When Elton John released his memoir Me in 2019, fans expected tales of glittering showbiz glamour, outrageous anecdotes, and his famously sharp wit. What they didn’t anticipate was a haunting reflection on his encounters with Michael Jackson—an icon whose brilliance was matched only by the tragedy of his decline.

Elton’s revelations weren’t sensational headlines designed to sell books. Instead, they were quiet, somber reflections that left readers stunned and reeling.

Elton John first met Michael Jackson in the 1970s, when the young star was still a teenager. At that time, Jackson was the standout member of the Jackson 5, a sweet, curious boy with an infectious smile and a charm that captivated everyone around him.

Elton described him as “the most adorable kid you could imagine,” recalling their early interactions with fondness and a touch of sadness. Michael’s wide, expressive eyes sparkled with excitement, and his youthful innocence stood out in an industry that often aged its stars prematurely.

But over time, something changed. Elton couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment, but he watched as the boy who had once radiated warmth and openness began retreating inward. Michael became harder to reach—emotionally and literally.

He withdrew from social circles, grew increasingly eccentric, and seemed to lose touch with reality. By the time of their later encounters, Elton described Michael as “disturbing to be around” and “genuinely mentally ill.”

One of the most unsettling moments Elton shared occurred during a casual lunch at his home in the 1990s. Michael arrived quietly, avoided eye contact, and barely engaged with the other guests. He didn’t touch his food and seemed lost in thought, as though he were drifting in another world.

Then, without explanation, he vanished. Concerned, Elton searched his estate and eventually found Michael crouched on the floor of a small cottage, absorbed in a video game. Beside him sat the 11-year-old son of one of Elton’s staff members, the two laughing and playing together.

Elton reflected on this moment with alarm rather than accusation. “It was like he couldn’t cope with adult company at all,” he wrote. This wasn’t eccentricity or quirkiness—it was a sign of something much deeper and more troubling.

Michael’s emotional regression, Elton believed, was a symptom of the pressures and isolation that came with his fame. The man who had once moonwalked into history seemed to have retreated into a childlike state, seeking solace in a world he could understand.

Elton’s observations struck a nerve because they weren’t bitter or malicious. Instead, they carried a sense of heartbreak and confusion. He wasn’t pointing fingers or passing judgment; he was asking, “What happened to Michael Jackson?” His words painted a picture of a man consumed by contradictions—global but isolated, adored but misunderstood, rich but hollow.

For Elton, Michael’s decline wasn’t just a personal tragedy—it was emblematic of a deeper sickness within the entertainment industry. He saw parallels between Michael’s unraveling and the fate of other stars like Elvis Presley, whose lives were similarly consumed by fame, addiction, and the pressures of being a global icon.

Elton pointed to the enablers and yes-men who surrounded Michael, the insulated world that shielded him from reality, and the prescription drugs that likely exacerbated his mental state.

In one of the most chilling lines from his memoir, Elton wrote, “He had totally lost his marbles.” At first glance, the phrase might seem like a casual jab, but in context, it was devastating. Elton didn’t say it with mockery; he said it with sadness. “I don’t mean that in a light-hearted way,” he clarified. “He was genuinely mentally ill.”

Elton’s reflections weren’t about scandal or accusations. He deliberately avoided commenting on the darker allegations that have haunted Michael’s legacy, including those explored in the Leaving Neverland documentary.

Instead, he focused on the emotional and psychological toll of fame, how it isolates and consumes its stars, and how it leaves them stranded in a world they can no longer navigate.

Michael Jackson’s life, as Elton saw it, was a cautionary tale—a warning about what happens when childhood, fame, and power collide without protection. From his early days as a prodigy in the Jackson 5 to his later years as the King of Pop, Michael was surrounded by people who treated him as a commodity rather than a human being.

His retreat into Neverland Ranch, with its theme park rides and fairy tale aesthetics, wasn’t just eccentricity—it was a desperate attempt to reclaim the childhood he never truly experienced.

Elton’s memoir doesn’t aim to rewrite Michael’s legacy or pass judgment on his controversies. Instead, it offers a deeply personal account of a friendship marked by tragedy. Elton’s honesty about Michael’s mental state is both heartbreaking and haunting, a reminder of the cost of superstardom and the fragility of the human spirit.

In the end, Elton’s reflections on Michael Jackson aren’t just about one man—they’re about an industry that builds up its stars only to tear them down. They’re about the loneliness, paranoia, and emotional paralysis that often accompany fame. And they’re about the questions that linger long after the spotlight fades: What happens to the person behind the legend? And who is left to pick up the pieces?