What Happened to Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s Pet Chimpanzee?

When Michael Jackson adopted Bubbles in 1983, the chimpanzee became much more than just a pet. Over the years, he became an integral part of the singer’s entourage, accompanying him in his daily life as well as his public appearances. It’s impossible to talk about the artist’s career without thinking of the animal. In Michael, the biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and released this month, Bubbles naturally occupies a special place.

Almost eighteen years after Jackson’s death, Bubbles is still alive. At 43, he resides at the Center for Great Apes in Florida, a specialized sanctuary for the animals, funded in part by the singer’s legacy.

On Instagram, the center recently shared an update: “Bubbles is a bright, sensitive, and curious chimpanzee with a gentle nature and a strong personality of his own. Like many elder chimps, he enjoys the comfort of his daily routines and the company of his longtime chimpanzee companions.”

Bubbles has been on many red carpets—he caused a sensation at the MTV Movie Awards in 1994—but now leads an infinitely more peaceful existence. The sanctuary offers him what fame hardly allows: stability, serenity, and above all, “making choices about how he spends his days.”

In a separate post, the center wrote that Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s nephew who plays his uncle on screen, has not yet visited the site. He would, however, be gladly welcomed there, in strict compliance with the rules of the sanctuary, where no physical interaction between humans and great apes is allowed.

As for Bubbles, he seems to have found his equilibrium. He likes to paint, is as mischievous as he is reserved, and shares his daily life with his companions Oopsie, Boma, Kodua, and Stryker.

Immortalized in an iconic porcelain sculpture by Jeff Koons, Jackson and Bubbles seem to be forever linked.

Originally published in Vanity Fair France.