Michael Jackson’s animals: fact or fiction?
RECENTOTHER SCENES
The animals shown in the biopic compared with those Michael Jackson actually owned.
Did Michael Jackson really own a rat?
In the film
The biopic gives significant attention to Bubbles’ arrival in Michael’s life. In one of the first scenes, an especially excited Michael introduces his new pet to his family at Hayvenhurst.
Bubbles is later seen in Michael’s bedroom, where the two play Twister together while the Off the Wall album can be seen in the room. The film also connects them through the song Rockin’ Robin and shows Michael sharing his fascination with Peter Pan and the world of Neverland with Bubbles. The chimpanzee also appears in Michael’s professional environment, including the recording studio.
Through these different scenes, Bubbles is portrayed as more than simply a pet. The film makes him part of Michael’s private world, associating him with play, childhood, and his imagination.
In reality
Michael Jackson did indeed own Bubbles. The chimpanzee was born in the early 1980s and became part of Michael’s life in the mid-1980s. He quickly became one of Michael’s best-known animals, accompanying him on trips, photo shoots, and some public appearances before eventually living at Neverland.
However, one detail in the biopic is worth noting. The film shows Bubbles in a sequence associated with Off the Wall, which was released in 1979, even though the chimpanzee did not enter Michael’s life until several years later. The biopic therefore appears to deliberately bring together events from different periods of his life.
This chronological compression allows the film to introduce an iconic part of Michael Jackson’s world earlier in the story, but it does not reflect the actual timeline.
What these scenes reveal about MJ
The film uses Bubbles to develop a theme already established in the story: the special place animals held in Michael’s life.
With Bubbles, Michael is shown as relaxed, playful, and spontaneous. The connection between the chimpanzee, Rockin’ Robin, Peter Pan, and Neverland also links their relationship to the worlds of childhood and imagination.
These scenes also create a contrast with Michael’s growing fame. As his daily life becomes increasingly dominated by professional commitments, fans, and family tensions, the film portrays his time with Bubbles as a much more private and playful space.
However, it is important to distinguish the portrait constructed by the biopic from the actual timeline: Bubbles was not yet part of Michael’s life during the Off the Wall era. Here, the film brings together elements from different periods to build its portrait of Michael more quickly.
Did Michael Jackson own a chimpanzee named Bubbles?
In the film
In 1971, at Hayvenhurst, a young Michael, played by Juliano Krue Valdi, is shown lying on his bed with a rat. The setting highlights how far he has come since Gary: Michael now has his own bedroom, the bunk bed is gone, and gold records and numerous toys reflect both the Jackson 5’s meteoric success and his young age.
The presence of the rat also introduces early in the story Michael’s special relationship with animals, a theme that reappears several times throughout the film.
A little later, the biopic gives this image greater meaning. During a conversation with Katherine in the kitchen, Michael talks about how difficult it is for other children to see him as an ordinary child. The animals are therefore presented as more than simply the eccentricity of a young star: the film also associates them with his need for companionship and his sense of isolation.
Finally, the presence of the rat inevitably echoes Ben, which Michael also performs in the film. But this raises a question: is the rat shown in this scene actually supposed to be Ben?
In reality
Michael Jackson did indeed develop a special affection for animals from a very young age. In his autobiography Moonwalk, he discusses the importance of animals in his life and his attachment to the story of Ben. His autobiography is particularly valuable in this respect, as it is the only autobiographical book published by Michael Jackson.
However, it is important to avoid a common misconception: Ben was not originally the name of Michael Jackson’s pet rat that inspired the song.
Ben is the animal character in the 1972 film of the same name. The film tells the story of the relationship between a young boy and a rat. Michael Jackson performed the film’s title song, which went on to become his first solo number-one single in the United States. Contemporary sources also identify Ben as the theme song from the film about the rat.
The presence of a rat alongside the young Michael in the biopic can therefore be interpreted in two ways. It reflects his genuine affection for these animals, but it may also serve as narrative foreshadowing for Ben, whose story and song would soon become part of his career.
However, there is no evidence that the rat shown at Hayvenhurst in this scene is literally meant to be “Ben.” Unless a production source, the screenplay, or dialogue from the film identifies it as such, it is more accurate to describe it as a pet rat and highlight the connection the film creates with Ben.
What this scene reveals about MJ
This scene is far from insignificant. It highlights a contrast that the biopic develops repeatedly: Michael is already a star, but he is still a child.
The gold records hanging in his bedroom reflect his extraordinary success, while the bed, toys, and rat immediately remind the viewer of his childhood.
The later conversation with Katherine reinforces this interpretation. The film gradually associates animals with a space in which Michael can experience a simpler kind of relationship, away from the way others now perceive him because of his fame.
The scene therefore suggests:
an early affection for animals;
a need for companionship during a childhood very different from that of other children;
a desire for relationships free from the pressures of fame;
the persistence of a childlike world despite the demands of success.
This theme becomes increasingly important as the story progresses: other animals would later enter Michael’s life, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable — and sometimes most caricatured — aspects of his public image.
Did Michael Jackson own a snake?
In the film
One of the most surprising animals in the biopic appears during an intimate scene between Michael Jackson and his sister La Toya.
Michael has recently undergone nose surgery and shows his sister the result of the procedure. As they talk, he strokes a snake that the film presents as a natural part of his surroundings.
The contrast is interesting: Michael appears vulnerable and concerned about his physical appearance, yet completely at ease with an animal that many people might find intimidating.
The film does not particularly emphasize the unusual nature of the snake. Instead, it is simply woven into the intimacy of the scene, almost like a familiar companion.
In reality
Michael Jackson did indeed own a large boa constrictor named Muscles.
His existence is particularly well documented. Michael himself mentions Muscles in his autobiography Moonwalk and explains that he also gave the snake’s name to Muscles, the song he wrote and produced for Diana Ross in 1982.
The snake was genuinely part of his everyday life. An interview with Michael published in 1983 describes Muscles with him, with the journalist even recounting his own encounter with the animal.
Muscles also spent time in recording studios. Quincy Jones recalled the snake crawling across the mixing console and even wrapping itself around his leg during recording sessions. Other people who worked with Michael also remember Muscles being present during the Thriller sessions and later during the recording of Bad.
He also appeared behind the scenes during the making of the Thriller short film: a contemporary account describes Michael arriving with his boa and placing it around the journalist’s neck.
However, none of these sources establishes that the conversation with La Toya shown in the biopic actually happened in this way. The scene appears to combine several real elements from Michael’s life — his nose surgery, his relationship with his sister, and his love of animals — into a sequence created for the film.
What this reveals about MJ
A surprisingly natural relationship with animals: the film shows Michael completely at ease with a large snake. This detail is consistent with several real-life accounts: Muscles sometimes accompanied Michael into recording studios. Quincy Jones himself recalled the snake being present during recording sessions.
A contrast with his vulnerability: placing the snake at the heart of a conversation about Michael’s physical appearance creates an interesting contrast. While he seems concerned about how others perceive his face, his relationship with the animal appears completely natural and spontaneous.
A public image that deserves some nuance: exotic animals contributed to the public image of Michael Jackson as “eccentric.” Yet the available sources show that Muscles was not simply a prop used to cultivate that image: Michael genuinely lived with him, brought him to the studio, and spoke openly about his fondness for snakes. In 1987, he even described snakes as “misunderstood” creatures.
Did Michael Jackson own a llama?
In the film
Of all the animals featured in the biopic, Louie is perhaps the one associated with one of the film’s most tender scenes.
In the first sequence, Michael appears to be having an intimate conversation. The music and staging initially suggest that he may be speaking to another person. The camera eventually reveals who he is talking to: Louie, his llama.
The scene is accompanied by I Can’t Help It [to be definitively confirmed through the credits or an official source], a song from Off the Wall, helping to place the moment within the period depicted in the film.
Later, Michael is shown calmly walking his llama while a couple looks on in surprise.
Both moments play on the same contrast: something that seems unusual to those watching appears completely natural to Michael. The film does not portray Louie as an attraction, but rather as an animal who is simply part of his everyday life.
In reality
The presence of llamas in Michael Jackson’s life is well documented. Photographs and footage taken at Hayvenhurst show Michael with these animals, which were part of the family menagerie developed on the Encino property.
Louie is also associated with a well-known anecdote about Michael’s recording sessions with Freddie Mercury in the early 1980s. Mercury was reportedly less than enthusiastic when Michael brought a llama into the studio. The story was notably recounted by Jim Beach, Queen’s manager, in the Freddie Mercury documentary The Great Pretender.
There is no evidence, however, that the conversations or the walk shown in the biopic happened exactly as depicted. The film therefore takes a real element — the presence of llamas in Michael’s life — and uses it to create its own scenes.
What this reveals about Michael Jackson
A natural relationship with animals
The film continues the portrait already established through Michael’s other animals. He is shown completely at ease with Louie and does not seem to regard his presence as anything unusual.
The walk reinforces this idea: the surprise comes from the people watching Michael, not from Michael himself.
A contrast between his world and how others see it
More than any of the other animals shown in the film, Louie allows the biopic to highlight the contrast between Michael’s world and the way others perceive it.
As he calmly walks his llama, Michael seems to find the situation perfectly natural, while the couple watching him reacts with surprise.
The scene therefore echoes a recurring theme in the biopic: the contrast between the way Michael experiences certain aspects of his life and the way they are perceived by those around him — and, later, by the public and the media.
Louie becomes less a symbol of Michael’s “eccentricity” than an illustration of this difference in perception: what seems unusual to others is simply part of his world.
Did Michael Jackson own a giraffe?
In the film
The giraffe appears behind Joe, and this placement is probably no coincidence.
In the film, Joe often represents discipline, rules, hard work, and a practical view of reality.
The giraffe, by contrast, introduces something unpredictable, whimsical, and unusual.
Without any dialogue, the film contrasts two different ways of seeing the world:
Joe’s, grounded in reality;
Michael’s, open to imagination and the unexpected.
In reality
The biopic features a giraffe on two occasions.
In one scene, the giraffe is seen eating leaves from a tree. In another, rather amusing moment, it appears outside the window in front of Joe Jackson after he has argued with Katherine. These scenes take place within the world of Neverland, which became the fullest expression of Michael’s imagination.
Unlike Bubbles, Muscles, or Louie, the giraffe is not portrayed as one of Michael Jackson’s companions. Instead, it appears as part of the setting — but a particularly meaningful one.
Its first appearance is peaceful: the giraffe calmly eats leaves from a tree. The scene does not draw particular attention to the animal, yet its mere presence is enough to remind us that Neverland is no ordinary place.
The second appearance is more unexpected. After an argument between Joe and Katherine Jackson, Joe is standing near a window when a giraffe’s head suddenly appears behind the glass. The contrast creates an almost comical moment. At the height of the family tension, the animal’s appearance serves as a reminder that, ultimately, this is Michael’s world.
In both scenes, the giraffe does very little. It simply observes. And yet its presence leaves a strong impression.
What this reveals about MJ
Michael did indeed own several giraffes, some of which died tragically after his death. However, they are most strongly associated with Neverland.
The film shows exotic animals as an integral part of Michael’s everyday surroundings.
The giraffe is not used to tell a specific anecdote from Michael Jackson’s life. Instead, it primarily serves to represent the world he created around himself.
The biopic is therefore less interested in telling the story of a particular animal than in illustrating Michael’s world: a place where the extraordinary was simply part of everyday life.
Sources
Books
JACKSON, Michael. Moonwalk. New York: Doubleday, 1988.
→ Primary source for Michael’s own recollections of his childhood and his relationship with animals.JACKSON, Katherine. My Family, The Jacksons. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1990.
→ Katherine Jackson’s account of family life and Michael’s animals during his younger years.
Articles
Billboard. “Michael Jackson – Chart History.”
→ Used to verify the chart performance of Ben: No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 and Michael’s first solo No. 1 in the United States.
Michael Jackson – Billboard Chart HistoryAmerican Film Institute – AFI Catalog. Ben (1972).
→ Information about the film Ben, for which Michael performed the title song.BIGELOW, Brendan. “Quincy Jones recalls not-so-happy memories of Bubbles the Chimp and Muscles the Boa.” Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2009.
→ Quincy Jones recalls Muscles, Michael’s boa constrictor, and his presence in the recording studio. The article also discusses Bubbles.
Read the Los Angeles Times articleCHITWOOD, William. “Michael Jackson: An Eccentric Superstar Makes Marketing a Tricky Proposition.” Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1987.
→ Contemporary source mentioning Bubbles, Louie and Muscles among the animals associated with Michael Jackson.
Read the Los Angeles Times articleCenter for Great Apes. “Bubbles.”
→ Institutional source documenting Bubbles’ history. The sanctuary states that he was born in 1983, helping establish the actual chronology in comparison with the timeline suggested by the biopic.
Bubbles – Center for Great ApesBiography.com. “Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury: The Surprising Reason They Never Released Their Duets,” 2020.
→ Discusses Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury’s recording sessions, including the story of Michael bringing a llama into the studio.
Read the Biography.com article
Videos and documentaries
THOMAS, Rhys (dir.). Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender. Eagle Rock Entertainment / BBC, 2012.
→ Queen manager Jim Beach recounts the story of the llama being present during Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury’s recording sessions.
Other sources
FUQUA, Antoine (dir.). Michael. Lionsgate, 2026.
→ Primary source for the scenes analyzed: the animals shown in the biopic and the way the film uses them to portray Michael’s private world.KARLSON, Phil (dir.). Ben. Bing Crosby Productions, 1972.
→ The film for which Michael Jackson performed the title song, telling the story of the relationship between a young boy and a rat named Ben.BLACK, Don (lyrics); SCHARF, Walter (music). “Ben,” 1972.
→ Song written for the film Ben and performed by Michael Jackson.
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