When Michael Jackson Met His Celebrity Crush

 

Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, it’s nice to have you both here tonight. How you doing, Diana?  Fine, thank you.  Michael, this is your escort tonight, huh?  I can’t hear you.  Is he your escort tonight?  Absolutely, HE’S MY DATE, LOOK.    MICHAEL Jackson had millions of fans, but this story starts with the person he admired first.

 Before the world treated him like an icon, he was still a young boy looking up to someone who felt larger than life to him. But what makes it interesting is that his celebrity crush did not stay a childhood dream. Years later, she became part of his real life.  I knew that you were going to be a giant star, I really did.  Oh, thank you.

 Yeah.  But I didn’t know, what I didn’t know is that you were going to get SO S-    YOU’RE EMBARRASSING ME, DIANA.    WELL, I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WOULD. WHAT?  Be sexy.  Who?  Don’t you Do you GUYS THINK SHE’S      THAT PERSON WAS DIANA ROSS.

 MICHAEL admired her from a young age, but their connection became much more than a simple crush. Diana helped introduce the Jackson 5, took a special interest in Michael, and saw his star power before the world fully understood it. She was not just someone he watched from far away.

 She became one of the first major stars to believe in him, guide him, and stay connected to him as he grew.  You have such a long relationship with with Michael Jackson back when he was a young recording star. There were rumors that he changed his looks to look like you. How would you describe Michael Jackson-Diana Ross? What is that?  Uh well, you see, um we actually love each other.

 It’s it’s he’s like one of my children. When he started his career, I introduced them on their very first television show, which was the Ed Sullivan Show, and then I had a tell my own television special at that time, and I introduced them the Jackson 5 on the television special, and we kind of I took a special interest in him, and we were very close.

 When the boys came from Indiana, they stayed with me in my house in California, and uh I was like their housemother or something, and I kind of took care of them until their parents came. So, we just built a relationship in the early days, and um then he went on to uh have his own career, which he’s very, very talented.

 So, it’s just that we don’t see each other half as much as I would like to see him. I did see him uh maybe a couple months ago and introduced him to my sons, my boys, and my little one, Evan, uh loves music and wants to look like Michael Jackson.  Do you think he wants to look like you? Do you Do you Do you buy that? Do you think he wants to  I don’t buy that at all.

 Diana’s role in Michael’s life became even deeper because their connection was personal. Michael and his brothers were not only meeting her at public events, they were around her, learning from her, and spending time with her like family. That kind of closeness explains why Michael’s admiration for Diana stayed with him for so long.

 Uh the boys were came to Detroit for a showcase for Berry Gordy, and I remember them wearing these little green outfits and these hats, and they did a show in Berry’s house in Detroit called the pool house, and we knew then that it was going to be something special. And uh I got an opportunity to introduce them on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the rest is just history.

 And we did a television special and so on, and I played with Michael, and they came to live with me in California for um it seemed like uh just a few months, but I don’t know how long it was there when the parents were moving from Indiana uh to California. And I got to know them very well, and I tried to train them.

 I tried to tell them tried to teach them how to make their beds and how to wash the dishes and picking up the dishes from the table. So, I was sort of like a parent, and I feel like that since uh the beginning of their careers. I feel very much as if they are my children. Even though I don’t see them as often, Michael and I bonded very early.

 And Michael!  Diana later spoke about their connection as if it were something personal, not just a Motown memory. She did not describe Michael as a random young artist she once helped. She spoke with warmth, like someone who had watched him grow and cared about what he became. That is what makes their history different.

 Michael’s crush may have started young, but their bond kept growing with time.  This is the way our relationship has always been. It’s feel It’s real. It’s on the moment. I don’t see them all the time.  As Michael grew older, their closeness also became visible to the public. He was no longer just the young boy who admired Diana.

 He was now standing beside her as a co-star and friend. The way they walked together felt natural, like two people who already had real comfort with each other. Diana looked proud to stand with him, and Michael looked like someone living a dream that had become real.  Michael! Michael! Diana! One quick minute. Tonight is a night for film.

 What are your plans in film coming up?  We’re going to do something soon. He’s going to play my son.    How do you feel about that?  It’s great.  Then came the moment where Diana introduced Michael and called him my baby. That line did not feel like a normal award show introduction. It sounded personal because Diana had known him through different stages of his life.

 Michael’s hug made the moment even stronger. It felt like years of love, history, [music] and admiration coming out in one simple reaction.  I got an opportunity to work with some talented, extraordinary people. And I want you to know that at this point in time in my life, I would like to use my life as a tunnel. A tunnel, a place for others with talent to go, to move through me.

And I got an opportunity 10 years ago to introduce to you a talent, my baby. We did a movie together and since then, I mean, HE’S JUST HAD BLOCKBUSTER success with his album Off the Wall. Ladies and gentlemen, my baby, Michael Jackson.    Diana’s introduction also shows that Michael was not just another famous name to her.

 She had known him through different stages of his life, from a young talent to a global icon. The way she speaks about him carries real pride. It feels personal, not scripted. Michael may have admired her first, but Diana clearly had deep love and respect for him, too.  I know you know that Michael and I are like family.

 We’ve shared many magic moments together, the early days and television specials, recording, and doing the movie The Wiz. Well, you know, Michael’s all he’s an exceptional human being, talented beyond his years, a dream in motion.  And Michael gave that love back when he spoke about Diana, calling her one of his favorite people did not sound like a regular thank you line. It felt honest.

By then, Diana was not just the woman he admired as a child. She was someone he trusted, respected, [music] and carried with him through his life.  One of my favorite people in the whole entire world, Miss Diana Ross.    She’s been such a special friend to me and has taught me so many incredible, important things.

 And uh I’m just so honored that she came here.  fights?  Their bond also lasted beyond public appearances. Diana said distance did not change how close they were. Even when time passed, she still cared about him and wanted to know if he was okay. That shows this was deeper than a normal celebrity friendship.

 Michael admired her as a child, but later Diana became someone who worried about him, protected him, and loved him in a very real way.  Somehow, no matter where we are, there’s this uh relationship. It’s a friend. When we see each other, it’s just like we saw each other yesterday. Uh so, I haven’t seen Michael recently.

 I really always want to be in touch with him. I feel like I always want to know if he’s okay.  [snorts]  Because I think he’s delicate, and I feel like he’s somebody that I care about. And if anybody has anything bad to say about him, don’t say it to me. Cuz I don’t want to hear it. Because he’s someone I love and I care about a lot.

 That loyalty became clear when Diana defended Michael in public. She was not just remembering old times or praising his talent. She was standing up for someone she truly knew. When people judged him, Diana spoke about him with love and protection. For Michael, who had admired her since he was young, that kind of loyalty must have meant a lot.

 Michael and I had a close relationship because we just became really very, very close.  It’s been said that Michael Jackson underwent plastic surgery to make himself look more like you.  I don’t think so.  Is that true?  No, I Well, I don’t think he has. No one’s ever told me He’s never told me that. I don’t think so.

 But is it unnerving for you to have a young man that’s undergone plastic surgery to make himself look like you?  Well, I don’t think he’s trying to look like me. I really don’t. I think he wants to look like what he perceives as makes him feel happy about himself, you know? I don’t think he’s trying to look like me.

 I do think he’s quite beautiful though, by the way.  And when someone tried to make fun of Michael, Diana did not stay quiet. She stepped [music] in and reminded people that he was someone she loved. She understood there was more to him than jokes, rumors, and headlines. That is what makes their story so special. What began as a young boy’s crush grew into a lifelong bond built on admiration, care, loyalty, and history.

 could be part of my family.  Yes.  Uh we have a lot of the same bone structure and a lot of uh skin color and  Well, Michael does now because he’s had it all done. I would take that as a compliment.  I refuse you to insult Michael. He’s a friend of mine. I love I get real serious when I talk about Michael.

 And I think we should uh really kind of look at his life with compassion. He makes incredibly good I want to say the bad word good music.  If you enjoyed the video, make sure to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments.