Man who spent $30,000 to look like Michael Jackson has no regrets despite child abuse allegations
A Michael Jackson impersonator who has spent $30,000 on 11 plastic surgeries, as well as other cosmetic procedures to look like the late 'King of Pop' has insisted he does not regret his decision to go under the knife after the recent allegations of child sexual abuse made against the singer came up.
Jackson had found himself in the spotlight once again following the release of Dan Reed's 'Leaving Neverland', where Wade Robson and James Safechuck accused him of sexually abusing them as children, however, 22-year-old superfan Leo Blanco says he doesn't believe either of them.
Blanco, who hails from the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, and dreams of becoming the "ultimate" Michael Jackson impersonator, told the Sun Online that what Robson and Safechuck were doing was simply part of a "media circus."
"I saw the documentary, and I don’t believe anything they say, because I know who are the people accusing him," he said. "After his death, they all paid tribute to him saying how much they loved him. I think all of this is just a media circus."
Blanco first became obsessed with Jackson as a child and decided at the age of 15 that he wanted to look like his hero. Since then, he's had 11 surgeries, including four on his nose alone, as well as operations on his cheekbones, jaw, and chin, in a bid to transform himself into the 'King of Pop'.
When asked if he had any qualms about all those procedures now, the 22-year-old responded that he didn't. "I’ve never regretted having the surgery and I don’t now either," he said. He added, however, that "I don’t want to be exactly the same, because I don’t like his nose or his chin."
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) had reported earlier Blanco revealed that as a child, he would constantly watch Jackson and "absorbed everything" about him.
He recently detailed further about what the singer meant to him and why he was taking such drastic steps to mimic his appearance.
"I am trying to look like Michael Jackson from the 'Invincible' era, that’s the one that defines me the most," he said. "The first Michael Jackson I fell in love with was from 'Dangerous', but 'Invincible' is the one that really marked my life, it’s a Michael who is incredible and wise."
He continued, "Michael Jackson is a fundamental part of my life. He taught me that life goes beyond the physical, that there are ways to enjoy art without having expensive things. I can dance and be happy without the need to buy and buy."
While Blanco claimed his family fully supported his vision, his mother came out and said she was worried about his drastic change in appearance and that she sometimes asked herself, "Is this Leo? Is this my son?"
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old is still planning to undergo a few more surgeries. "I have had 11 procedures so far, and I am in negotiations with a TV show from Seoul, which is the world capital of plastic surgery, to have more," he told the Sun. "The idea is to make my chin and my jaw more exaggerated. And in a few days, I am also doing a re-surgical operation to my nose because I have keloids and when my skin heals it leaves a raised scar."