The personal relationships of Michael Jackson have been the subject of public and media attention for several decades. He was introduced to the topic of sexual activity at the age of nine while a member of the Jackson 5. He and his brothers would perform at strip clubs where they shared the bill with female strippers, and the sexual adventures of his brothers with groupies further affected Jackson's early life. It was reported that his first girlfriend was actress Tatum O'Neal, when he was a teenager in the 1970s. However, she later stated that their relationship was strictly platonic. In recent years, singer and actress Stephanie Mills revealed herself to have been Jackson's first girlfriend, their relationship starting when they first met during the production of The Wiz. Jackson was then rumored to have entered a platonic relationship with actress and model Brooke Shields in 1984. Shields later stated that they both held an equal admiration for each other, but that he started to become more asexual and distant towards her.
Having first been introduced to Lisa Marie Presley by her father's backup singer, Myrna Smith, in 1974, Jackson reconnected with Lisa Marie in November 1992. Shortly after becoming involved with her, in 1993. Presley supported Jackson as he became dependent on pain medication and eventually helped convince him to enter drug rehabilitation. In a telephone call, he proposed marriage to Presley. She agreed, and the two wed on May 26, 1994, at a private ceremony in the Dominican Republic. Married life for the couple was difficult, and the union ended in divorce in August 1996. Presley and Jackson continued to date, on and off, for four more years after their divorce.
Throughout his marriage with Presley, Jackson maintained a friendship with Debbie Rowe. She was the assistant of his dermatologist, who had been treating his appearance-changing condition of vitiligo, and befriended Jackson around 1981, continuing while he was separated from but still married to Presley. Jackson tried to conceive his first child with Rowe, who suffered a miscarriage in March 1996. Following the ordeal and the finalization of his first divorce, Jackson wed the pregnant Rowe on November 15, 1996, in Sydney, Australia. During the marriage, two of Jackson's three children were born: son Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson, Jr. (born February 13, 1997) and daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born April 3, 1998). Jackson and Rowe divorced in April 2000, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson. His third and final child, son Prince Michael Jackson II, was born to an unnamed surrogate mother on February 21, 2002.
In July 2009, it was revealed Jackson's will named Diana Ross as the next-in-line guardian for his children, after his mother, Katherine. In September 2009, Rabbi and author Shmuley Boteach released a book titled The Michael Jackson tapes, based on taped conversations he had with Jackson in 2001. It included Jackson's thoughts on personal relationships in general and specific ones. His romantic feelings for two famous friends were widely cited in the media; when asked if he got jealous when his long-time friend Elizabeth Taylor dated other men, he replied, "Yes and no. I know that if we ever did anything romantically, the press would be so mean and nasty and call us the Odd Couple. It would turn into a circus and that's the pain of it all." It is speculated that Jackson might have dated nine women throughout his career, apart from Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, including former model Tatiana Thumbtzen and Taylor, per various media outlets. In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing the child of a family friend. The lawsuit was settled out of civil court; Jackson was not indicted. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further child sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.
Early sexual and emotional experiences Strip clubs
From a young age, Jackson was exposed to sex. He received mixed messages on the subject from his parents. His mother Katherine was a devout Jehovah's Witness and conveyed her thoughts clearly; lust in thought or deed was sinful outside of marriage, and physical intimacy should be saved for marriage. In contrast to his wife, father Joe, a steel mill worker, shunned the religion and would have the Jackson 5 perform at strip clubs and seedy bars in the earliest days of their career. He allowed the then 9-year-old Michael to watch from the wings of the stage as male audience members whistled at women who stripped until nude.
While playing at Chicago's Peppermint Lounge, the brothers made use of a peephole in their dressing room, through which they had a clear view of the women's bathroom. They would take turns watching the women and, as Marlon recalled, "learned everything there was to know about ladies". During other residencies, the siblings would perform the Joe Tex song "Skinny Legs and All". Joseph would instruct a young Michael to make his way into the audience, crawl under tables, lift up ladies' skirts and peek at their panties as part of the performance. Though embarrassed by the task, Jackson feigned enjoyment as he knew the audience loved the routine.
Following such performances, the Jackson brothers would be tucked in bed by their oblivious mother and reminded of the virtues of being a good Jehovah's Witness. Katherine remained unaware of her sons' strip club activities for many years. Journalist J. Randy Taraborrelli reflected on Jackson's early life and noted that, at such a young age, he may not have been psychologically equipped to fully understand any sexual stimulation he may have received from such voyeuristic events. The writer further commented that Jackson's views on sex must have been conflicted between those of his strict mother and his libertine father.
Groupies and prostitutes As members of the increasingly successful Jackson 5, Michael's brothers Jermaine and Jackie found fame advantageous. As they toured the country, they had sex with many female fans. Their guide was their father Joseph, who would often organize and arrange sexual encounters for his sons as well as cheat on his wife, Katherine, with their sons' groupies. The two brothers would bring girls back to a hotel room, where younger siblings Michael and Marlon were instructed to "play sleep". One girl, who had sexual relations with Jermaine, recalled such an experience:
"I jumped into bed with him and he climbed on top of me. As he climaxed, he shuddered so loudly I was afraid he would wake up Michael and Marlon, who were sleeping three feet away in the next bed. Or at least I thought they were sleeping. As I was slipping out of the room, I heard Michael say to Jermaine, 'Nice job. Now, can we please get some sleep?'"
While Marlon would correspond with and eventually marry his wife, Carol, at 18, Michael never had sex with groupies, finding his brothers' sometimes-misogynistic behavior toward women disgusting. In addition to not touching groupies, Jackson reportedly never had an interest in having any type of sex as a youngster. In one alleged incident, when he was 15, a male family member arranged for two prostitutes to take his virginity. They were told to "work him over", before being locked in a room with him. Instead, Michael picked up a Bible and read bible verses to the girls, who left in tears. James McField, who worked with the Jackson 5, stated that the lead singer of the band often needed someone to talk with. It was at these times that women would be introduced to him for companionship. McField asserted that he never witnessed anything sexual, and that such females were not Jackson's type; "He liked nice girls, pure girls who appeared to have no street background."
Jackson occasionally admonished and advised the groupies and prostitutes sent to pleasure his siblings. One Jackson fan recalled being selected from the audience to meet with Jackie. Backstage, she was handed a scrap of paper with an address to the location in which they were to meet. Michael approached her from behind and warned her that his brothers did not treat women right and that his brother only wanted to use her for sex. Changing the subject, the female fan asked for the pop star's autograph, which request he obliged in addition to writing, "Please, don't go". The woman ignored Michael's request and headed to the Jacksons' apartment complex, where she had sex with Jackie. Afterward, Jackie informed the woman that they would not meet again. Ashamed and upset, the fan left the apartment in tears.
On another occasion, a prostitute was brought to Jackson's room after a concert in Madison Square Garden. There, the pop star interrogated the prostitute, asking why she was a prostitute, whether she wanted to have sex with him, and how much it would cost. The woman responded that she was a prostitute for the money, but that she would have sex with him for free because she wanted him. The prostitute then proceeded to unbutton her blouse, exposing her breasts. Apparently repulsed, Jackson turned his head and begged her to "put them back". The singer suggested that they talk instead but he would still pay her, which she declined. Instead, she gave Jackson her telephone number, urging him to call her when he wanted to "get off". Jackson acknowledged the prostitute as she left, stating that he would call her one day, though he never did.
First relationships
Tatum O'Neal One of Jackson's first documented relationships was with the child actress Tatum O'Neal in the 1970s. Their friendship was established by the time O'Neal was 12 and Jackson was 17, and featured in gossip columns for several years after. Jackson in 1977 said "Well, I guess I am dating her in a way, I've taken her out a couple of times – or she's taken me out – whatever. I met her sometime back, when Paul McCartney gave a party on the Queen Mary boat. She was there and we talked a bit. Two years went by before I saw her again, which was at a club on Sunset Blvd called the Roxy. We talked and talked and talked. The next day she invited me to join her at Hugh Hefner's house to watch Roots on videotape. She got sort of bored, so we went outside and got into the jacuzzi. We weren't naked as people have said. We both had on bathing suits, just enjoying ourselves. And that's it." Although in 1982 he says that he and O'Neal had been engaged in a serious relationship, but because both were busy, it had "cooled off" to the point of their remaining just friends.
In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson (2003), Jackson alleged that near the beginning of their relationship, the 12-year-old actress tried to seduce the then 17-year-old singer. According to Jackson, the incident happened at her home, where she attempted to unbutton his shirt and talked explicitly about sex. O'Neal's behavior apparently proved too much for Jackson, who became scared and covered his face, before she walked away. When confronted with the allegation, O'Neal claimed to have been "just as shocked as everyone else". She stated that while having respect for Jackson as an artist and a person, he had "a very vivid imagination". The actress described his statements as "inaccurate"; "at 12-years-old, there was no way she was capable of being as mature or as sophisticated as he claimed". O'Neal released her autobiography A Paper Life in 2004, a year after the Jackson documentary. In the book, she claimed it was Jackson who attempted to make out with her. The actress wrote, "I was just 12 and not at all ready for a real-life encounter[...] Michael, who was sweating profusely, seemed as intimidated as I was. He jumped up nervously and said, 'Uh ... gotta go.'"