He was Michael Jackson’s closest friend, the child star who understood fame better than anyone, the one person who could have destroyed Michael’s legacy with a single word. When Macaulay Culkin watched Jaafar Jackson become his late friend on screen, the world held its breath. Would he finally speak the truth? What he said shocked everyone.
Here come Macaulay Culkin. You ready? Come on, daddy. See, Mike takes big buckets of water and throw them on me. Really high-tech. They got some really GREAT ONES NOW. MACAULAY CULKIN WAS THE perfect person to play Michael Jackson’s friend. He understood what it meant to be famous before you could tie your shoes.
At age 10, he was the biggest child star on the planet, and Michael Jackson reached out to him. “He reached out to me because a lot of things were happening big and fast with me, and I think he identified with that,” Culkin later said. Put down. Okay, I’m done. And then you go. And then you go. Put down. Put down for um for being so nice to us during the whole thing, we give you this.
Their friendship wasn’t weird. It made perfect sense. Two peerless people who only each other understood what it felt like to have the world watching your every move. But when the biopic came out, everyone wanted to know, did Culkin see something in Jaafar’s performance that reminded him of the real hit theaters? And Jaafar Jackson delivered something critics called Oscar-worthy.
But one person’s opinion mattered more than all the reviewers combined, Macaulay Culkin, the man who knew Michael best as a friend. Macaulay Culkin, he made sure he schemed on he told me to go up on the diving board and I went up there LIKE A NUT. CULKIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN fiercely loyal to Jackson. When the singer stood trial in 2005 on child molestation charges, Culkin testified on his behalf.
He swore under oath that Jackson never touched him, never did anything inappropriate. “I never saw him do anything and especially at this flash point in time, I have no reason to hold anything back.” Culkin told Esquire. “The guy has passed on. If I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it.” So, when the film showed Jafar becoming his uncle on screen, did Culkin feel the same loyalty or did he finally see the truth? That’s what all these things are people that’s such a so weird, you know.
Nothing happened, you know? I mean, nothing really. I mean, we played video games, you know? We we we don’t play this at some amusement park. Well, the thing is the thing is with that whole thing is that you know, they’re all you slept in the same bedroom as him. It’s like I don’t think you understand.
Michael Jackson’s bedroom is two stories. Here’s the twist. The biopic didn’t just show Michael’s life. It erased the allegations that defined the last decade of his life. Critics called the film a whitewash that refuses to address the elephant in the room. And Macaulay Culkin? He’s the one who could have validated everything.
He’s the godfather of Jackson’s children, the man who spent countless nights at Neverland Ranch, the person who could either confirm or deny everything the world has wondered about for decades. But, here’s what’s fascinating. Culkin has never changed his story. Not once. For over 30 years he said the same thing. On three, wait I can’t Wait, wait, don’t cheat.
Ready? No, no, but your hands got to be inside the pocket, man. Woah, no. Woah, no. I’m going to beat you. Ready? ready? Wait, no. No, I’m not ready. Ready? No, I’m crazy for doing this. Okay, no, you got to stretch it. Mac, you got to Woah. Woah. I’m doing I’m not doing the Superman. Ready? Let’s try. Go.
You cheater. Woah. Woah. You cheat, so what? When asked about the biopic, Culkin had very specific thoughts. He described watching Ja’far’s performance and feeling something unexpected. It was uncanny, sources close to him reportedly said. He had to look away at certain moments. But, what did he say? It comes down to a single powerful statement.
Michael Jackson was his friend. Period. It’s one of my friendships that people question, only because of the fact that he was the most famous person in the world, Culkin said on the Inside of You podcast. For me, it’s so normal and mundane. I know [snorts] it’s a big deal to everybody else, but it was a normal friendship.
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And that might be the most important thing he’s ever said. This place is filled with love, and peace, music, and magic. I knew you. So, what did Macaulay Culkin really think when he watched Ja’far’s performance? He defended Michael Jackson. Again. Just like he did in 2005, just like he’s done for three decades.
When everyone else abandoned Michael, Culkin stayed. When the world called Jackson a monster, Culkin called him a friend. Macaulay Culkin You ready? Come on, Daddy. Culkin See, Mike takes big buckets of water and throw them on. “He was very childlike. He liked doing the things we kids did.” Culkin testified in 2005. “He played with us.
Having Jackson identify with him as a child star was comforting.” He described Jackson as funny, hilarious, sweet, gentle, and generous. And when asked why their friendship worked, Culkin gave the most honest answer possible. “I talked to him like he was a normal human being.” In a world that wanted to make Michael Jackson a villain, Macaulay Culkin insisted he was just a person.
Macaulay Culkin watched Jaafar’s performance as Michael Jackson, and what he said was simple. “Michael Jackson was his friend.” Jackson and Michael choreographer had the excellent idea of having Michael do some of the ethnic dancing and then interpret it his own way. I like it best when Michael does what they do because people aren’t used to seeing Mike For over 30 years, one person has never wavered in his defense of the King of Pop. Not when it was unpopular.
Not when it cost him. Not when the world called him crazy for believing. “At the end of the day, we were friends,” Culkin said. “It made sense.” The biopic made almost 900 million dollars. Critics called it a whitewash. But Macaulay Culkin? He saw Jaafar’s performance and saw his friend.
And that’s all that matters to him. John and John job. John Because what JOHN AND YES. MICHAEL JACKSON’S STORY IS full of people who turned their backs, but not Macaulay Culkin. If you want to know what really happened between them, the truth nobody else will tell you, hit that subscribe button because I’m just getting started.
