Lionel Richie has recently lifted the curtain on his early friendship with Michael Jackson, sharing candid reflections about their bond, their challenges, and how both men were prey to opportunists in the music world. His comments come from a new interview with The Guardian and anecdotes revealed in his memoir Truly.
From Early Days to Rising Stars
Richie was about ten years older than Jackson, and he recalls how their paths first crossed when the Commodores (his group) opened for the Jackson 5.
At that time, a young Michael Jackson was already intensely devoted to music — going to the studio right after school, staying late, pushing himself to perfect his craft. Richie says he watched Jackson’s single-mindedness with both admiration and concern.
Richie bluntly describes Jackson as “eccentric and extremely chaotic.”
He fondly recalls teasing him — and how Jackson earned the nickname “Smelly” from Quincy Jones and others — because he would wear the same clothes repeatedly until they fell apart.
According to Richie, Jackson’s clothing sometimes went missing when sent for cleaning (allegedly taken by others), which contributed to Jackson just sticking with what he already had.
In one instance, Richie says he gave Jackson a pair of jeans and clean underwear and told him to take a shower. Later, Richie returned to find Jackson’s old clothes discarded in his own home “like roadkill.”
Richie frames these stories not as insults but as glimpses into Jackson’s complex, childlike side.
The Burden of Fame and the Weight of Exploitation
As Jackson’s fame exploded, Richie was painfully aware that there were many trying to take advantage of him. Richie himself had to guard against such people — those he calls “crooks” — and he says the same people tempted Jackson.
Richie reflects:
“When you’re in the war and you’re both ducking bullets, it’s hard to give advice to the other soldier.”
“The same crooks that were trying to take advantage of him were coming to take advantage of me.”
Richie also lamented how Jackson missed many normal teenage or young adult experiences: dating, school friends, everyday social life. Richie said, “He. Missed. It. All.”
He watched Jackson go to the studio every afternoon after school — usually arriving faithfully at 3 pm and staying until six. Jackson’s days were structured almost like a machine.
Richie witnessed the kind of warnings Jackson faced about trust — “You can’t trust her, you can’t trust them!” — echoing the paranoia that often follows star status.
Despite seeing the turmoil, Richie insists he couldn’t have changed Jackson’s trajectory. In the thick of it, he says, giving advice wasn’t simple or safe.
The Shadow of Controversy and Final Thoughts
Over the years, Michael Jackson faced serious accusations of child molestation. He was officially cleared in 2005, but controversy reemerged in later years, especially after the Leaving Neverland documentary.
Richie’s daughter, Nicole Richie, was Jackson’s goddaughter. She has publicly defended his character, stating she never experienced or witnessed anything improper.
Rocky as their times were, Richie repeatedly speaks from a place of affection, respect for Jackson’s genius, and deep sorrow at how fame can warp both opportunity and trust.
In short, the bond between Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie was not defined solely by music and celebrity, but by shared struggles—of talent, of exploitation, and of deep human complexity. Richie’s recent disclosures offer a more intimate lens into one of pop music’s most consequential friendships.