Before You Watch the Michael Biopic: The Acts of Kindness Michael Jackson Never Wanted Credit For

In April 1984, a 14-year-old named David Smithee (terminally ill with cystic fibrosis) was brought to Michael’s home through the Brass Ring Society, a charity that granted wishes to sick children. They watched a movie, ate lunch, and played video games. David beat Michael twice.

Before David left, Michael handed him the red leather jacket he had worn in the “Beat It” video, and the beaded glove from the American Music Awards. David wore them on the plane home. His mother said he was just in heaven. He passed away a few weeks later. Michael never brought it up in any interview.

During the Bad World Tour (1987–1989), terminally ill children were brought backstage on stretchers every single night of the tour. His vocal coach Seth Riggs recalled: “Every night the kids would come in on stretchers, so sick they could hardly hold their heads up. Michael would kneel down at the stretchers and put his face right down beside theirs so that he could have his picture taken with them, and then give them a copy to remember the moment. I couldn’t handle it. I’d be in the bathroom crying. The kids would perk right up in his presence.”

Janet Jackson recalled that as a teenager, Michael would buy barbecue dinners and drive around looking for homeless people to feed. It continued his whole life.

His bodyguard Javon described how Michael would crack the car window just enough so no one could see his face, single out women in the crowd, and hand out hundreds of dollars until he ran out — then get upset with himself for not bringing more. His mother Katherine confirmed it: he would regularly stop the car and give homeless strangers everything in his wallet.

Michael’s friendship with Elizabeth Taylor lasted over 25 years. Taylor described him publicly across multiple interviews as one of the most giving, generous, and caring people she had ever known.

He showed up for her consistently through some of the loneliest years of her life. After he died, she wrote that her life felt empty and that she didn’t think anyone knew how much they loved each other. His brother Tito later said Taylor had provided comfort and relief to Michael during his own darkest years too. They took care of each other, quietly, for a quarter of a century.