Photo: GAB Archive, Redferns / Getty Images
Bubbles, of all of Jackson's pets, was probably the closest to Jackson. His 1985 adoption of the chimp from a Texas research facility, and the subsequent bond between man and ape became a key part of the singer's eccentric persona. Bubbles often was seen at Jackson's side as a member of Jackson's entourage during the peak of the entertainer's fame in the 1980s. He attended concerts, album recording sessions, and tea parties at Elizabeth Taylor's house. That is, when he wasn't kicking it in high style at Jackson's Neverland ranch, practicing his moonwalk.
Now in his mid-twenties, Bubbles still lives a stylish life, although much less in the blinding spotlight of his glitzy early years. As he matured, Bubbles became too aggressive for domestic life with the Jackson family and was given to a California-based animal trainer who later entrusted the chimp's care to the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary for "retired" apes in Wauchula, Florida, where he resides today.
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