On October 6, 1991, the movie legend Elizabeth Taylor got married at Neverland, Michael Jackson’s ranch in California. That’s 35 years ago this month.
It was quite a sight. Taylor walked to a white gazebo with two men at her side, Michael on one arm and her son Michael Wilding Jr. on the other. Up above, dozens of helicopters packed with photographers circled the ranch, every one of them trying to grab a shot of the wedding of the year.
Michael and Elizabeth were famously close. She was one of his dearest friends, maybe the only person in Hollywood who truly understood what his kind of fame felt like from the inside.
So after the wedding, she wanted to thank him for hosting her big day. According to her longtime assistant, Tim Mendelson, she surprised Michael with a present right there at the ranch.
And it was big. We’re talking about 5,000 pounds big.
Can you picture what kind of gift weighs about as much as a small truck?
Here’s a look back at the wedding day itself.
News footage from Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding at Neverland
Watch for all those helicopters up in the sky. That alone tells you how big a deal this day was.
So what weighs about 5,000 pounds and makes a proper thank-you from Elizabeth Taylor?
An elephant.
A real, live elephant. And it even came with a name. She called it Gypsy.
A gift that size couldn’t exactly fit in the living room. But then again, Neverland was no ordinary home. Michael already kept a whole menagerie of animals on the property, so one more big friend found a place easily enough.
Here’s a fan’s look back at the story behind the gift.
A tribute to the elephant Elizabeth Taylor gave Michael
This short clip walks through the tale of Gypsy and the friendship that was behind such an unusual present.
That was the kind of friendship these two had. It was huge and warm and more than a little bit wild, and a gift like that fit it perfectly.
People remember Elizabeth Taylor for her movies and her jewels. Michael’s fans remember her for this, a loyal friend who said thank you in the biggest, boldest way she could think of.
Watch the clips and picture the look on Michael’s face the first time he saw what she had brought him.