Michael Jackson's Son Prince Addresses Father's 'Insecurity' About His 'Physical Appearance'
Michael Jackson's son Prince is looking back on his father's skin condition and opening up about the "insecurity" it caused the "Thriller" singer.
Besides being a legendary performer, Michael was also famous for the changes to his physical appearance that occurred throughout his career as a result of vitiligo. It's a skin condition caused by an autoimmune disorder that results in a loss of pigmentation, leading skin to become a milky white color, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Prince spoke out about the mental effects the disorder had on his dad on a recent episode of the podcast Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson, telling the wrestler that Michael frequently discussed the differences in appearance with him—though they still aren't sure if he had vitiligo on its own or if lupus had contributed to it.
Because Michael, who would be 65 today, was so open with his son, Prince was immediately able to counter when Tyson recalled how people used to think the King of Pop "was changing his skin because he wanted to be white," revealing how difficult it really was for him to see his skin become more "blotchy" in the mirror.
"He had a lot of insecurity around, kind of looking blotchy in his appearance,” Prince said. To try to alleviate some of the anxiety, Michael would use makeup to try to "smooth out his appearance,” which led to criticism from some, but Tyson confirmed, "He was changing it because he wanted to glow. He wanted to be a light, he wanted to shine.”
In a 1993 interview with Oprah, Michael also opened up about the accusations, noting, "When people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. It’s a problem for me. I can’t control it."
