Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson

by Randall Sullivan

Untouchable portrays Michael Jackson’s life and death in unprecedented depth. Beginning with his last departure from Neverland, Sullivan captures Jackson's final years shuttling around the world, and plans to recapture his wealth and reputation with a comeback album and planned series of fifty mega-concerts.

Sullivan delves deep into Jackson’s past, depicting a man both naive and deeply cunning, a devoted father whose parenting decisions created international outcry, a shrewd businessman whose failures nearly brought down a megacorporation, and an inveterate narcissist who desperately wanted a quiet, normal life.

Sullivan has never-before-reported information about Jackson’s business dealings, the pedophilia allegations that besmirched his reputation, and the fate of his billion-dollar-plus estate, and exclusive access to inner-circle figures including Jackson’s former attorneys and managers. Untouchable is a remarkable portrait of the man who still reigns as King of Pop.


"A dishy Michael Jackson biography that makes the exhaustively covered King of Pop fascinating all over again."—People

“The first deep-dive narrative by a veteran journalist covering the King of Pop’s convoluted final years on earth . . . [Untouchable] helps cast Jackson in a new light.”—Los Angeles Times

“A tale of family, fame, lost childhood, and startling accusations never heard before.”—ABC Nightline

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Music, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, Pop Culture, Ebooks

776 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Martha Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to make clear that the author Randall Sullivan was not a fan of Michael Jackson's when he started to write this book. He was a past Rolling Stone editor and that magazine judged MJ rather harshly at times. He became sympathetic to this great entertainer and man during his research for this book as he publicly stated. This book often delves into Michael Jackson's business and management issues in detail. Sources cited often had been fired or eventually sued MJ. There are some inaccuracies. The author rehashed some very stupid and silly tabloid stories in this book unecessarily. Was that part of the agreement between him and his publisher? I've heard stories of some who wanted to write a pro-Michael book and could never get published. That said, the one outstanding part of this book is that is covers the accusations and 2005 trial. Even this author came to feel, as many before him have discovered since 2009, Michael was not guilty of these crimes and accusations. In fact, many of the accusations truly border on the ridiculous. If you didn't know that, then you might want to read this part of the book. This is a very interesting conclusion coming from a author who was not a fan of the man and deserves noting. There is no single book, and I have read many, that truly captures the spirit of Michael Jackson, the man. You can only hope to get glimpses of who he was by reading many books and stories from those who knew him. He was very intelligent, loved to read, and had a huge heart. I'm glad some have felt this book was sympathetic. I never assume one source is definitive on any issue. As there are parts of this book that are one star, five star, and three star, it's hard to rate. I'll give it a 3 star I guess.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor Michael Jackson. The man spent his entire life being picked apart in the public eye, only to recapture the deification he craved so deeply - in death. Sullivan's reporting of Jackson's life helped me understand, from a significant distance, his personality and the circus that surrounded him, which is one of the book's big positives. In the last years of his life and even to the present, reporting on Jackson's life, actions and whereabouts usually took the form of breathless Perez Hilton posts about ditching this or that house, camping out in this or that hotel, being sued by this or that associate. Sullivan does an admirable job of assembling information that was originally reported in brief flashes and expanding it into a more comprehensible narrative.

That said, there were times when the reporting didn't match the pacing of the narrative - most obviously in the last quarter of the book, which was wholly devoted to the characters seeking control of Jackson's estate. This is all valid and helpful information, of course, but my eyes glazed over in the last hundred pages and it was a slog to the finish. A few bright spots emerged from this clumsy final section, namely Sullivan's descriptions and portraits of Jackson's children, who were rarely reported as anything other than "the keys to the estate" in the media - and among lawyers and some family members, it turns out.

And furthermore, there were a few times when Sullivan got sloppy with his facts. In his description of Jackson's appearance at James Brown's funeral, Sullivan wrote an intriguing description of Michael's expression of grief, so I sought out the YouTube video - and found that Sullivan's quotation of Michael's remarks was almost totally off. That sort of cast a pall over the rest of the book for me - it's one thing to have to paraphrase or reconstruct a quote from memory from an artist who doesn't allow recording devices, like Prince; it's another thing entirely to do that to Michael Jackson, who had cameras trained on him and microphones in front of his mouth his entire life.

This story was compelling for a time, but I'm left to wonder how much of it was accurately reported and edited. I walked away with a painfully close description of Jackson's legal proceedings and finances - presumably obtained from documents, court reports and other cut-and-dried sources - but a workmanlike history of his life and art. I remain hopeful (and confident) that a better, more vibrant book will appear.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who aren't Michael Jackson insane but definite fans, Untouchable was chock full of gossipy tid bits and the real medical, psychological, and monetary abuse Michael Jackson suffered with his entire life. The author is a fan and doesn't seem to believe Michael molested the kids, but is far enough to be critical of many of his moves.

Since his life is so overly-covered, I was really happy that this work tried to focus on post 2003 since it allowed you to get a more in depth look at his downfall better than the regular tabloid fodder allowed.

Many reviews on amazon freak out about the content and sources but I have to say a. half the time they get it wrong and base their review on an incorrect press release and b. it's Michael Jackson, there is no such thing as a reliable source. As the book shows, his family members are motivated by pure greed and change their stories based on where money is coming from and Michael Jackson's "handlers" changed so often due to his own issues that every Michael Jackson source is someone who was at one point suing and/or fired by Michael Jackson.


also- love that someone finally called out Kathrine Jackson for being just as money grabbing as the rest of the family.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a very hard time reading this, and I've read many, many Michael Jackson books. Sullivan mixes a whole lot of fiction with a little bit of fact. There are some enjoyable parts, most notably, his details of Michael's time in Ireland after the not guilty verdict in the 2005 molestation trial. I really don't see how a 'non fan' can read this without their head spinning with all the events and people swirling around Michael during this time period. Sullivan also ends this interpretation of the last years of Michael's life in such an odd way in the final chapter. It's unfortunate and aggravating that most people will read this as definitive truth and more puzzling to me that Thomas Mesereau stands behind it.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just MORE TABLOID TRASH in my opinion, Vanity Fair published excerpts from this book in their October 14th 2012 issue. There was more fiction than fact. It also did NOT make the New York Times Best Sellers List either. There are 114 Reviews rating this Book a 1 star on Amazon. Sullivan says in his book that "A bandage covers MJ's nose which is so cut away that, without a prosthetic, it looked like little more than a pair of slightly ridged nostrils." That is totally false! The Full Autopsy Report is ONLINE for those readers who want truth not speculation from a tabloid journalist. The New York Times review says this book is "Bloated and Dispensable". The Website Michael: And Justice for Some has detailed information disproving Mr. Sullivan's book. Sullivan's comments about Princess Diane are nothing but gossip not facts! If you want to read facts about Michael Jackson read The Michael Jackson Conspiracy which has a five star rating, or Joseph Vogel's 4.5 star rated book Man in the Music, or even Frank Casio's book My Friend Michael. Frank knew Michael.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I debated whether I should admit here to reading this book, partly because I generally don't list the, well, less-than-highbrow books that I read (and I do read some) and partly because I've seen the scathing reviews of the book posted here and elsewhere by what I can only assume are MJ's devoted fans. But here's the thing: I would never have picked up a 776-page book about Jackson if I was not myself a fan of his, albeit one who has never known quite what to believe about the last 20 years of his life. And I certainly would never have kept reading it (all through Thanksgiving weekend, and every free moment since) if Sullivan hadn't provided a deeply compelling story that grapples with the same uncertainties I've had and attempts to sift through the contradictory, obviously self-interested stories of the people who surrounded Jackson. But it is Sullivan's research--particularly the wide range of interviews he conducted--that gave me reason to trust his conclusions (seriously: any reviewer who claims this author didn't do any research has no credibility whatsoever).

As for the other common reader-reviewer criticisms: sure, it gave me pause that many of Sullivan's sources outside the interviews were in fact tabloids, but those were the main publications covering Jackson in the latter stages of his life, and TMZ's scoop of CNN (and everyone else) on 6/25/09 speaks for itself. And I myself noted a few small errors of fact (Paris's birthdate is incorrect in some source notes), though all on peripheral matters. But again: how many celebrity biographies include 173 pages of detailed source notes? Sullivan is no hack; he clearly wants to get the story right, insofar as such a thing is possible in Jackson's deeply murky world.

The one criticism I do agree with (generally made in the published reviews) is that sometimes Sullivan gets too bogged down in the details of the Jackson's seemingly endless legal and financial skirmishes, which are difficult for even a careful reader to keep straight, especially without an index. Sullivan was obviously adding material up to the last possible moment before the book went to press, as the Jackson family battles over MJ's fortune continue. For better or worse, there is no end in sight.

[Marcus Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there’s ever a soul I wish to ‘rest in peace,’ its Michael Jackson’s. The loneliness, the heartache, the pain, the betrayal, the deceit, the demands that this brother felt allowed him no peace while on this earth. A shame. A shame since he’s brought the world nothing but joy, happiness and hope; sharing his gift with us up until his untimely death.

Michael wasn't a freak, he wasn't a pedophile, he wasn't crazy or a monster. He was a gifted artist; a man hidden behind his other worldly talents. It's a shame that he had no confidant or just a friend that was out to protect his best interests and be a guidance in his hectic life. I always wondered, would he be as great without his eccentricities? And how selfish we are to enjoy his music but chastise his ways of life.

Like any work of literature based in the tabloid realm, it's hard to believe what's printed. But this, for the most part, seemed right. Some far truths, he had no nose, died a virgin, etc. I didn't believe, but the loneliness and the not having anyone to turn to Michael experienced feels true. Even his last concert he was training for, he didn't want to do it, had no one to speak up for him to not do it and this ultimately lead to his death.

Again, I loved Michael Jackson, primarily for his artistry and I selfishly miss his earthly presence but since he no longer has to face the turmoil that he experienced since he began performing at a young age, I say; RIP.

[Liza Rodimtseva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nearly 800 pages (including more than a hundred of footnotes and bibliography) might seem excessive for someone who only lived 50 years, but Michael Jackson was a household name for most of the time he was alive, and his life was one of the most documented and the most hotly debated. Randall Sullivan is a staff writer for Rolling Stone, a publication known for balancing its celebrity worship with hard journalism, and he painstakingly lays out the details of MJ's chaotic business dealings, his legal woes, and his many, many scandals. Sullivan approaches his subject with empathy, but he doesn't seem to be much of a fan. MJ's greatest musical triumphs are only mentioned in passing. There's no discussion of what made his music so appeal, what his creative motivation might have been, or why, despite all of his success, he was only able to produce three great albums in his lifetime. Sullivan doesn't see Michael Jackson as an artist but only as a public figure. Perhaps it's fitting, since, in the second half of his life, Jackson came to be seen primarily as a tabloid entity. "JACKO'S NOSE DYING" screamed a particularly memorable headline from my childhood. Unfortunately, it happened to be true. After six or more misguided rhinoplasties, "Jacko" was in the Gogolesque position of not having a nose on his face. He had been wearing a prosthetic since the mid-90's. Among other medical horrors, Jackson had become so habituated to receiving industrial quantities of sedatives by IV that he collapsed most of his veins and developed necrosis on his leg. As for the accusations of pedophilia, the book was published a few years before HBO's Leaving Neverland more or less settled the matter, at least in the court of public opinion. Sullivan leaves the question open. The kindest thing that could be speculated in that regard is that Jackson's development was so catastrophically disrupted by years of abuse and the isolation of fame that he truly lived in a world of his own making, unaware that the standards and consequences of the real world applied to him. What's not up for debate is that the child prodigy should have been removed from his horrific family as a ten year old, taken somewhere quiet and subjected to intensive therapy - perhaps then he would still be alive, and still making music, with his biological face intact. As it happened, Michael Jackson never got the help he needed, never had anyone in his life who didn't see him as a cash generating machine, never found happiness, and never lived up to his full potential.

[Georgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that took me awhile. I had plowed through half of it months ago, then put the bookmark in it and it sat on my living room table for two months. I made headway on vacation, but only earlier in the week did I have the impetus to finish it. It's a lot of reading, a lot of business transactions that are both startling and puzzling, and a lot of Michael Jackson being taken advantage of. Yes, the child molestation charges are addressed, as is his death at the hands of that charlatan Dr. Conrad Murray. What you feel at the end, if you didn't feel it before, is empathy, sympathy, and alternately horrified. I don't care if you are or aren't a fan, the man didn't deserve to be taken advantage of to that extent- and upwards of 20 years before he even passed. That shit started with Thriller, man. Overall, I can say that I had an idea from press reports that MJ had serious financial issues; I had no idea to what extent until I read the book. But like most, childhood trauma and a fragmented family history gave way to adult issues, and sadly, this was the case. At least we all had and continue to reap the benefits of Mr. Jackson's talent for generations to come.

[Kat Sommers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan and had been convinced by other fans' protestations about this book. So much that is written about MJ is poorly researched and judgemental, making sweeping statements just because they have been established through frequent repitition, and not through fact. So I was pleasantly surprised. Sullivan is committed to painting a fair portrait, one that is almost unbearably sad and not totally sympathetic, but accurate overall. Overall. Some details are still sloppy - Sullivan states MJ wore a prosthetic nose, though that is easily debunked by the autopsy on public record, and he gives too much credence to British sources such as Matt Fiddes and Terry George, both of whom have expanded their slight experience of MJ for monetary gain. Some conclusions are personal, but he is clear about that. And I'm still left with the feeling that I have no real grasp of Michael as a person and his relationships, though maybe that's just the way he was. But as an insight into the greed and hypocrisy at work in his sad decline, the portrait Sullivan offers is roughly right: generous without being sentimental, critical without being cruel. Poor Michael.

[Carol Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever wanted a comprehensive look at the last few years of Michael Jackson's life, this is it. Randall Sullivan does an amazing job at filling in the blanks, going from the celebrated entertainer's last trial for child molesting and pedophile sex to his mysterious "accidental" death at the hands of an M.D. who broke nearly every rule in the book.

The problem is, Randall Sullivan is not really a man who knows or cares about the world of Michael Jackson. Unlike Randy Taraborelli, he's not a lifelong fan of soul music, or the Jackson Five, and seems to have very little knowledge of the black scene in America. He writes more like a financial analyst from the Wall Street Journal, explaining Michael's bad business choices but maintaining a discreet silence over his plastic surgery, his interest in young boys, and his strange behavior in general.

There are so many uncomfortable things about the story of Michael Jackson. And Sullivan sidesteps every one of them.

The best Michael Jackson book is still THE MAGIC AND THE MADNESS by Randy Taraborelli.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book without a doubt was extremely detailed and to be honest, I still didn't get to read it as fully as I want to and comprehend some parts the way I want to (also because I'm a slow reader) but I read it until the Afterword. I will definitely buy this book. I read it as a library book. I loved how much this book goes into detail about things. So much so that it's almost overwhelming. It's one of those books you would need to read more than once to fully get a good understanding of it and deeper appreciation. There was only one part out of what I read that I didn't agree with and that was at the very end, right before the afterword. There's an entire book that proves that section of this book to be completely false, but that's what I like about reading different books about MJ because the details you don't get from one book, you get from another and sometimes can piece information together. It's like putting different pieces of a puzzle together. Anyway, I loved this book and I would recommend it to any person interested in it.

[Corban Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is NOT the definitive biography of Michael Jackson, I can state that for certain. In fact, this might be one of the worst biographies I've had the misfortune of reading. Randall Sullivan definitely produced a tome of a book (a pretty hefty 500+ pages) .and there were a few parts that were insightful, such as the coverage of Jackson's 2005 trial as well as the last few months of his life. Unfortunately the bulk of the material was tabloid fodder, and although Sullivan admits he was not the biggest fan of Jackson, his writing makes that confession a complete understatement with how overly critical it is throughout, permeating the book. Michael Jackson was an immensely talented yet deeply troubled individual. In my opinion his story deserves to be handled with depth, nuance, and respect; carefully crafted to present the complete picture. This book failed miserably at all attempts to do so.

[Deodand · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book loses stars to its insane length. Most of the focus is on Jackson's later life, and I was hoping to read more about his early/teen years, as bad as they were. Jackson started out life with 14 strikes against him.
It has served to rehabilitate Jackson's image in my mind a bit - not to say that he wasn't batshit crazy, that much is well-known. The book reveals some of the causes of Jackson's manias and how he could never seem to escape the demands of his extremely fucked-up family. The book also does a good job of pointing out unsubstantiated rumours and tabloid garbage that was flung around - dissecting it from fact. There were a few things I had accepted as facts about Jackson's life that were made up out of thin air.
This book is worth reading but you might want to skim the financial parts.

[Craig Mcharg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit heavy going in places, but with many interesting and a surprising amount of information I hadn't read elsewhere. A lot of negative reviews on Amazon and other places stem from the fact that this isn't 100% all about how great Michael Jackson was although the author does state that for what it's worth Michael Jackson was innocent of any charges against him.

The court stuff is pretty heavy going, and despite being a Jackson fan, I struggled to get through this book in a hurry. Would still recommend.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I've read just about every well- researched story on Michael Jackson, I read this book, too. Most of the information has been previously reported or documented in other print media and on the cable news and entertainment shows. However, there were some new (to me) details about the inner dysfunctional workings of Jackson family members and these details salvaged what would otherwise have been a long, repetitive and mediocre book.

[Mellamoureaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

sadly this had the potential of a phenomenal book- loaded with interesting (and some tragic ) facts. Many things that no one knew- a true inside look at a fascinating life cut short. However, the author threw it together like a sloppy mess. it seemed as if he wrote each chapter as he acquired the information and never bothered to go back to put it in chronological order. I guess you can say the book died tragically with MJ. If you are patient and/or good at skimming it is interesting.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a challenging read because of its minute details and zealous analysis of the Michael Jackson myths and realities. I skipped through a lot of the legal issues that comprise a good part of the book, and tried to keep track of the scattered timeline.

[Dna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This became really repetitive at the halfway mark, so I skimmished.

This would be a great bio for someone who has yet to read an MJ bio! It's dense and covers his life from birth to death in great detail.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book exhaused me. At nearly 750+ pages, it detailed every single detail of Michael Jackson's last four years of life. While I appreciated the attention to detail, it was overwhelming.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

He was not a pedophile. He was a good entertainer. The entire Jackson family is messed up. Jackson was a caring soul, He will not be remembered like Elvis. The book is good but too, too long

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad and sordid. I *think* it was unbiased. I could not keep up with most of the business stuff, it was so complex and convoluted.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you hate storytelling and love court transcripts, this is the Jackson bio 4 u

[yoav arden · Rating 2 out of 5]

So long an tedious without any reason. Should be a legal book

[Anna Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the only Michael Jackson biography at my local library. In a desperate attempt to find primary sources and “unbiased” sources (though I don’t believe those truly exist when it comes to Michael), I wanted to read this mainly to corroborate sources. It did that, though noting when a grain of salt is needed. I learned A ton tho some of it was contradictory to things we know now or I had heard online. Extremely interesting life that man lived, in my opinion the most interesting, and tragic. This book does its best to relay stories and facts in a fairly unbiased tone and I think that’s applaudable. It was not written in a very coherent way, absolutely not linear. But I learned, and found references that I hadn’t been able to find previously. So thanks! I will now go write my thesis on MJ and record a podcast.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXHAUSTIVE

At nearly 800 pages, this author leaves no stone unturned regarding factual reporting and what can be proven with actual documented court records. But that approach caused him to push aside mountains of information that exist outside of specific court filings. With a plethora of information regarding 50+ years of Michael Jackson’s lifetime the author issues a stunning statement saying he believes Michael died of 50+ year-old virgin. That’s just nuts. So while I appreciate the exhaustive research for documented statistics, the authors lack of common sense in the face of Jackson’s very publicly lived life is a little inexplicable. But it’s well written. I’m glad I spent the time.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an exhaustive, detailed look at the life of Michael jackson, with the focus on his later years. The potrait that emerges is a fascinating, complex one of a tortured man who was a good father, a delusional egomaniac and a man who measured success in money and gold albums. And that’s just for starters...

To gain some understanding into the troubled superstar, Sullivan seem to think we need to look at the various individuals who surrounded Jackson in an effort to bask in his fame and money.
And the Jackson family were the worst of the bunch. Joe Jackson’s abuse on Michael has been well documented before, but Sullivan provides us with more information on the siblings who come off as a bunch of money grubbers who to this day fight over his fortune.
Sullivan also did a good job of documenting Michael’s travels across the globe as he fled the country in the years after the molestation trial. And as far as that trial goes, the author presents a detail well balanced view of this and even shows how the media slanted their reporting as they eagerly awaited a conviction. He comes up with little or no evidence to support the fact that Michael was a pedophile and suggests he might have died a virgin. Also documenting his long term abuse of prescription drugs, his many legal and financial messes, and the efforts to reclaim his status as the king of pop with the “this is it” tour

The book is very long and there is such detailed financial information and so many lawsuits chronicled that it leaves the readers head spinning. If one thing is clear from reading this book, is that in his final years Michael Jackson’s life was a tangled web of lawyers, debts, and drugs. Some of Jackson’s fans aren’t happy with the way that Sullivan portrays Jackson’s as a drug addicted fading star who was desperate to reclaim his former fame and fortune, but based on all the research he did, this is an accurate account.

[João Paulo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been a great listener of pop music, but Michael Jackson has always been an artist for whom I've had great respect. Undeniably a genius in composition and dance.

In 900 pages, Michael's life is examined in detail. His enormous talent and success as an artist, from the creation of the Jackson Five to his solo career, reaching the pinnacle of success and popularity with "Thriller".

Her skin bleaching, her numerous plastic surgeries, her marriage to Elvis' daughter, her three children, her early and tragic death. A reading that, in a way, became sadder and sadder. With an extremely aggressive father, Michael practically had his childhood stolen from him in order to become a successful artist. In the future, this would cause deep traumas that would lead to severe problems.

The accusations of child abuse he suffered take up a good part of the book, covering the events from the beginning to the trial and acquittal. And here lies the most critical point of the book. Not being a fanatical fan, this whole part is a mess of feelings.

Yes, Michael had his childhood stolen from him, yes, his own father physically and verbally assaulted him, but you can't put into perspective an adult over thirty sleeping alone in a room with children. Many claim that he had no malice. Perhaps his mind hadn't matured and he was trying to relive his lost childhood, and although the accusations came from extremely greedy parents, it's not possible to give the artist a 100% not guilty verdict.

Another part that causes great discomfort is the post-mortem: the legal battle for his estate, showing the worst in human beings, with his extremely scoundrelly and profiteering brothers doing everything they could to get as much as they could out of the whole situation.

Randall Sullivan has written a perhaps definitive biography of the artist, covering his glories and defeats. A life that, despite the money and fame, was extremely sad.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sad story of a boy-man, trained and driven as a moneymaking machine so devastatingly by his sociopathic, abusive father who deprived him of love, and his morally equivocal mother, that he spent his adult life trying to regain his lost childhood. Creating a haven he called Neverland, and adopting Peter Pan’s nose and employing destructive amounts of plastic surgery to transform himself into a raceless, ageless alien, Jackson was too frightened to have his own children in case they resembled his father.
Michael Jackson understood that he could not read people at all, or see when he was being duped; he’d rarely been more than a tool to other adults, never a normal child, and had always been led and not consulted in his career as he grew up. As an adult, he didn’t want to be bothered with the details of his financial dealings either, and this left him at the mercy of those who saw the opportunity to make a profit.
Eventually, inevitably, Michael became more and more self indulgent with his money, and unrealistic in his expectations of others and his own abilities, to the point where he hired people on the whims of his moods, or the advice of others exploiting their closeness to him for profit (unfortunately his mother was one of the worst of these). A toxic feedback cycle, which broke his heart and eventually killed him.

As described by a friend, “ Michael had always done best in terms of his career when he had some powerful authority figure telling him what to do. He was conditioned to that at an early age. But at the same time he resented those authority figures, because they brought back memories of Joe, who he really hated deep down. So he eventually had to shatter the relationship and push away the one person who was driving him to succeed. Then he’d be on his own again.. drifting…”

[Amber Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating but complex book. Sometimes the shenanigans done by the Jackson family are difficult to follow. This book centers more on Michael's later life, but I found the most interesting part to be Michael's development and the hell his father put him through in the name of "showbiz". It's extremely sad how he was basically forced to support his far less talented (with the possible exception of Janet) family and how they clung to him for everything but the right reasons.

I think if Michael had gotten help in his early twenties he might have been far more able to mentally grow up. I believe he got stuck in a very unhealthy "Peter Pan" mentality--a boy in a man's body, never fully developed. Peter Pan is NOT a wholly happy character--he cannot progress or develop and gets abandoned as those around him are able to grow up and achieve things in life.

It's hard to say if he was simply totally naive of normal adult mores and behavior or really was a pedophile. He certainly was not able to achieve normal adult relations for the most part--maybe friendships with other child stars like Elizabeth Taylor and other child stars was the best he could do. I think though his pattern of abandoning his pre-adolescent playmates as soon as they became adult was even if free of pedophilia, severely unbalanced.

He indeed was an amazing artist with flashes of real genius. It's just so sad that the genius was drowned by childhood abuse, unbalanced behavior and severe drug use.