Michael Jackson and Lupus [updated]
Michael Jackson suffered from discoid lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the skin characterized by atrophic and discoid plaques over sun-exposed areas of skin.
He also suffered from vitiligo, another autoimmune disease known to be associated with other autoimmune conditions, and considered to be a multifactorial disease originating from genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. More specifically, Jackson suffered from the most severe class of non-segmental vitiligo, “Vitiligo universalis” (universal vitiligo), which causes depigmentation to encompass most of the body.
The presence of both lupus and vitiligo was confirmed through the years by several physicians and clinics who had treated or examined Michael throughout his life, and also after his passing.
Among the doctors that treated or examined Jackson’s lupus are Dr. Arnold Klein (dermatologist who also treated Jackson for his vitiligo), Dr. Allan Metzger (internal medicine physician and rheumatologist whose specialty is systemic lupus) and Dr. Strick (an independent physician appointed by DA Thomas Sneddon to examine Michael).
Lupus symptoms include:
- Round lesions
- Thick scales on the skin and scalp
- Peeling
- Blistering lesions, especially around the elbows and fingertips
- Thinning of the skin
- Lighter or darker skin pigmentation, which can become permanent
- Thickening of the scalp
- Patches of hair loss, which can become permanent (alternatively, hair can regrow when lupus is in remission)
- Brittle or bent fingernails
- Ulcers inside the lips
- Permanent scarring
The whitening of Jackson’s skin had absolutely nothing to do with any attempt to become white. That’s nothing but tabloid narrative debunked by Jackson’s consistent actions and behavior, both as a humanitarian and as an artist. The whitening of his skin was the result of the powerful combination of two severe autoimmune conditions that he couldn’t control.
A classic symptom of lupus is the “butterfly rash”, a red or purplish rash that extends from the bridge of the nose over to the cheeks in a shape that resembles that of a butterfly. The rash may be smooth, or it may have a scaly or bumpy texture. It can look like a sunburn and can be painful for the patient.
Lupus can cause the nails to crack or fall off. They may be discolored with blue or reddish spots at the base. These spots are actually in the nail bed, the result of inflamed small blood vessels. Swelling may also make the skin around the base of the nail look red and puffy.
Many people with lupus are unusually sensitive to the sun and other forms of UV light. A day at the beach may trigger a skin rash in areas exposed to sunlight and may worsen other lupus symptoms. Certain medications can make people with lupus even more sensitive to UV light.
Discoid lupus affects the skin and may appear on the neck, back of the hands, and face, especially around the nose area. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus, or CLE, refers to forms of lupus that affect the biggest organ in our body, the skin, causing rashes and sores.
These are just some of the many symptoms of lupus. Some include lesions that can produce scarring and skin discoloration (darkly colored and/or lightly colored areas), fever, joint pain, temporary or permanent hair loss, sores in the mouth and the nose.
Lupus cannot be cured.
Michael’s synergic autoimmune conditions were complicated to handle. He tried to manage his vitiligo as best as he could: at first by applying dark makeup to cover the discolored areas on his face and body and then, when the condition became more widespread, by using light makeup to cover the few dark patches of skin left. Another standard treatment for vitiligo included FDA-approved topical medications. As far as his lupus went, it was treated with medications and reconstructive surgeries, plus the already mentioned lifestyle habits.
Independent physician Dr. Strick (appointed and paid for by DA Tom Sneddon) confirmed that Jackson’s surgeries were essentially reconstructive, in an attempt to deal with two challenging disfiguring autoimmune diseases as best as he could and try to look like “a normal guy”.
The doctors taking care of Michael’s complex health ailments were also clarified during the AEG trial by medical professional David Fournier, a nurse anesthesiologist who himself had directly worked with Jackson on several occasions.
Jackson never openly spoke about his lupus. However, he donated for the research and promoted its funding. On October 1st, 2003, Michael attended the charity event “Light the way for Lupus” with this exact purpose, making a speech and awarding Meztger for his work on helping Lupus patients.
According to DermNet, lupus can have a profound effect on the patient’s mental and physical wellbeing, and its cutaneous manifestation often result in depression and psychological stress.
It is estimated that 20–40% of patients with cutaneous LE suffer from emotional problems. More specifically, cutaneous lupus affects nearly every aspect of a person’s life, including their family and other social relationships, and patients report being extremely self-conscious and distressed about their appearance as well as being socially stigmatized. This autoimmune condition also interferes with leisure activities due to the patient’s need to avoid sunlight. Its chronicity and lack of resolutive treatment can frequently cause feelings of helplessness and entrapment. Support for cutaneous LE patients might include not only topical and systemic treatment for skin disease, but also medications to reduce stress.
Lupus and vitiligo are two extremely complex autoimmune diseases to manage. Anyone at Michael’s place would be praised for the grace and dignity with which he handled them, instead of bullied and systematically body-shamed because of some provably false, or at least greatly exaggerated, tabloid stories.
“There wasn’t nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it.”
— Reverend Al Sharpton to Michael’s kids, at Michael’s funeral.
Want to find out more about the provably false allegations against Michael, the media’s favorite whipping boy for the past thirty years? Here’s some interesting content: watch how Leaving Neverland falls apart just using actual evidence and documentation.
Discover how, in their own videotaped sworn depositions and court files, Michael’s accusers in Leaving Neverland managed to destroy their own narrative and expose their lies right before filming began.
Find out how the first false allegations leveled against Michael, in 1993, turned from an extortion scheme to a door open for further frauds with the help of the media. Watch the documentary Square One by Danny Wu, also available in an updated version on Amazon Prime.
Read how, in over 360 pages, the FBI never found any trace of wrongdoing on Michael’s part, but countless of provably false stories and extortion attempts against him. Directly from the FBI website:
Study this amazing research website about the false allegations against Michael. Actual and complete documentation, links and resources can be found and checked at the bottom of each page.
Enjoy several well-documented videos and documentaries destroying the false narrative systematically, relentlessly, ruthlessly built against Michael, both in life and in death:
Read this satirical article and discover how outlandish and illogical the allegations against Michael always have been, once confronted with actual facts. A victim of false allegations is a victim. False allegations do nothing for actual victims of abuse.
