Hyperbaric Chamber & Elephant Man Bones

ScreenOrigami

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In this thread, let’s try to find evidence whether or not MJ (or his camp) has really planted those stories in the media, as often claimed.

Please post actual evidence, no matter which side you are on. No claim or quote without source.

I wasn’t able to find any credible source to support those claims so far. Quite the contrary, actually.

On Geraldo’s show in 1993, shortly after the Oprah special, a representative from the National Enquirer (who first ran the story) claimed that MJ’s camp had “leaked” the hyperbaric chamber photo to the media, and that it came with the explicit instruction to call it “bizarre”. So far, so good. But then the story goes into overdrive:

He claims they first received a polaroid of such a poor quality that they couldn’t print it, so MJ went back and took a better photo.

A couple of problems here:

  • A tabloid receives a “bizarre” photo of MJ directly from his PR team (as he claims) and what they do is call them back and wait for them to re-shoot the photo in better quality? Instead of slapping it on the front page right away? Risking that somebody else runs the story first? How likely is that?

  • If MJ’s camp wanted to plant the story, why would they send them a poor quality photo in the first place? We can safely assume that they were aware of the minimum quality a photo has to have to be printable. Also, tabloids usually don’t care about the quality of photos. They print the blurriest crap if it’s just sensational enough.

  • Why didn’t the tabloid guy bring that first photo, the polaroid, to the show as proof? Or the accompanying letter from MJ’s camp that explains what it is and that they should call it “bizarre”? He could have easily shown those items live on TV if they existed.

In my opinion, this is a typical example of someone adding wild details to their story to sell a lie.

Here’s the full show. They discuss this topic right in the beginning:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jhrTazxcEY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Discuss. :)
 
^ The Brotman Burn Centre had a hyperbaric chamber. It was used to aid healing of burns. It's possible that MJ either 'tried it out for size' and / or had treatment in it.

(MJ was treated for scalp burns at the Brotman centre, and donated his Pepsi compensation to the centre afterwards, when it was renamed the 'Michael Jackson Burn Centre').

Since 1965, HBO therapy has been suggested to improve outcomes in thermal burns after it was observed to heal second-degree burns faster in a group of coal miners being treated for carbon monoxide therapy. The skin adjacent to second and third-degree burns is more hypoxic than normal skin, and continued studies have shown that hypoxic tissue surrounding the burn site can be returned to normal oxygen levels with oxygen administration under pressure. It has shown to decrease edema through vasoconstriction and preserve microcirculation and enhance oxygen delivery by a direct osmotic effect. HBO also aids in deactivation of white cell adhesion.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470524/

Hoefflin is mentioned in the clip. He did MJ's scalp skin graft, according to Wiki. (There are certainly pics of Hoefflin in the Burn Centre with MJ).

This is Dr Hoefflin with MJ and the HBO (!!) chamber:

YCssfMN.jpg



There are at least two poses of MJ in the chamber, with his arms by his side and with his head resting on his bent arm. It's unlikely these pics. came from anywhere 'unofficial'. Maybe Hoefflin thought the pics. might help to publicise the clinic??
 
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OK, so the photo was definitely taken in that room at Brotman Burn Center. Same era, different shirt, though.

jackson_1459990c.jpg


Is it possible that MJ donated the device?
 
There are at least two poses of MJ in the chamber, with his arms by his side and with his head resting on his bent arm. It's unlikely these pics. came from anywhere 'unofficial'. Maybe Hoefflin thought the pics. might help to publicise the clinic??

MJ had the habit of having photos taken of pretty much everything he did. My guess is, that it was really just a leak. Back in those days, you had to have photos developed, and there are many ways a picture might leak on its trip to and from the photo lab.
 
OK, so the photo was definitely taken in that room at Brotman Burn Center. Same era, different shirt, though.

jackson_1459990c.jpg


Is it possible that MJ donated the device?

Possible but unlikely. MJ's 'Pepsi' compensation amounted to about $500k, and I believe all of that was for 'the patients' (ie things to entertain them or make them more comfortable), not for 'the treatment'.

It's possible MJ donated (the money for) the big TV over the HBO machine. I can imagine him thinking that patients would appreciate watching Disney cartoons while they were being treated.

I don't think it would be worth any photo developing co. to 'leak' photos. Firstly Hoefflin's name is mentioned in the film clip, so he likely arranged for the photos to be both taken and given to the press, and secondly MJ seemed to have a contract with a photo developing firm which delivered prints directly to Hayvenhurst (where his fan club etc. was initially based). I'm sure he'd have been furious at any unauthorised leaks. he never seemed 'furious' at the HBO machine photos.
 
myosotis;4300259 said:
Possible but unlikely. MJ's 'Pepsi' compensation amounted to about $500k, and I believe all of that was for 'the patients' (ie things to entertain them or make them more comfortable), not for 'the treatment'.

It's possible MJ donated (the money for) the big TV over the HBO machine. I can imagine him thinking that patients would appreciate watching Disney cartoons while they were being treated.

I don't think it would be worth any photo developing co. to 'leak' photos. Firstly Hoefflin's name is mentioned in the film clip, so he likely arranged for the photos to be both taken and given to the press, and secondly MJ seemed to have a contract with a photo developing firm which delivered prints directly to Hayvenhurst (where his fan club etc. was initially based). I'm sure he'd have been furious at any unauthorised leaks. he never seemed 'furious' at the HBO machine photos.


OK, all of this makes a lot of sense. Although I&#8217;m not 100% sure how that Pepsi money was spent. In the back of my mind I recall something about medical equipment, but I don&#8217;t have a source right now. Will look for it.

So, I think we can agree that these are not unauthorized photos.

The question remains, how did they end up in the National Enquirer? I think the video I posted casts enough doubt on the Enquirer&#8217;s story to conclude that this is not exactly how it happened.

I would really like to hear from the people on here who believe that MJ planted the story and see their sources.

And by the way, does anyone have a scan of the original National Enquirer article from back then? I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve seen it.
 
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The Desert Sun reports on December 15th, 1984 that MJ announced the &#8222;Michael Jackson Burn Fund, which will finance reconstructive surgery and entertainment for burn victims. Both the center and the fund were endowed by Jackson, with a contribution from Pepsi-Cola Co.&#8220;

vjtRtSf.png


So, according to this, it looks like the money went partly into a fund for medical and patient entertainment purposes, and partly to the center itself. I think the total amount was $1.5 million. So, it might well be that some of the money went into medical equipment, and MJ visited to check it out.

This of course doesn&#8217;t explain how the &#8220;bizarre&#8221; story landed in the tabloids, I&#8217;m just posting this for context.


EDIT: Here&#8217;s a similar article from the United Press Service archives:

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/12/13/The-Brotman-Medical-Center-Thursday-renamed-its-burn-ward/8547471762000/

&#8220;Dr. Donald Bernstein, the hospital's administrator, said the center will be aided by a fund started with money the entertainer has donated to the hospital.

Bernstein declined to disclose the amount Jackson donated.

Money from the fund will pay for education, research and reconstructive surgery on the center's burn patients.&#8221;
 
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Frank Dileo apparently planted several stories for Michael. I don't know who the original source for that information is, but it would be a bit strange, not to mention needlessly risky, for Taraborrelli to directly name Frank if it wasn't true. It's not exactly a secret that Michael liked to manipulate the press with odd behaviour.
 
Anna;4300269 said:
Frank Dileo apparently planted several stories for Michael. I don't know who the original source for that information is, but it would be a bit strange, not to mention needlessly risky, for Taraborrelli to directly name Frank if it wasn't true. It's not exactly a secret that Michael liked to manipulate the press with odd behaviour.

That&#8217;s one of the versions I heard. But this thread is only about collecting facts and actual sources.
 
Wouldn't at all be surprised if his party leaked it. Michael was always playing games with the press. Shouldn't have started that in the first place but, it is what it is.
Not a fact obviously but, I had read somewhere that he leaked it for the soul purpose of Captain EO?

But anyways, National Enquirer? :D If they told me the sky was blue, I'd double check
 
Wouldn't at all be surprised if his party leaked it. Michael was always playing games with the press. Shouldn't have started that in the first place but, it is what it is.
Not a fact obviously but, I had read somewhere that he leaked it for the soul purpose of Captain EO?

But anyways, National Enquirer? :D If they told me the sky was blue, I'd double check

This is not a speculation thread, please only post with credible quotes and sources. :)
 
ScreenOrigami;4300272 said:
That&#8217;s one of the versions I heard. But this thread is only about collecting facts and actual sources.

Taraborrelli is a source, whether you like him or not.
 
Anna;4300275 said:
Taraborrelli is a source, whether you like him or not.

I don&#8217;t have his book, so why don&#8217;t you just provide the source so we can analyze it?

The actual passage where he talks about it.
 
So Michael or his manager MAYBE leaked 2 stories way back in the eighties for publicity of Captian EO (standard PR practice) and hence Michael has always liked manipulating the media and he kickstarted his own dehumanization by the media. Is that the argument?
 
I heard the oxygen chamber was for a promotion for captain eo and that it was actually for his head due the pepsi accident to make his head heal faster because his lupus made things on his body heal longer then usual.

the media made it seem he want it to be forever "young" and not "grow old." see? the media twisted to make it seem something that it wasn't. smh.

Michael did plant some stories but not all of them. he did it to make fun of the media while it was funny and a nice comeback it wasn't a good idea. it did more harm to him than good. so he kind of did it to himself.

but not all stories was plant from him. like example the elephant man bones. michael want it the bones to make a remake of movie not how the media portray like he was wired.

michael putting bandages on his face was him just doing it for media attention to think he was crazy etc. this may not be enough to understand. but i hope i explained enough to anyone to understand.
 
Guys, this thread is not a speculation or hearsay thread. I&#8217;m trying to collect evidence here. Please post actual quotes, articles, videos etc. Not just what you heard or think. Back on topic, please. :)

For example: If someone wants to bring in Taraborrelli, please do so by posting an actual excerpt from the book.
 
John Randy Taraborrelli has explained that in his book in great detail.

&#8220;&#8230;In September 1986, Michael Jackson's Captain EO was set to premiere both at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, and at Disneyland in Anaheim, California&#8230;Michael felt that he needed some kind of dazzling gimmick to promote the film. The publicity designed to create a buzz about Michael and his Captain EO is an excellent example of how he could manipulate the press to do his bidding&#8230;Michael's idea was to promote the story that he was sleeping in the hyperbaric chamber in order to prolong his life to the age of 150. He would add that he planned to take the machine on the road with him on his next tour. He wasn't certain that the public would believe such a fantastic story &#8211; at this time, such wacky stories were not as associated to Michael as they are today &#8211; but he was eager to see how much of a buzz he could start. John Branca thought the idea was odd, but it seemed harmless enough as far as publicity stunts go&#8230;It fell upon Frank Dileo to find a way to disseminate the fabricated story. He called Charles Montgomery and gave him the information he had sought earlier and, to make the story even more irresistible, he promised a photograph of Michael actually in the chamber &#8211; as long as Charles could guarantee the weekly's cover. He also made Charles promise not to reveal his source for the information&#8230;With the Enquirer in place, Frank wanted to strategize a way to distribute the story to the mainstream press, but without anyone knowing he was involved with it. Planting it in the Enquirer did not risk his credibility since he could easily deny having had anything to do with it. Certainly, no one would take a National Enquirer reporter's word over Frank Dileo's. However, other more legitimate press might be tougher to crack. Since the media knew that veteran publicist Norman Winter worked for Michael Jackson, Norman could not be the one to promote the bizarre story to the press. Frank would have to hire an outside publicist for the job&#8230;With Michael Levine's assistance, word of Michael Jackson's exploit quickly spread around the globe, a perfectly orchestrated public relations coup. If his goal was to appear &#8216;wacky&#8217;&#8230; he certainly achieved it. The hyperbaric chamber story was carried by the Associated Press and the United Press International. It appeared in Time, Newsweek and practically every major newspaper in the country. Television and radio news covered it. Suddenly, the words &#8216;hyperbaric chamber&#8217;were on the lips of many people as they gossiped about crazy Michael's plan to live to 150 and how he and his manager were fighting about it&#8230;Michael was astonished by the way his fiction made headlines. Many untrue stories had been written about him in the past, and he had been angry about them. Now, he was exacting his revenge against the media. &#8216;I can't believe that people bought it,&#8217; he said of the hyperbaric chamber idea. &#8216;It's like I can tell the press anything about me and they'll buy it,&#8217; he added, as if recognizing the full potential of his communications power. &#8216;We can actually control the press,&#8217; he concluded. &#8216;I think this is an important breakthrough for us...." (John Randy Taraborrelli, 'Michael Jackson: The Magic And The Madness' book)

John Randy Taraborrelli's book's section that covers all the events up until the early 90's can be considered trustworthy and reliable.

That was an utterly stupid behaviour on Michael Jackson's part because he simply added fuel to the fire.

In the following decades, press continued to write and publish about him whatever fake (and not that harmless) stories they wanted to, without Michael Jackson&#8217;s consent of course, and he could not stop that.

So, to an extent he was to blame for what press did to him in the following decades, and that is why many people did not really feel sorry for him when he, for example, was holding banners with the words &#8216;STOP FILTHY PRESS&#8217; written on them, or when he was wearing jackets with logos such as &#8216;DON&#8217;T WASTE YOUR CASH ON THAT FILTHY TABLOID TRUSH&#8217; written on them, as well.
 
Thanks for posting an actual book excerpt. Who is Taraborrelli&#8217;s source? And why is this version different from the one the National Enquirer editor tells on Gerlado&#8217;s show while Taraborrelli is sitting next to him? Where&#8217;s that first polaroid, for instance?
 
mj_frenzy;4300293 said:
John Randy Taraborrelli has explained that in his book in great detail.

&#8220;&#8230;In September 1986, Michael Jackson's Captain EO was set to premiere both at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, and at Disneyland in Anaheim, California&#8230;Michael felt that he needed some kind of dazzling gimmick to promote the film. The publicity designed to create a buzz about Michael and his Captain EO is an excellent example of how he could manipulate the press to do his bidding&#8230;Michael's idea was to promote the story that he was sleeping in the hyperbaric chamber in order to prolong his life to the age of 150. He would add that he planned to take the machine on the road with him on his next tour. He wasn't certain that the public would believe such a fantastic story &#8211; at this time, such wacky stories were not as associated to Michael as they are today &#8211; but he was eager to see how much of a buzz he could start. John Branca thought the idea was odd, but it seemed harmless enough as far as publicity stunts go&#8230;It fell upon Frank Dileo to find a way to disseminate the fabricated story. He called Charles Montgomery and gave him the information he had sought earlier and, to make the story even more irresistible, he promised a photograph of Michael actually in the chamber &#8211; as long as Charles could guarantee the weekly's cover. He also made Charles promise not to reveal his source for the information&#8230;With the Enquirer in place, Frank wanted to strategize a way to distribute the story to the mainstream press, but without anyone knowing he was involved with it. Planting it in the Enquirer did not risk his credibility since he could easily deny having had anything to do with it. Certainly, no one would take a National Enquirer reporter's word over Frank Dileo's. However, other more legitimate press might be tougher to crack. Since the media knew that veteran publicist Norman Winter worked for Michael Jackson, Norman could not be the one to promote the bizarre story to the press. Frank would have to hire an outside publicist for the job&#8230;With Michael Levine's assistance, word of Michael Jackson's exploit quickly spread around the globe, a perfectly orchestrated public relations coup. If his goal was to appear &#8216;wacky&#8217;&#8230; he certainly achieved it. The hyperbaric chamber story was carried by the Associated Press and the United Press International. It appeared in Time, Newsweek and practically every major newspaper in the country. Television and radio news covered it. Suddenly, the words &#8216;hyperbaric chamber&#8217;were on the lips of many people as they gossiped about crazy Michael's plan to live to 150 and how he and his manager were fighting about it&#8230;Michael was astonished by the way his fiction made headlines. Many untrue stories had been written about him in the past, and he had been angry about them. Now, he was exacting his revenge against the media. &#8216;I can't believe that people bought it,&#8217; he said of the hyperbaric chamber idea. &#8216;It's like I can tell the press anything about me and they'll buy it,&#8217; he added, as if recognizing the full potential of his communications power. &#8216;We can actually control the press,&#8217; he concluded. &#8216;I think this is an important breakthrough for us...." (John Randy Taraborrelli, 'Michael Jackson: The Magic And The Madness' book)

John Randy Taraborrelli's book's section that covers all the events up until the early 90's can be considered trustworthy and reliable.

That was an utterly stupid behaviour on Michael Jackson's part because he simply added fuel to the fire.

In the following decades, press continued to write and publish about him whatever fake (and not that harmless) stories they wanted to, without Michael Jackson&#8217;s consent of course, and he could not stop that.

So, to an extent he was to blame for what press did to him in the following decades, and that is why many people did not really feel sorry for him when he, for example, was holding banners with the words &#8216;STOP FILTHY PRESS&#8217; written on them, or when he was wearing jackets with logos such as &#8216;DON&#8217;T WASTE YOUR CASH ON THAT FILTHY TABLOID TRUSH&#8217; written on them, as well.

Wow....
 
From 1986:
3.jpg


1.jpg


2.jpg


4.jpg



And a story from The Sun in 2019:

***** CHAMBER Michael Jackson’s oxygen chamber where he took naps so he could live ‘forever’ found in shipping container 10 years after his death

Christy Cooney
28 Jun 2019, 22:38Updated: 30 Jun 2019, 15:09

MICHAEL Jackson's oxygen chamber in which he reportedly took naps to prolong his life has been found in a shipping container ten years after his death.

The machines are normally used to accelerate the healing time for burns, but rumours have long swirled that the star tried to use it to slow the ageing process.
Images of Jackson in an oxygen chamber first emerged in 1986.

Jackson's own machine has now been tracked down to a California warehouse by DailyMailTV.

It is being used at a company called Hyperbaric Modular Systems (HMS), which specialises in alternative treatment.

Adrian Garay, president and CEO of HMS, confirmed that Jackson had purchased the machine in 1994, but added that sleeping in it would have caused oxygen toxicity in his blood.

Images first emerged of Jackson lying in the machine in 1986, two years after suffering a pyrotechnics accident while filming an advert for Pepsi that left him with second and third degree burns.

Jackson later settled with Pepsi out of court, receiving $1.5 million as compensation for his injuries.

He donated the money to the Brotman Memorial Hospital in California, which established the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children and bought the machine.

Jackson later visited the hospital and was pictured lying in the chamber with his eyes closed.

The images caused a stir when they were seen by the general public, who were completely unfamiliar with the equipment.

The National Enquirer, the magazine that published them, claimed the machine was part of a regime followed by Jackson to keep himself alive longer.

It reported him as having said: "I've taken several long naps in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and when I awoke I felt like a new person - I've never felt better."

"I definitely want one for my home so I can sleep in it at night.

"I plan to get one immediately.

"I want to live to see world peace, a world without hunger, a world where children and all mankind know no suffering.

"I believe if I treat my body properly I'll live to be at least 150."

He later said of the claims he had been trying to stop the ageing process: "Stupid, that's stupid. It's completely made up, and I'm embarrassed."

It was later revealed that Jackson had leaked the photos to promote Captain Eo, a sci-fi film written by George Lucas and released in the same year in which Jackson starred.

Michael Levine, a prominent Hollywood publicist, confirmed that he helped Jackson and his manager Frank DiLeo plant the story in the press.
***** WAS RIGHT

But Adrian Garay says that Jackson did later buy his own chamber.

"In 1994 Michael expressed interest in having his own personal chamber," Garay told DailyMailTV.

"He approached Brotman Hospital and they sold the chamber he had donated back to Michael and it was installed in Neverland [*****n's home].

"Michael did not sleep in the chamber as doing so would cause oxygen toxicity in the body and he would have died.

"Instead he probably used the chamber at home for one or two hours at a time for health reasons.

"Ironically, 30 years on, scientists have actually proved that the chamber can help with anti-aging.

"Scientific studies have found that [the] treatment helps promote the growth of older cells, effectively slowing down the ageing process.

"So maybe Michael was right after all."

Garay said his company first acquired Jackson's chamber more than 25 years ago.

It's unclear what Jackson did with his chamber once he finished with it, but it eventually found its way to another hospital in Santa Monica, who gave it to HMS as part of a payment for work done.

HMS makes chambers mainly for the medical world, for diving facilities or tunneling operations and ships them around the world.

There are around 1,000 hyperbaric oxygen chambers in the US, about 750 of which are mono-place chambers or single person chambers like Jackson's.

The Sechrist 2500B model owned by Jackson is now obsolete, having been replaced by more modern versions.



The DailyMailTV report is here:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/d...Jacksons-iconic-oxygen-chamber-uncovered.html
 
NatureCriminal7896;4300300 said:
LOL! i'm so sorry but i can't help but laugh. michael was hilarious. he really did this to himself. ow bad idea.

That is what the National Enquirer claims. We&#8217;re trying to find out if those claims are true.
 
Here&#8217;s what Michael had to say about the stories when he was asked about them live on TV during the Oprah interview:

===

Oprah: Um, we talked about all of the rumors just before we went to the break and there are so many. First of all, I have been in this house getting prepared for this and I've been all over the house, upstairs when you weren't looking, looking for that oxygen chamber, and I cannot find an oxygen chamber anywhere in the house.

Michael: That, that story is so crazy, I mean it's one of those tabloid things, it's completely made up.

Oprah: (picture of Michael in an oxygen chamber shown on camera) OK, but you are in something there, there's a picture of you, where did that come from? How did it get started?

Michael: That's...I did a commercial for Pepsi and I was burned very badly and we settled for 1 million dollars and I gave all the money...like, we bulit this place called the Michael Jackson Burn Centre and that's a piece of technology used for burn victims, right. So I'm looking at the piece of technology and decide to go inside it and just to hammer around, somebody takes the picture, when they process the picture the person who processes the picture says, "Oh Michael Jackson". He made a copy and these pictures went all over the world with this lie attached to it. It's a complete lie, why do people buy these papers? It's not the truth I'm here to say. You know, don't judge a person, do not pass judgement, unless you have talked to them one on one. I don't care what the story is, do not judge them because it is a lie.

Oprah: You're right and that story, it was just like it had legs.

Michael: It's crazy. Why would I want to sleep in a chamber? (laughs)

Oprah: The rumor was that you were sleeping in the chamber because you didn't want to grow old.

Michael: That's stupid. It's completely made up. I'm embarrassed. I'm willing to forgive the press, or forgive anybody, I was taught to love and forgive, which I do have in my heart, but please don't believe these crazy, horrifying things.

Oprah: Did you buy the Elephant man's bones? Were you trying to get them for...

Michael: No. That's another stupid story. I love the story of the Elephant man, he reminds me of me a lot, and I could relate to it, it made me cry because I saw myself in the story, but no I never asked for the...where am I going to put some bones?...

Michael: ....and why would I want some bones?

Oprah: I don't know. So where did that story come from?

Michael: Someone makes it up, and everybody believes it. If you hear a lie often enough, you start to believe it.

Oprah: Yes and people make money selling tabloids.

Michael: Yes

===

So, I&#8217;ll throw this into the discussion as MJ&#8217;s official version of events. (I didn&#8217;t make the transcript, but it looks accurate. Let me know if there are any mistakes.)

This version sounds like someone from the hospital took the pictures and that&#8217;s why they weren&#8217;t processed at the photo lab that MJ used to work with. So there&#8217;s a possible explanation for how they were leaked.
 
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David Lynch (who made the Elephant Man movie) in 2018:

"... Finally he was ready and he came out and I met him for the first time and all he wanted to do was talk about the Elephant Man. He tried to buy the bones and the cloak and all his stuff from the museum and he asked me questions about it and was a really nice guy. ..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/arts/television/david-lynch-room-to-dream.html


He could be just mashing up his ~30 year old memories with tabloid stories he read (in 2018 David was 72), but not sure if any of the stories mention the cloak. This makes it seem like Michael actually talked to him about it, back when they made the Dangerous teaser in 1991.
 
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David Lynch (who made the Elephant Man movie):

"... Finally he was ready and he came out and I met him for the first time and all he wanted to do was talk about the Elephant Man. He tried to buy the bones and the cloak and all his stuff from the museum and he asked me questions about it and was a really nice guy. ..."

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/arts/television/david-lynch-room-to-dream.html


He could be just mashing up his memories with tabloid stories he read, but not sure if any of the stories mention the cloak. This makes it seem like Michael actually talked to him about it, back when they made the Dangerous teaser.

I think this happens a lot with people when they try to recall conversations many years after they happened. Memory is not reliable in that way. We have to always consider when someone tells their story and how far removed it is from the event on the timeline. But yes, it does sound like MJ talked to him about the Elephant Man. Which is not surprising, seeing how fascinated he was by the story.
 
Brotman Medical Closes Its Burn Center : Losses Caused by Cuts in Medicare, Medi-Cal Reimbursements Cited

AUG. 29, 1987 12 AM
TIMES STAFF WRITERS
Amid tears from staff members, Brotman Medical Center closed its Michael Jackson Burn Center on Friday.

Brotman spokeswoman Diane Sherman said the Culver City hospital shut the 23-bed burn center, which had only four patients Friday, with &#8220;deep regret.&#8221; She blamed it on the center&#8217;s &#8220;significant losses.&#8221;

Sherman, without disclosing the amount, said the center has been losing money because of a reduction in government reimbursements for Medicare and Medi-Cal patients and a declining number of burn patients. Similar problems also prompted the recent shutdown of four of the county&#8217;s private hospital trauma centers, specially equipped facilities for treating victims of serious emergencies.

....The burn center was opened in 1972 and given its current name in 1984 after pop singer Michael Jackson gave it an endowment. At the time, the money was said to be earmarked for research into burn treatment, but Sherman said the burn center received no operating money from the fund. The funds were used for patient entertainment.

Jackson&#8217;s contribution, described by officials three years ago as &#8220;a lot,&#8221; was made in thanks for treatment he received after the back of his head was burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

Hospital employees and Jackson&#8217;s representatives learned of the closing only hours before it happened.

Through his publicist Lee Solters, Jackson labeled the closure &#8220;deplorable, cruel and for commercial reasons.&#8221; Jackson is looking for another hospital to house a burn unit bearing his name, Solters said.

The Brotman burn center&#8217;s six employees, all nurses, will be reassigned to other parts of the hospital, Sherman said. .........................

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-29-fi-1391-story.html
 
Michael was very trouble with his words sometimes. not mention memory problems due the meds he was taking and his lupus.
 
Hoefflin was reportedly close with MJ for a long period of time (1978 -2002).

After MJ died, he certainly took it upon himself to 'act for' Katherine Jackson and family, when they reportedly didn't want him to. He seems like a very likely 'leaker of things he thought were worthwhile leaking'....

Here are some extracts from a Klein vs Hoefflin legal case in 2012:

Klein v. Hoefflin
B223353

04-03-2012

ARNOLD W. KLEIN, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. STEVEN HOEFFLIN, Defendant and Appellant.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A. Klein's Complaint

Klein filed his complaint on September 14, 2009, alleging causes of action for slander (first), trade libel, unfair competition, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and false light (second through sixth).

.................After Jackson's death, there was "a media frenzy around the world regarding the life of Michael Jackson and the facts, circumstances and cause of his death. This media frenzy unfortunately has provided a number of individuals with a 'stage' to get their 'fifteen minutes of fame' and to broadcast and publish a number of untrue and baseless allegations against various individuals, including Dr. Klein."

According to the allegations of the complaint, "[o]ne of the central individuals inserting himself into the media circus [was] Hoefflin. Soon after the death of Michael Jackson, Hoefflin claimed that he was an authorized spokesman of Katherine Jackson and that he was also working on a book with her. Hoefflin used this purported cache [sic] to garner interviews with various media outlets."

(The complaint also alleged that Hoefflin was not, in fact, authorized to speak on behalf of Katherine Jackson or Michael Jackson's estate.)

..........On September 15, 2009, Hoefflin sent Boyer a copy of an authorization for release of medical records purportedly signed by Michael Jackson in 1999. He also sent a copy of a letter purportedly signed by Katherine Jackson on July 18, 2009 authorizing Hoefflin "to stop & correct the bad rumors about my son Michael Jackson. He may talk with the Sun Newspaper."

According to Hoefflin, Jackson, "in addition to being my former patient, was a dear friend of mine for over 33 years." Hoefflin had permission from Jackson and his mother "to discuss Michael and his medical care." Shortly after Jackson's death, Hoefflin spent time with the Jackson family, and "Katherine Jackson requested that I commence and report my findings in a private investigation into Michael's death." Katherine Jackson "requested that I talk with the SUN Newspaper. She was familiar with what was believed to be the U.K.'s high bar for defamation and slander and it's [sic] history of unrelentless [sic] fact checking."

....Additional evidence showed that Hoefflin was on a personal vendetta against Klein based on his belief that Klein had treated Jackson improperly. While he may have had old medical records to support this belief, he added to it claims making Klein responsible in part for Jackson's death without any actual evidence to back up his claims. He seemed determined to make himself an important player in the investigation into Jackson's death.

Other letters that Hoefflin wrote show that he was on a personal crusade to investigate Jackson's death and to lay part of the blame on Klein. He saw himself as a crusader for truth against Klein, his attorneys and "Los Angeles Law Enforcement," who were trying to stop him from revealing the results of his investigation. Hoefflin saw himself as an "established Government Witness"; he was going to release "credible, incriminating evidence" in his book; he requested a congressional investigation into the matter; he contacted the Attorney General in order to stop Klein's lawsuit.

........There was evidence that, while Katherine Jackson initially may have asked Hoefflin to investigate Jackson's death, she later indicated that she did not want to be involved in the controversy and she had requested that Hoefflin "not make any statements or representations on her behalf or invoke her name in any respect." He continued to claim that he had her permission to investigate and talk about Jackson's death.

https://casetext.com/case/klein-v-hoefflin
 
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ScreenOrigami;4300277 said:
I don&#8217;t have his book, so why don&#8217;t you just provide the source so we can analyze it?

The actual passage where he talks about it.

Because I already told you that I haven't read the book myself, that's why. I just knew it was in there.
 
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