Michael Jackson's legacy is once again under scrutiny, with a new BBC documentary alleging the late pop star secretly shoplifted cosmetics during a period of financial difficulty.
As per RadarOnline, the three-part series, "Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy," examines Jackson's life following his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges and highlights the mounting debts and public pressures he faced before his death in 2009 at age 50.
Dr. Patrick Treacy, a resident aesthetics doctor at an Irish clinic Jackson visited in June 2006, said the singer often struggled financially. He recalled, "(Jackson) didn't really have any money, I mean, his credit cards bounced on many occasions."
Treacy added details of the alleged shoplifting incident. "I remember one time he was in our big glass showroom and he started pocketing quite a lot of the cosmetics. Some of the things were worth between $100 and $500, and he had a big coat on, and when I ran into him, he had as many as 20 to 30 of these products in his pockets," as reported by Irish Independent.
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He described the encounter as surreal, given Jackson's global fame. "He just laughed," Treacy said. He also noted Jackson's concern with his appearance, saying, "The bottom of his ankles were beginning to turn black again, and he wanted us to increase the bleaching cream to a stronger percentage."
A source familiar with the documentary suggested the alleged incident reflects broader instability in Jackson's later life. One insider said, "This paints a picture of someone who, despite immense fame, was dealing with very real financial and personal struggles behind the scenes."
Another added, "The idea of Michael Jackson shoplifting – even something as small as cosmetics – speaks to how far things had shifted from his peak."
Jackson's sister, La Toya Jackson, appears in the series to provide a family perspective. She said, "People don't know my brother, they never did. They thought they did, and I think it's important for the public, the world, to see – I don't want to say the truth – but (to see) from a family member's perspective."
The documentary also revisits Michael Jackson's legal battles and their lasting effects on his career and finances, charting the challenges he faced while maintaining his public image.
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