Michael Jackson allegedly stole makeup
RadarOnline.com can reveal that Michael Jackson’s estate is once again being dogged by accusations of his bad behavior – with a new documentary claiming the late pop star secretly stole cosmetics during a period of financial strain.
The revelations come in Michael Jackson: an American tragedya three-part series broadcast on BBC Two, exploring Jackson’s life following his 2005 acquittal on child abuse charges.
The series focuses on the years after the trial, when Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, struggled with mounting debts and a changing public image.
The charges stem from a June 2006 incident at a clinic in Ireland where Jackson had sought aesthetic treatments.
Dr. Patrick Treacy, the clinic’s aesthetic doctor, said: “(Jackson) didn’t really have any money, I mean, his credit cards bounced around a lot.”
He added: “I remember one time he was in our big glass showroom and he started putting a lot of cosmetics in his pocket. Some of the things were worth between $100 and $500, and he had a big coat on, and when I met him he had like 20 to 30 of these products in his pockets.”
Treacy added that Jackson “just laughed” when confronted, describing the moment as surreal given the singer’s global fame.
He also said that Jackson had “trusted” the clinic with his “aesthetic treatments”, providing a glimpse into the singer’s preoccupation with his appearance during this period.
Discussing those treatments, Treacy said, “The bottom of his ankles started turning black again, and he wanted us to increase the bleaching cream to a stronger percentage.”
The comments underscore the physical and psychological pressures Jackson faced as he tried to maintain his image while navigating declining finances.
Sources familiar with the documentary say the alleged incident reflects a broader pattern of instability.
An insider said: “This paints a picture of someone who, despite his enormous fame, was dealing with very real financial and personal problems behind the scenes.”
Another added: “The idea of Michael Jackson shoplifting – even something as small as cosmetics – shows how far things have shifted from his peak.”
Jackson’s financial troubles during this period have been extensively documented, with reports of mounting debts related to his Neverland Ranch and declining revenues after years of legal battles and reputational damage.
The documentary also revisits the controversies that defined Jackson’s later years, including the 2005 trial that resulted in his acquittal but left lasting scars on his career.
Jackson’s sister, La Toya Jackson, appears in the series and offers a personal perspective on her brother’s life.
She says: “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 it – I don’t want to say the truth – but (to see) from a family member’s perspective.”
The series draws on interviews with other family members, former managers and collaborators to chart Jackson’s rise from child star to global icon, and subsequent decline that compounded his personal and financial challenges.
One source said: “It’s a deeply uncomfortable portrayal because it dispels the myth and shows a much more vulnerable figure. Moments like the alleged shoplifting incident are shocking, but they also humanise someone who had become almost untouchable in the imagination of his fans.”
