Michael Jackson (1958–2009) was an American entertainer who spent over four decades in the public eye, first as a child star with the Jackson 5 and later as a solo artist. From the mid-1980s, Jackson's appearance began to change dramatically. The changes to his face triggered widespread speculation of extensive cosmetic surgery, and his skin tone became much lighter.Taraborrelli, pp. 434–436
Jackson was diagnosed with the skin disorder vitiligo, which results in white patches on the skin and sensitivity to sunlight. To treat the condition, he used fair-colored makeup and possibly skin-lightening prescription creams to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness. The lighter skin and Jackson's nonconfirmation of his diagnosis resulted in speculation that he was trying to appear white. Jackson revealed he had vitiligo in 1993, and said he had not purposely bleached his skin and that he was proud to be black.
Jackson and some of his siblings said they had been physically and psychologically abused by their father Joe Jackson. In 2003, Joe admitted to whipping them as children, but he emphatically rejected the longstanding abuse allegations. The whippings deeply traumatized Jackson and may have led to the onset of further health problems later in his life.
At some point during the 1990s, it appeared that Jackson had become dependent on prescription drugs, mainly painkillers and strong sedatives. The drug use was later linked to second- and third-degree burns he had suffered years before. Jackson gradually became dependent on these drugs, and his health deteriorated. He went into rehabilitation in 1993.Campbell (1995), pp. 89–93 While preparing for a series of comeback concerts scheduled to begin in July 2009, Jackson died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication after suffering cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009. Conrad Murray, his personal physician, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death and sentenced to four years in prison.
Skin color
Jackson's skin had been medium-brown during his youth, but from the mid-1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change drew widespread media coverage, including speculation that he had been bleaching his skin. Jackson's dermatologist, Arnold Klein, said he observed in 1983 that Jackson had vitiligo, a condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. He also identified discoid lupus erythematosus in Jackson. He diagnosed Jackson with lupus that year, and with vitiligo in 1986.
Vitiligo's drastic effects on the body can cause psychological distress. Jackson used fair-colored makeup and skin-bleaching prescription creams to cover up the uneven blotches of color caused by the illness. The creams further lightened his skin, and, with the application of makeup, he could appear very pale. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it is believed to be due to genetic susceptibility triggered by an environmental factor such that an autoimmune disease occurs. When Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo in the mid-1980s, he started to learn more about the disease. He would often call his dermatologist's nurse and future wife Debbie Rowe to get medical information as well as emotional support.
Jackson's physical changes gained widespread media coverage and provoked criticism from the public. Some African-American psychologists argued Jackson was "a lousy role model for black youth": A member of the Association of Black Psychologists, Dennis Chestnut, said Jackson had given "black youth a feeling that they can achieve," but might encourage them to believe they had to be esoteric and idiosyncratic to be successful, while Halford Fairchild, another member of the aforementioned organization, said Jackson and other African-American celebrities would try "to look more like white people in order to get in films and on television." Jackson also was confronted with the reaction of the people around him. Filmmaker John Landis, who directed two music videos for Jackson, said when Jackson showed him his bleached chest, Landis told him the doctor who had done it was a criminal.
However, in 1993, Jackson said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that "there is no such thing as skin bleaching, I have never seen it, I don't know what it is," adding "I have a skin disorder [vitiligo] that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It's something that I cannot help, okay? But, when people make up stories that I don't want to be who I am, it hurts me." Jackson suggested that his skin tone began to change "sometime after Thriller," that his condition was hereditary, and admitted to using makeup to even his skin tone. Winfrey's interview with Jackson was watched by an average of 62 million viewers at any given moment. It also started a public discourse on the topic of vitiligo, then a relatively unknown condition.Campbell (1995), pp. 14–16Lewis pp. 165–168George, pp. 45–46
Jackson publicly said that he was proud to be black. He also wrote a letter to photographer William Pecchi Jr. in 1988 which reads: "Maybe I look at the world through rose colored glasses but I love people all over the world. That is why stories of racism really disturb me. [...] Because in truth I believe ALL men are created equal, I was taught that and will always believe it. I just can't conceive of how a person could hate another because of skin color. I love every race on the planet earth. Prejudice is the child of ignorance. Naked we come into the world and naked we shall go out. And a very good thing too, for it reminds me that I am naked under my shirt, whatever its color."
Shortly following Jackson's death, tubes of Benoquin and hydroquinone were found in Jackson's home. Both creams are commonly used to treat vitiligo; David Sawcer said some patients with vitiligo remove dark areas of skin when most of their skin has become pale. Darkening depigmented skin is also extremely difficult.Rebecca Howard, Gadsden Times, Michael Jackson's skin condition destroys pigment (February 15, 1993). Depigmentation causes a permanent and extreme sensitivity to the sun. Vitiligo patients are at risk to contract melanoma, and an annual cancer check-up is recommended. Jackson also covered his skin disorder with clothing wearing long sleeves and long pants. In the music video for "Remember the Time", all dancers and actors except for Jackson are lightly dressed following the example set by ancient Egyptians.Bush, Michael. The King Of Style. Insight Editions, 2012, p. 146. Jackson usually avoided wearing patterned clothing to avoid attention to the disorder.Bush, p. 40.
Jackson's autopsy confirmed that he had vitiligo. His skin was found to have reduced (though not absent) melanocytes, the cells active in skin pigmentation. Vitiligo occurs in three different patterns. Segmental depigmentation means only one side of the body is affected, whereas generalized depigmentation means many parts of the body are affected. Jackson's autopsy report states a "focal depigmentation of the skin" (i.e., the depigmentation occurs on one or a few areas of the body). In Jackson's case, there were five affected areas.Taraborrelli, p. 570 Jackson's autopsy did not confirm or refute the claim that he had lupus.
Cosmetic procedures Nose surgeries Media reports state Jackson had extensive surgery on his nose. Jackson denied those reports in his 1988 autobiography Moonwalk, saying he had only had two rhinoplasties.Jackson, pp. 229–230 Shortly after Jackson's death, Klein stated that he had rebuilt Jackson's nose because its cartilage had totally collapsed and that he had been 'exquisitely sensitive to pain'. Medical records show that Klein administered Jackson Demerol during procedures. Jackson had told Patrick Treacy that he had had a facial hypersensitivity caused by a botched cosmetic surgery. Jackson's second wife, Debbie Rowe, who had met Jackson while she had been working for Klein, said she had been designated to help him through procedures.
In 2017, British broadcaster Sky canceled the airing of an episode of Urban Myths which cast Joseph Fiennes to portray Jackson with heavy white makeup and a constructed nose. The cancellation came after Jackson's family had expressed concerns in public.
Facial structure
Surgeons speculated he also had a forehead lift, cheekbone surgery and altered his lips. Jackson variously denied the reports of extensive cosmetic surgery, at times claiming to have only ever had surgery on his nose, while at other times saying that he also had a cleft created in his chin. Jackson attributed the changes in the structure of his face to puberty and weight loss from his strict vegetarian diet.Jackson, pp. 229–230 He also denied allegations that he had altered his eyes. In the unedited version of the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was asked about his cheeks; he answered: "These cheekbones? No. My father has the same thing. We have Indian blood."
Physical health
Burns and scalp surgery
On January 27, 1984, Jackson's hair caught fire during the recording of a Pepsi television commercial. Jackson stated that the fire had been caused by sparks of magnesium flash bombs exploding only two feet away from either side of his head, in breach of safety regulations. Later that day, the hospital announced that Jackson was in a stable condition and was doing well. A spokesman said that he had suffered second-degree burns on his skull and would be transferred to the Brotman Medical Center's special burn unit.
Jackson said that he had suffered third-degree burns on the back of his head, which had gone almost through his skull, and that they had caused multiple health problems. Over a period of several years, balloon implants had been inserted to stretch the affected area and cut out the scars in order to restore his hair. In November 1993, Jackson announced the cancellation of the remaining shows of the Dangerous World Tour due to a dependence on painkillers, which had been prescribed after a recent constructive scalp surgery. The efforts to restore his hair failed; Jackson thereafter resolved to wear wigs.
Dehydration In August 1993, two shows of Jackson's Dangerous World Tour in Thailand had to be canceled due to dehydration. On August 27, 1993, Jackson "returned to the concert stage". A few days later, Jackson complained of nausea and a severe headache. His physician, David Forecast, stated that Jackson had had a migraine a few weeks prior and that the dehydration might have intensified it. Jackson underwent an MRI scan, which was entirely normal.
A specialist confirmed Forecast's diagnosis of "late-onset migraine," and medication was prescribed for Jackson. Jackson consumed a lot of water,Bush, p. 115. preventing dehydration and any issues with his voice. In late 1995, Jackson was hospitalized after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance. Medics cited irregular heartbeats, gastro-intestinal inflammation, dehydration, and kidney and liver irregularities.
In June 2003, Jackson had been briefly hospitalized before a deposition in a copyright matter. A physician had stated Jackson was weak, dizzy and dehydrated. He had been treated with intravenous fluids and a tranquilizer. Jackson's lawyer stated that Jackson "sometimes became nervous and failed to eat when faced with depositions". An emergency physician and Jackson's personal physician had provided affidavits regarding Jackson's health. The deposition was postponed.
Orthopedic problems