Lionel Richie isn’t holding back in his new memoir — and one of his most surprising stories is about his late friend Michael Jackson’s hygiene habits.
In Truly, Richie, 76, recalls that while Jackson was a musical genius, he could also be “eccentric” in everyday life — sometimes to the point of not showering or changing his clothes for days. “Michael would laugh, too, realizing that he was oblivious to the fact that he hadn’t changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days or so,” Richie wrote. “We all have our quirks.”
According to Richie, both he and legendary producer Quincy Jones even nicknamed the King of Pop “Smelly.” Jackson reportedly took the teasing in stride, but Richie insists it came from real experiences. He remembered studio visits where Jackson showed up in pajama bottoms, slippers, or old jeans that were either too short or falling apart. “He never wore deodorant around me,” Richie added, noting that the clothes often carried a stench.
One time, Richie said he bought Jackson a fresh pair of jeans and underwear, urging him to take a shower. “I drove him home, and he was sweet and thankful,” he wrote. But when Richie returned home later, he found the old jeans and underwear Jackson had taken off left behind on his living room floor — “just lying there like roadkill.”
Richie also shared that Jackson often accepted free clothes from fans or shop owners, sometimes wearing the same pants until they were unwearable. Despite his superstar status, the singer never seemed to care much about appearances off stage.
The two remained close collaborators and friends until Jackson’s death in 2009 from a prescription drug overdose. Richie says those quirky memories, even the “smelly” ones, are part of what made Jackson unforgettable.