Elton John Reveals Michael Jackson Was A “disturbing person to be around”

Elton John wrote candidly about Michael Jackson in his 2019 autobiography Me, seeing him as a very tormented man in his last years. Looking back on their decades-long friendship, Elton wasn’t afraid to voice his worries about Jackson’s conduct and mental health.

From Adorable Kid to Troubled Star

Elton recalled meeting Michael when the King of Pop was just a young teenager. “I’d known Michael since he was 13 or 14,” he wrote. “He was just the most adorable kid you could imagine.” However, as years passed, Elton noticed a dramatic change in Jackson. Comparing him to another music legend, he added, “At some point in the intervening years, he started sequestering himself away from the world and away from reality, the way Elvis Presley did.”

A Mind Clouded by Addiction

Elton attributed much of Jackson’s transformation to his battle with drug addiction. He speculated about the toll it had taken, both mentally and emotionally. “God knows what was going on in his head, and God knows what prescription drugs he was being pumped full of, but every time I saw him in his later years I came away thinking that the poor guy had totally lost his marbles,” Elton wrote.

He made it clear his observations were serious, not flippant. “I don’t mean that in the lighthearted way. He was genuinely mentally ill, a disturbing person to be around,” he explained.

A Struggle to Connect

While Elton didn’t address the allegations of abuse that shadowed Jackson’s career, he did touch on his unusual social preferences. He noted Jackson’s discomfort around adults, saying, “For whatever reason, he couldn’t seem to cope with adult company at all.”

Elton’s thoughts offer a unique and intimate look into the life of one of pop music’s most mysterious characters, bringing to light both his early allure and his subsequent hardships.