Jon Bon Jovi said Michael Jackson's pet chimp showed up at a party with a cigar and 'wreaked havoc'
The tales of Michael Jackson and his beloved chimp Bubbles are for the books, as the King of Pop made sure his beloved pet had the best of both worlds. Jackson purchased Bubbles from a Texas research facility in the 1980s, and as a pet to one of the biggest musicians, the chimp always had a gala time. Recalling one such incident, Jon Bon Jovi shared about a wild night where the celebrity chimp not only 'wreaked havoc' but partied for so long that hotel management eventually threatened to evict them.
During his April 2024 appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', Bon Jovi shared his encounter with Jackson while on the 'Slippery When Wet' tour in Tokyo, as per the New York Post. "We walked into his hotel room, which was all done up in mirrors so he could dance," Bon Jovi said. "They actually took a wall out between these rooms because he was there for quite a while." He further described how Jackson's manager cautiously prepared before entering. "His manager takes us in, fixes his hair, puts his cigar out, and fixes his shirt before he enters the room; it was all very surreal."
When Jackson finally appeared, Bon Jovi was left speechless as he shared, "Michael comes in with the bullet belts across his shirt, and my eyes sort of do that 'wee-wah' because, you know, it's Michael Jackson and you're in his hotel room." After their conversation, Jackson extended an invitation for a night of partying. "We think we're friends, and we say, 'Come on down to our floor and hang out; we've got the whole band here. Our girlfriends are all here,'" Bon Jovi recalled. He further shared that while Jackson couldn't join the band onstage that night, he made up for it with a unique gesture.
Bon Jovi shared, "Unfortunately, he didn't come, but he sends Bubbles the Chimp as his representative." He further added, "That was big, right? Bubbles comes down and wreaks havoc. Bubbles partied like a rock star." He described the chaos that followed, saying, "[He was] jumpin' on the bed, puttin' on a show, oh yeah." Bon Jovi further recalled, "And I don't remember who brought him down or if he just came down on his own with a cigar. Bubbles showed up, man. He hung hard." When asked how long Bubbles had stayed, Bon Jovi joked, "Seemed like a lifetime. Quite a while, to the point where hotel management came and threatened to throw us out. Oh yeah. We partied with Bubbles."
Not only that, but Bon Jovi once reportedly kidnapped Bubbles when Jackson failed to appear at Bon Jovi’s final Budokan show despite agreeing to it, as per Rock929rock. After the show and its afterparty, the band decided to play a prank on Jackson. They contacted his personal trainer, who was also responsible for watching Bubbles the chimp, and claimed Bon Jovi wanted to meet him. Drummer Tico Torres then took Bubbles from the trainer's hotel room, saying he was bringing the chimp to the bar. Bon Jovi's head of security, Michael Francis, at the time, said, "Tell Michael if he wants to see Bubbles again, he can come to the bar and get him."
@thericheisenshow Michael Jackson really sent his Chimp Bubbles down to the hotel lobby to hang out with Bon Jovi and co. 🤣 #jonbonjovi #bonjoviforever #michaeljackson #chimp ♬ original sound - RichEisenShow
With Bubbles in tow, Bon Jovi spent two hours in the hotel bar, drinking and feeding bananas to the famous chimp. Francis then recalled, "Eventually, we come to the conclusion that Jackson's personal trainer is too scared to let anyone know that Bubbles has been abducted." An hour later, Francis safely returned Bubbles to Jackson's bodyguards outside the penthouse suite. As per Francis's words, the staff was confused by the situation, but they were likely relieved that the chimp was unharmed.