Akon was over at Michael Jackson’s place, just waiting. The two of them had plans to head out to the movies, and Akon was ready to go. He only needed Michael to come out.
A man walked in and sat down right beside him. They watched TV together for a good while, not saying much, and Akon kept thinking the same thing the whole time. Where was Mike?
If you had a radio on in the 2000s, you know Akon. He’s the Senegalese-American singer and producer behind “Lonely,” “Smack That” and a long string of hits, and he grew close to Michael late in Michael’s career. They cut bonus tracks for the 25th anniversary edition of “Thriller,” and Akon co-wrote and sang on “Hold My Hand,” one of the last songs Michael ever recorded.
So these two knew each other well. On this particular day, it was Michael who suggested they go out and catch a film. Akon could not believe it. This was Michael Jackson, maybe the most recognized man on the planet. There was no way he could just stroll into a movie theater like a regular person.
That quiet stranger on the couch had been sitting there for 15 or 20 minutes before anything clicked.
In this short clip, Akon explains in his own words how Michael managed to pull the whole thing off.
Akon explains how Michael could hide in plain sight
Here’s what Akon finally worked out. The man beside him, the one watching TV and keeping to himself, was Michael the entire time. He’d been in disguise, sitting right there, while Akon wondered where he’d gone. When Akon brought up the movies, the stranger simply said, “Oh I was waiting for you, let’s go.”
“I thought it was one of his guests,” Akon said.
And off they went. Akon says it was the first IMAX movie he ever saw. “My first IMAX theater experience was with Michael Jackson.”
What stuck with Akon was how easily Michael could disappear into a crowd. He didn’t need a limo with blacked-out windows or a wall of bodyguards around him. He could change how he looked and move through a room like he was nobody at all.
“He was a king of disguises,” Akon said. “He would be standing right next to you and you would not even know it’s him.”
Akon shared this story on Logan Paul’s podcast “Impaulsive” back in September 2023. The full conversation runs long and covers plenty of other ground, but the Michael part is the bit fans keep passing around.
If you want to hear Akon tell it himself, it’s in this full podcast episode.
The full Impaulsive podcast where Akon first told the story
Being the only person in the room who doesn’t realize Michael Jackson is sitting a foot away, for 20 whole minutes, is a pretty good story. Akon’s been telling it for years now.