A spokesman for the singer's family has commented on the report, insisting that the King of Pop never 'mistreated' the chimp.
- Mar 11, 2019
AceShowbiz - Is Michael Jackson a bad master to his famous chimp Bubbles? A new report suggests that the chimp can't bear to be reminded of the late King of Pop, his former owner.
According to Daily Star Sunday (via Radar Online), the 35-year-old chimpanzee has been kept away from anything that could remind him of Michael. The staffers at the Centre for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, fear that Bubbles would be upset.
It is reported that the chimp shares an enclosure with four adult females and three other males at the animal sanctuary, where he's been since 2005. The report continues that he's doing well at the center as he feeds on figs, fruit and nuts.
Centre co-founder Patti Ragan reveals that the workers never show Bubbles photos of the legendary singer. They don't do it in case it will make him "angry or depressed" as it may remind him of his old life on Jackson's Neverland Ranch.
A spokesman for the singer's family has commented on the report, telling the Daily Star, "We're happy to hear Bubbles is doing well. Michael absolutely loved him and would never, ever have mistreated him."
Back in 2003, Bubbles allegedly tried commit suicide after his master was charged with child-molestation. The chimp was moved out of Jacko's Neverland Ranch because the family members feared he could harm his children Prince, Paris and Michael Jr.
Ragan, however, denied that Bubbles had tried to self-harm.
It was also reported that the chimp was abused during his stay at Neverland. Famed primatologist Jane Goodall claimed that Bubbles had been punched in the face and kicked in the stomach while he lived at Neverland. "When he was with Michael he was being beaten,” Goodall said, though she never explicitly said that Jackson was the one responsible for the abuse.
Earlier this year, it is said that an animated movie about Bubbles is currently in the works.
