**Jane Goodall Once Claimed Michael Jackson’s Pet Chimpanzee Bubbles Was ‘Beaten and Abused’**
*Published: October 1, 2025, 6:30 p.m. ET*
Renowned primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who passed away on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91, once expressed concerns about Michael Jackson’s famous pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. RadarOnline.com reveals that Goodall confessed to having “ticked” off the pop icon when she relayed suspicions that Bubbles was being “beaten and abused” under his care.
The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed on social media that Goodall died of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour across the United States.
### Goodall’s Legacy
Jane Goodall dedicated her life to studying primates, spending more than six decades researching chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. Her groundbreaking discoveries made her a household name worldwide.
Given her expertise, it was no surprise that Michael Jackson reached out to her when his beloved chimpanzee Bubbles began exhibiting aggressive behavior.
### Michael Jackson and Bubbles
Michael Jackson, who died in 2009, acquired Bubbles in 1983 when the chimpanzee was just eight months old. The animal quickly became a fixture in Jackson’s life, famously sleeping in a crib in the singer’s room and often seen accompanying him, dressed in various outfits.
However, despite being treated like a household pet, Bubbles was a wild animal by nature and started acting out as he matured.
### Goodall’s Claims of Abuse
Five years after Jackson’s death, Jane Goodall publicly revealed her past concerns regarding Bubbles’ treatment. She claimed, “I ticked him off. I went to see him to talk about Bubbles. When he was with Michael Jackson, he was being beaten!”
### Confronting Jackson About Bubbles
While Bubbles still lived at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California, a source stated that the pop star consulted Goodall regarding Bubbles’ troubling behavior. According to the source, Goodall advised Jackson to hire a new trainer for the then six-year-old chimpanzee and suggested introducing two female chimpanzees to keep him company. Unfortunately, “Michael didn’t take her advice.”
Bubbles’ aggression did not improve, and eventually, he was sent to live with trainer Bob Dunn.
Although Goodall stopped short of directly accusing Jackson of abuse, Jackson’s sister LaToya’s ex-husband, Jack Gordon, alleged witnessing the pop star physically strike Bubbles. Gordon claimed that Jackson punched the chimp and kicked him in the stomach, justifying his actions by saying, “He doesn’t feel it. He’s a chimpanzee. I have to discipline him.”
### Bubbles’ Later Life
In 2005, Bubbles was removed from Dunn’s care and sent to live at the Center for Great Apes in Florida, where Jane Goodall served as an honorary board member.
When Goodall came forward with her concerns about Bubbles’ early life at Neverland, Patti Ragan, founder of the Center for Great Apes, said the primatologist “probably thought that Neverland was not an appropriate place for a little chimpanzee to live – and I agree with that.”
Ragan added, “He showed no signs of abuse when he arrived here. He was 22 when he got here, and he was only with Michael until he was six or seven years old.”
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Jane Goodall’s pioneering work and dedication to primate conservation have left a lasting legacy, shining a light on the complex lives of chimpanzees like Bubbles and the humanity’s responsibility in caring for them.
https://radaronline.com/p/jane-goodall-michael-jackson-bubbles-abuse-allegations/
