Michael Jackson's Skin Depigmentation Picture is Edited

In today's age of digital media and social networking, it is unfortunately common for fake and edited pictures of celebrities to circulate online. These pictures are often accompanied by misleading claims about their health conditions. One recent example is a viral tweet that claimed to show a shirtless Michael Jackson with his skin depigmentation due to his vitiligo condition.

Social Media Post

The viral tweet in question features a picture of Michael Jackson that illustrates his skin depigmentation due to vitiligo, a skin condition characterized by the loss of pigment in certain areas of the skin, resulting in white patches.

Source | Archive

The tweet has garnered significant attention with over 14 million views so far, prompting us to investigate the origins and authenticity of the image.

Fact Check

To ascertain the accuracy of this claim, we employed the reverse image search feature to trace the photo's origins. The results led us to the original photograph, which was taken by Lynn Goldsmith in 1981. As we can see from the original image, there is no noticeable depigmentation, as seen in the claiming photo. You can see the original picture as below.

Source: Mouche Gallery

We also found that this edited photo has been circulating online for years, as seen here and here. And this has been previously fact-checked by the Portuguese fact-check website Observado.

It is essential to mention that Michael Jackson did have vitiligo, a condition he openly discussed during his lifetime. However, the photo in question does not accurately show the progression of his vitiligo.

In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson revealed that he suffered from the disease and began to notice changes shortly after the release of "Thriller" in 1982.

Vitiligo is a complex condition that affects individuals differently, and its manifestations can vary significantly from person to person (Source).

In the case of Michael Jackson, his vitiligo mainly affected his face and hands, prompting him to use makeup and gloves to hide the resulting skin discoloration. However, the photo from 1981 does not accurately depict the changes in his skin caused by vitiligo.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the viral tweet claiming to show Michael Jackson's skin depigmentation from vitiligo using a photo from 1981 is an altered image. While it is true that Michael Jackson had vitiligo, this edited photograph does not accurately depict the condition.