6 celebrities who were Michael Jackson’s true friends, from Whitney Houston and Real Housewife Kathy Hilton, to Macaulay Culkin and Chris Tucker who stood by the King of Pop in court
At his stratospheric level of success, however, it could be understandably tough to distinguish true friends from acquaintances wanting to take advantage of the superstar’s fame and fortune, using him for their own personal gain.
So did the King of Pop have genuine friends? Yes, he did! The six ing celebrities were some of Jackson’s most beloved and loyal friends.
1. Macaulay Culkin
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2. Chris Tucker
Actor and comedian Chris Tucker was another of Jackson’s famous friends. The two entertainers met on the set of the music video to the hit single You Rock My World. Thanks to Tucker’s sense of humour and ability to keep Jackson laughing, the two became fast friends. Tucker became a frequent sight at Neverland and even took the stage with Jackson at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration concert.
Like Culkin, Tucker came to his friend’s defence, testifying in court that he’d warned Jackson about the accuser’s family of being “cunning”. According to CNN, Tucker was quoted: “I told him to watch out for [the accuser’s mother] because I felt suspicious … You need to watch out. Be careful.”
3. Kathy Hilton
In an interview with Piers Morgan in 2011, Hilton described the playful nature of their friendship, recounting stories of prank phone calls and painting the pop star as “kind, generous, loving and smart … [and] the most wonderful father”.
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4. Shirley Temple
The Mercury News reported that Jackson was obsessed with the famous star of the Depression era. It’s said that Jackson saw himself in the erstwhile child actress, who like the pop singer always felt the absence of a regular childhood.
Jackson’s famed Neverland Ranch boasted a collection of Shirley Temple photographs and, according to reports, when touring, the star would even put posters of Temple up in his hotel rooms.
The two legendary entertainers eventually met at Temple’s home where, according to The Mercury News, Temple cooked a dinner of roast chicken for the pop star.
5. Whitney Houston
According to a former bodyguard of Jackson who gave an interview after the King of Pop’s passing, the globally acclaimed duo met in the early 1990s when they not only became close friends, but they also allegedly shared a secret romantic affair.
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6. Aaron Carter
After initially meeting in the early 2000s, Jackson and Aaron Carter became good friends. Carter even performed on stage at the special Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration concert at Madison Square Gardens.
In an interview with People, Carter, who was a regular visitor at Neverland, described the time he went to Jackson’s famous ranch for the star’s 45th birthday. “We were smashing cake in each other’s faces. It was really cool. Until 5am, me, him and Chris Tucker were out on four-wheelers, riding around in the mountains.”
When it came to supporting his famous friend against the sexual abuse allegations, Carter declared: “Nothing happened between me and Michael. We didn’t sleep in the same room, we didn’t share a bed. We have a normal friendship. There’s nothing sexual to it.”
- Aaron Carter performed at the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration concert at Madison Square Gardens, and was a regular at Neverland Ranch
- Jackson was ‘obsessed’ with former child star Shirley Temple, who once cooked him a roast chicken dinner, and grew up with Paris and Nicky Hilton’s mother Kathy