As one of the most successful entertainers of all time, the late great Michael Jackson inevitably came to meet many of the world’s most famous and celebrated individuals. After several decades of rubbing shoulders with scores of high profile celebrities , the so-called “King of Pop” undoubtedly amassed a personal address book with an impressive list of famous names. 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 Most Michael Jackson fans are well aware that the pop superstar shared a special bond with Macaulay Culkin. The child actor was even given the honour of being godfather to Jackson’s daughter, Paris. Inside Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and Billy Evans’ marriage View this post on Instagram A post shared by MJJ COLLECTIONS 🖤 (@mjcollections95) However, what some may not know is that their friendship was so strong that Culkin ultimately took the witness box in Jackson’s highly publicised child molestation trial where he vehemently defended Jackson’s innocence. Culkin testified that even though he’d often shared a bed with the world-famous pop star, no inappropriate or improper behaviour ever transpired. 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 The Real Housewife of Beverly Hill s star and mum to socialite icon, Paris Hilton, Kathy had been friends with Jackson since their early adolescence. Though they met when they were attending Montclair College Preparatory School in Los Angeles, the pair never lost touch and regularly met up later on in life. 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”. The highest earning rappers of 2021 revealed – net worths, ranked 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. Shirley Temple hayatını kaybetti. Fotoğraflarla Michael Jackson'ın Shirley Temple sevgisi http://t.co/D7nY1SKwrl 'da! pic.twitter.com/MYwrlkqwyW — MjTurkLover (@mjturklover) February 11, 2014 The two legendary entertainers eventually met at Temple’s home where, according to T he Mercury News , Temple cooked a dinner of roast chicken for the pop star. 5. Whitney Houston One of Jackson’s least spoken-about celeb friendships was with fellow pop music sensation of the 1980s, 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. Who is Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian, owner of LA’s biggest mansion? 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.” Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .