In a recent interview, Michael’s longtime dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein confirmed that Michael had vitiligo. Dr. Klein wanted to fight reports Michael just wanted to be white. He was shocked by producer Quincy Jones’ claims that Michael “obviously didn’t want to be black”.
Dr Klein maintains Michael Jackson’s skin became paler over the course of his life due to the skin condition vitiligo, which causes skin to lose pigmentation. He insisted that “Michael was very proud of his black heritage.”
Klein explained he tried in vain to slow his patient’s condition down:
“We basically used creams that would even out the skin colour… (but) he couldn’t really go out in public without looking terribly peculiar.” Michael’s particular case “was bad because he began to get a speckled look over his body … All over his body — but on his face and hands, which is hard to treat.”
Michael Jackson’s sequined white glove became a signature fashion item, but according to actress Cicely Tyson, it was really used to cloak the early stages of his skin disease. She shared a fashion designer with the pop star in the ’80s, and saw him design the glove.
“All of a sudden, he said, ‘I’m doing this glove for Michael.’ Michael was beginning to develop the vitiligo and it started on his hand. The glove was to cover the vitiligo; that’s how that glove came into being.”
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