When audiences watched the Michael biopic and saw the scene where Michael Jackson goes out of his way for a chimpanzee, many assumed it was dramatized for emotional effect. It was not! The real story behind Bubbles is one of the most revealing things ever documented about who Michael Jackson actually was as a person.
Bubbles was born in 1983 in a biomedical research facility in Austin, Texas — bred for animal testing. MICHAEL JACKSON PULLED HIM OUT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT AND TOOK HIM HOME.
What followed was not a publicity stunt or a celebrity quirk. Bubbles traveled on world tours with Michael, attended his lawyer John Branca’s wedding as his guest, and sat beside him while Michael and the mayor of Osaka drank tea together. The mayor later noted it was the first time an animal had ever entered city hall.
They even wore matching outfits.
A Recreation Of How Michael Got Bubbles
What few people knew at the time was that most of the animals at Neverland were not bought as attractions. They were predominantly rescued — abandoned animals, former circus animals, and animals with nowhere else to go.
Michael personally took an interest in their care, knew their individual histories, and worked closely with veterinarians.
The scene in the biopic where his family looks on in horror as Bubbles arrives reflects exactly what witnesses described.
MICHAEL SIMPLY TOLD THEM THE ANIMALS WERE HIS FRIENDS, NOT HIS PETS.
See How Much Michael Loved Animals
Bubbles is still alive today at 43 years old, living at the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida, where his care continues to be funded by Michael’s estate.
Reportedly, Bubbles was brought to the biopic set and even reacted remarkably upon seeing Jaafar in Michael’s costumes.
The scene did not need to be exaggerated. The truth was already extraordinary.