Bubbles the chimpanzee seemingly lived a life of luxury as the ‘best friend’ of Michael Jackson.
The lovable pet ape travelled with the King of Pop during the Bad world tour and even drank tea with the mayor of Osaka in Japan.
But it was certainly not an appropriate life for a chimp – as reports emerged of what happened when the cameras weren’t on the pair.
After buying Bubbles from an animal trainer for $65,000 in the 1980s, Michael and Bubbles became almost inseparable.
The chimp initially stayed in the Jackson family home in LA before being moved to live side-by-side with his famous owner at the infamous Neverland ranch.
Bubbles slept in a crib in Jackson’s room, ate sweets in the cinema and reportedly even threw his own poo around the mansion.
Michael Jackson took Bubbles the chimp on tour with him
Jackson treated the famous pet as if it were his child, dressed him in baby clothes and slept with him every night.
They even had their own “chimp language” which Michael would use so no-one else would know what they were talking about.
“Bubbles became a human. He had his own nanny. He ate at the family table with a knife and fork,” explained sister La Toya in a 2010 Channel 4 documentary.
“When it was bed time he would say: ‘Go put on your pyjamas and get into bed.’
“Bubbles would jump into bed, pull the covers over him and then go to sleep.”
Bubbles during the 1994 MTV Movie Awards at Sony Studios in Culver City (Image: FilmMagic)
La Toya revealed that Michael even tried to put Bubbles under the knife to give him vocal cords so he could speak to other humans.
“Michael always wanted to know how he could make him talk,” she added.
“He asked top doctors if he could give Bubbles an operation.”
However, behind the happy depiction of Bubbles’ life with Jackson there was a worrying reality.
The world’s top primatologist, Jane Goodall, said she believed Bubbles had been punched in the face and kicked in the stomach whilst living with Jackson.
He lived with Jacko at his Neverland ranch
Furthermore, she claimed that when she tried to talk to the star about it, he flew off the handle.
Speaking in 2014, the expert told TMZ : “I went to see him and we talked about Bubbles. I ticked him off.
“Bubbles is still alive and he’s beautiful. But when he was with Michael he was being beaten.”
While she didn’t name Michael as Bubbles’ alleged abuser, Goodall said Jack Gordon, the ex-husband of the star’s sister La Toya, once claimed he saw Michael attack the defenceless creature.
He said: “I saw Michael punch Bubbles in the face, kick him in the stomach.”
The Jackson family has denied the claims that Michael was abusive towards Bubbles.
Michael had a lot of love for Bubbles (Image: NC)
Bubble was said to have become more aggressive as he grew older and reached 12st.
There were grave concerns that Bubbles would attack Jackson’s newborn son, Prince Michael II, so he was relocated to a Californian trainer in 2003.
“Bubbles is an adult chimp and a wild animal,” ranch owner Bob Dunn stated at the time to CNN.
“We don’t let him out to play.”
This didn’t stop Jackson buying two more baby chimps, Max and Action, who most of the public believed were actually still Bubbles.
Bubbles and Michael were always together (Image: Tom Rodriguez)
Shortly after the move, Bubbles reportedly tried to kill himself after his master was charged with child-molestation.
And according to The Times of India, after the King of Pop was charged, “his favourite pet, a chimpanzee named Bubbles tried to commit suicide.”
Bubbles, who is now in his late 30s, was thankfully saved by medics that December and no further details about the incident have been made available.
When the trainer closed down in 2004, Bubbles was moved to the Centre for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida.
Bubbles has a far more chilled daily routine, including painting and listening to flute music.
Bubbles looks very different now
Surrounded by a gaggle of females, the world famous chimp spends most of his days chewing on leaves.
His appearance has changed drastically since his time living with Jackson – with his facial features becoming flatter and his size increasing greatly.
Keepers at the centre said the 160-pound brute was “huge and ugly” but has a very “sweet character”.
It was also claimed the chimp self-harmed after learning of Jackson’s death from a prescription drug-induced overdose in 2009.
However, the Centre For Great Apes founder, Patti Ragan, denied the claims, insisting Bubbles has never been told about Michael’s death and wouldn’t understand anyway.
La Toya Jackson broke down in tears as she came face to face with Bubbles the chimp for the first time in 20 years (Image: Splash)
“Bubbles definitely missed [Jackson] when they parted and will miss him now,” animal trainer Dunn told the News of the World.
“Chimpanzees are intelligent. They remember people and stuff. Bubbles and Michael were close friends and playmates.
“The last time Michael visited, Bubbles definitely recognised and remembered him.”
Staff at the animal sanctuary where he now lives won’t even show Bubbles photos of Jacko in case it upsets him – and there are no reminders of his old life in Neverland.
Centre co-founder Patti Ragan said staff never show him photos of Jackson in case they make him “angry or depressed.”
Bubbles grew to a massive size
Bubbles also has a strong hatred for anyone holding a camera, to the extent that he will often spit at them or hurl a handful of sand, due to facing them in stressful situations.
Bosses at the refuge have warned people not approach him with cameras or risk suffering the “apes of wrath” from the hulking 13st, 4ft alpha male.
The sanctuary said: “Bubbles does not like cameras. Even when his caregivers try to take a photo, he will turn his back if he sees a camera.
“He occasionally will spit water at people when annoyed about cameras and is able to throw sand with amazing accuracy.”
But sanctuary bosses were quick to stress how calm the chimp is now – when cameras are not around.
They said: “Balancing out those defensive moments is Bubbles’ soft and sweet side. He treats all the young chimpanzees at the Center, especially Stryker, with amazing gentleness and affection.
“When Stryker was a baby, we often saw him riding around on a happy Bubbles’ back.”
La Toya Jackson broke down in tears as she came face to face with Bubbles the chimp for the first time in 20 years during a visit in 2010.
In August 2019, a spokesman for the Jackson family said: “We’re happy to hear Bubbles is doing well. Michael absolutely loved him and would never, ever have mistreated him.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
