Bubbles, the chimpanzee that was Michael Jackson’s pet at one point, was physically abused while in the singer’s care, according to an expert.
Jane Goodall, a British primatologist, told TMZ that she even confronted Jackson regarding the abuse, and that it “ticked him off.”
Although she did not elaborate on the circumstances leading up to the alleged beatings, she is not the first person accusing Jackson of hurting the chimpanzee.
Jack Gordon, LaToya Jackson’s former husband, told TMZ that he once saw the king of pop punching the monkey.
"I saw Michael punch Bubbles, kick him in the stomach. Michael used to say, 'He doesn't feel it. He's a chimpanzee. I have to discipline him," Gordon told TMZ.
People close to Jackson have denied these claims saying that the chimpanzee was treated like a king. Reportedly, he slept in a crib in Jackson’s room and had constant access to the unlimited treats kept for him.
At Neverland Ranch, Bubbles was fed in the dining room and even had access to Jackson’s private toilet.
There are conflicting reports on how Jackson came to be in possession of Bubbles in the early 1980s, when the chimpanzee was just eight months old.
Reportedly, Bubbles even accompanied Jackson to Japan during his Bad World Tour and had the opportunity to drink tea with the mayor of Osaka.
Jackson’s attachment to Bubbles led to media mockery and garnered him the nickname "Wacko Jacko," as the pair often dressed in similar outfits.
Bubbles is now 30 years old and lives in an animal sanctuary in Florida. After giving up the chimpanzee, Jackson had plans to visit Bubbles in the sanctuary, but he never made it.
Besides Bubbles, Jackson is believed to have kept several other chimpanzees as pets. During his People v. Jackson trial in 2005, Jackson told jurors that several of them help him clean the house.
“They run around and help me clean the room. They help me dust and clean the windows,” he said, according to Mirror.
