Lionel Richie Says Life On The Road Contributed to Michael Jackson’s ‘Smelly’ Hygiene

Lionel Richie is opening up about Michael Jackson’s poor hygiene habits.

In his newly released memoir, Truly, Richie gets candid about his friendship with Jackson and the King of Pop’s “eccentric” lifestyle. Having grown up in the spotlight under the guidance of his parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, Richie believes Jackson may have missed out on learning some basic lessons in personal care.

“Michael was very close with his siblings and his mom, but once he went solo, making these monster albums, movies and videos, he was in charge of his own ship,” Richie wrote in the book, according to People. “His day-to-day life was what you could call eccentric. Like an absent-minded professor but still a kid.”

As a result, the Thriller singer was given the nickname “Smelly” by producer Quincy Jones, the mastermind behind the iconic album.

“Michael would laugh too, realizing that he was oblivious to the fact that he hadn’t changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days or so,” wrote Richie. “We all have our quirks.”

Richie explained that the King of Pop’s shortcomings in personal hygiene made sense given his hectic yet low-maintenance lifestyle when he wasn’t on stage or in the spotlight.

“He was on tour performing in the elaborate costumes made for him by his stylists, or he was in his pajama bottoms and slippers in the studio or he was in his going-out attire,” Richie wrote. “Or he was at home in something loose and comfortable so he could practice his dance moves and play with his menagerie of pets.”

But even the “Hello” singer couldn’t deny that Jackson was often “smelly” whenever they were together.

“Whenever Michael came to visit me, he was wearing whatever—jeans and a t-shirt. And the jeans were either falling off him or too short to even be jeans and, well, smelly,” Richie wrote.

Richie believes life on the road kept Jackson from washing his clothes, and items sent to the dry cleaner often disappeared as “souvenirs.” As a result, Jackson “just got into the habit of wearing the same pants until they were unwearable,” Richie recalled.

As a supportive friend, Richie let Jackson shower at his home and provided him with fresh clothes.

“I drove him home, on his back streets, and he was sweet and thankful. As soon as I walked back into my house, I passed by the living room and noticed that there on the carpet was the pair of Michael Jackson’s underwear and his old ratty jeans. Just lying there like roadkill,” Richie recalled. “What do I do but laugh? MJ was here.”

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