai Chase expected to lose his job when Jackson caught the pair bringing them into the house. However, the chef said, the star instead decided to make them a permanent feature of his home. Jackson apparently placed the snails in kitchen counter jars filled with moss and, bizarrely, cocktail umbrellas.

Jackson reportedly had no problem crying in front of his kids. During the allegations of child abuse that derailed his career, the star supposedly wept in front of Prince, Paris, and Blanket before they went to bed. Jackson seemingly believed it was important not to conceal his anxieties from his children, however painful they may be.