MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Macaulay Culkin recalls ‘weird’ call from Michael Jackson when he was just 10: "Why don't you come..."

MJ once claimed to have footage of himself sharing a bed with Macaulay and Kieran Culkin but insisted it was 'very loving' when asked about it

Child star Macaulay Culkin received an unexpected call when he was only 10 years old and it changed his life forever. The 'Home Alone' actor was riding high on the success of his comedy holiday film when he made an unusual fan and it was none other than Michael Jackson. According to Unilad, he recalled in an interview that the 'Thriller' hitmaker was so impressed with his role that he called him and wanted them to become friends, "And then he calls me up kind of out of the blue, it's kind of just this weird, random thing. He was like, 'Why don't you come over to my house?'" 

In 2004 Culkin told Larry King that their friendship was random but fated, "I first met him, he kind of called me randomly, like, out of the blue, he was just kind of like, 'Hi, it's Michael', and I'm like, 'Hey'. This was after Home Alone. I'd actually met him once before when I was doing 'The Nutcracker' at Lincoln Center, I was playing Fritz, and he came backstage one day and I actually met him very briefly. And he kind of recognized me because it was after I'd done Uncle Buck." As per SCMP, Culkin and Jackson formed a formidable bond despite their 22-year age gap.

The King of Pop gifted him a ring as appreciation for his role in the hit 'Home Alone' franchise, the child actor then became an exclusive guest on 'Neverland Ranch' even reportedly sleeping in the same bed as the music legend. They even collaborated on the hit music video 'Black or White', when Jackson was accused of child abuse Culkin defended him and confessed that the 'Billie Jean' singer had always been a good friend, as per The Guardian. In 2018, while appearing on 'WTF with Mark Maron' podcast he explained their extremely close bond saying, “He was my best friend growing up for a good, fat stretch of my life.”

The 'Change Land' actor added, “Jackson was emotionally young. He enjoyed my youthfulness. He liked being a kid with me. It never struck me as odd. I never felt uncomfortable. That was just the way he was.” In a 2020 exclusive with Esquire, Culkin set the record straight for the world after Jackson's passing, "He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything." He requested to have some dignity for the late icon, "I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on." 

Culkin revealed that during Jackson's famous trial, the latter requested him to maintain distance, “We better not talk,” Jackson said. “I don’t want to influence your testimony.” The then-child artist testified in 2005 as a character witness in People v. Michael Jackson, unfortunately, that was their last meeting since Culkin never heard back from the 'Heal the World' singer until his death in 2009. The 'Sex and Breakfast' actor continues to defend his dear friend and as per reports is also protective about Jackson's children. Culking shares a special relationship with Paris Jackson, he happens to be her godfather.