mjprince1976
Proud Member
Most of the lies I've heard have already been mentioned, but I remember hearing he left the Jehovah's Witnesses after being hassled over the "Thriller" video. Later on, I learned he actually remained with them another few years, leaving after they complained about him using a Tommy-gun in "Smooth Criminal".
Interesting you say that, he definitely copped flack for it and that is why he put the disclaimer at the start of Thriller. I thinkhe stayed a bit longer, but was a drifter with religion. Michael always had a strong belief in God and possibly kept JW doctorine in his life. He may have been non plussed when Larry Graham made Prince a convert to Jehovah Witnesses in 1998/99 and Prince got very heavily into it, with him marrying a fellow witness in 2001 and thanking Jehovah on his albums and of course his 2001 album the Rainbow children was all for Jehovah and his glories. Prince seemed sincere, but MJ may have seen it as Prince copying him. Like Michael did in the 70s and 80s, Prince went door to door preaching the gospel and even irritating a Jewish Prince fan who was in the middle of a Passover seder.
And there was the rumour in 2003 to 2008, that Michael had converted to Islam at the urging of Jermaine (A fellow Muslim) and the Nation of Islam who became MJ's security during the trial. Also as MJ was spending time with the Prince of Bahrain and he was encouraging Michael to live there and become a Muslim with the name Mikal. It was all probably untrue and doubtful if MJ ever stopped being a JW or at the very least a devout Christian man, who always thanked God in his albums and speeches.
Another less substantative rumour, was that Michael converted to Judaism in the late 1990s, as there were many Jews in his circle, Debbie Rowe was Jewsih along with Arnold Klein his surgeon and possible father of his kids. Also MJ spent a lot of time with Rabbi Schmuley Boteach and he wrote a tell all book about it, also Mark Schaeffer was his manager in the early 2000s and it is likely MJ never considered Judaism and these people disappeared quickly during the trial, even though Debbie defended him roundly.
Religion is a big debate, but what we do know was how spiritual Michael was.