The Center for Great Apes just put its foot down and called out the flood of fake news swirling around Michael Jackson’s famous chimpanzee Bubbles. The sanctuary, which has cared for the now 185-pound adult chimp since 2005, issued a blunt statement to shut down the misinformation that keeps popping up online, especially after the release of Netflix’s new documentary Michael Jackson: The Verdict on June 3, 2026.
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Bubbles has been a fan favorite for decades, ever since Jackson brought him home from a Texas research center back in 1983. According to UNILAD, the little chimp quickly became a fixture in Jackson’s life, tagging along to events and even joining him on a tour to Japan. But as Bubbles grew older and stronger, he retired from the spotlight.
By the time he was six, he was already too powerful to safely keep in show business. After a stint at his trainer’s compound in Hollywood, he moved to the Florida sanctuary, where he’s lived ever since. The sanctuary’s statement made one thing crystal clear: Bubbles has never been cut off from Jackson’s legacy.
The Center for Great Apes is tired of the false information
The sanctuary says there have never been any restrictions on showing Bubbles photos of Jackson or playing his music. In fact, the staff at the Center for Great Apes are big Jackson fans, and they often play his music while cleaning the night houses. Bubbles has seen plenty of photos of Jackson over the years, and the sanctuary is tired of correcting the same false stories that keep circulating.
One of these claims was the idea that Bubbles tried to die by suicide. The sanctuary called that story “ridiculous” and said it’s just one example of the wild tales that have been spread over the years. With the rise of AI-generated images, the problem has only gotten worse. The sanctuary also pointed out that fake photos of Jaafar Jackson, the star of the new Michael Jackson biopic, visiting Bubbles have been floating around social media.
Bubbles was adopted by Michael Jackson in the early 1980s from a Texas research facility when Bubbles was still a baby chimp. Michael was in his mid-20s at the time and quickly became attached to him.
— ? Bubbles ? (@AzureLexin9jet) June 3, 2026
Bubbles basically became Michael’s little sidekick for years ? He traveled… pic.twitter.com/zaa6RdaB0Y
The sanctuary said Jaafar has never visited the sanctuary, let alone gone into the habitat with a 170-pound adult chimpanzee. There have been at least 12 versions of these AI photos, and the sanctuary is baffled by how many people actually believe them.
Bubbles is now 43 years old. In the wild, chimpanzees typically live into their thirties, but in captivity, they can live much longer. The oldest known chimpanzee lived to be nearly 80, and Bubbles is still going strong for his age. He’s considered elderly, but he’s in good company at the sanctuary.
He lives with other chimpanzees, including Oopsie, who’s 53, her daughter Boma, 40, and her grandkids Kodua, 23, and Stryker, 21. The Center for Great Apes described Bubbles as “doing quite well health-wise” and said he enjoys flipping through magazines with photos.
The sanctuary also addressed the media’s sudden interest in Bubbles after Jackson’s death
It noted that while Bubbles arrived at the sanctuary before Jackson passed away, the media didn’t start paying attention to the primate until after the singer’s death. Since then, the sanctuary has had to deal with a constant stream of false stories. The sanctuary admitted it had “given up trying to correct them” at one point, but with the recent surge in AI-generated misinformation, the staff felt compelled to speak out again.
Bubbles’ life at the sanctuary is a far cry from his days in the spotlight. The Center for Great Apes is dedicated to providing a peaceful retirement for apes that have been rescued or retired from the entertainment industry or exotic pet trade. Bubbles’ care is no small feat. It costs over $30,000 a year to look after a chimpanzee at the sanctuary. Luckily, the Michael Jackson Estate continues to cover the costs of Bubbles’ lifelong care.
Prince Jackson says Bubbles the chimpanzee is still alive in Florida, and that the Michael Jackson Estate still pays for his food and that he only likes his food given to him in a backpack. pic.twitter.com/i4HHmX8VBF
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) May 2, 2026
Patti Ragan, the founder of the sanctuary, shared that Jackson himself had hoped to visit Bubbles in Florida but never got the chance. According to MSN, she recalled hearing through the grapevine that Jackson was planning a visit after returning from Europe, but he passed away before it could happen. LaToya Jackson did visit the sanctuary in 2010.
Ragan believes Bubbles and Jackson shared a strong bond
Chimpanzees are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and their interactions with humans can be incredibly deep. Ragan described them as “anthropoids,” meaning they’re very much like humans in many ways. She believes Bubbles and Michael shared a strong bond. That bond is likely why so many fans still feel connected to Bubbles, even decades after he left Jackson’s side.
The sanctuary’s recent statement is a reminder of how easily misinformation can spread, especially in the age of AI. With so many fake stories and AI-generated images floating around, it’s easy to see why the Center for Great Apes felt the need to set the record straight. Bubbles may be retired from the spotlight, but he’s still very much a part of Jackson’s legacy, and the sanctuary is making sure his story is told accurately.
(Featured image: United Press International)
