‘Michael’: Bubbles The Chimp, Who Appears In Biopic, Is Alive And Well

BusinessHollywood & Entertainment‘Michael’: Bubbles The Chimp, Who Appears In Biopic, Is Alive And WellByTim Lammers,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover Hollywood and entertainment.Follow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 03:55pm EDTApr 24, 2026, 03:57pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.OSAKA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 18: Singer Michael Jackson enjoys a cup of tea with his pet Bubbles at Osaka City Mayoral Hall on September 18, 1987 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Sankei Archive via Getty Images)Sankei via Getty ImagesMichael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee Bubbles, who appears via CGI in Michael, is alive and well in an animal sanctuary, according to the film’s studio.Michael — a biopic that chronicles the King of Pop’s career from his time as a 10-year-old singer (Juliano Krue Valdi) in the Jackson 5 and as adult (Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew and Jermaine Jackson’s son) navigating his solo career as an adult in 1988 — opened in theaters nationwide on Friday. Jackson’s affinity for animals is displayed throughout the film, and it includes the moment he adopted Bubbles from a Texas research facility in the 1983.Forbes‘Michael’ Rotten Tomatoes Reviews Splatter Michael Jackson BiopicBy Tim LammersWhen Bubbles arrives at the Jackson estate in the film, the pop star’s mother, Katherine (Nia Long), is stunned at her son’s adoption of the primate. She warily tells him, “Michael, you do know that chimps are wild animals that don’t belong in a house in Encino?”In spite of the family’s reservations, Bubbles doesn’t cause any damage to his surroundings.Bubbles mostly appears in scenes in out outside of the Jackson family home, and at one point he is sitting alongside engineers while Michael Jackson is cutting tracks in a recording studio.MORE FOR YOUIn real-life, Michael’s studio, Lionsgate gave an update about Bubbles’ whereabouts today.“We have had c...