Early Life and Public Debut
Bubbles was born in 1983 at a primate research facility in Austin, Texas. Michael Jackson acquired him as an infant in the mid 1980s through animal trainer Bob Dunn. In 1987 Bubbles traveled to Japan during the Bad tour. He and Jackson had tea with the mayor of Osaka at City Hall.
Life at Encino and Neverland
Bubbles first lived at the Jackson family home in Encino. In 1988 he moved to Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County. He slept in a crib in Jackson’s bedroom. He ate candy in the theater on the property. He wore a diaper and used Jackson’s bathroom. Housekeepers later testified about his presence in the home.
Work and Appearances
Bubbles appeared in the Liberian Girl video in 1989. He was present during studio sessions for the album Bad in 1987. He accompanied Jackson to photo shoots and public events. A photograph by Kenny Rogers showed Bubbles in overalls on Jackson’s hip. During the Japan trip he stayed with Jackson in a two bedroom hotel suite in Tokyo.
Travel Limits and Quarantine Rules
Bubbles could not enter Britain or Sweden during the 1987 tour because of quarantine laws. Reports at the time remarked on his trips and on his contact with fans. He was frequently seen alongside Jackson in public in the late 1980s.
From Household Pet to Sanctuary Resident
As Bubbles matured he became a strong adult chimpanzee. By the early 2000s he weighed about 185 pounds. Like other adult chimps he was no longer suitable as a household pet. He moved to Bob Dunn’s facility in Sylmar, California. When that facility closed in 2004 he transferred to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida in 2005.
Sanctuary Life and Support
At the sanctuary Bubbles lives with other chimpanzees in connected enclosures and outdoor areas. Care staff report that he enjoys painting and listening to flute music. After Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 the estate continued to support Bubbles’s care. La Toya Jackson visited him in 2010. The sanctuary lists his weight at about 185 pounds and notes that he can be shy with strangers.
Status
The Center for Great Apes has reported that Bubbles reached his forties during the twenty twenties. The sanctuary notes that he often turns away from cameras. Staff members state that he spends time resting in elevated areas and grooming companions. He remains in Florida under lifetime care.
He was once the most famous chimp in pop culture, sharing hotel suites with Michael Jackson and even sipping tea beside Osaka’s mayor in 1987.
Cameras followed him into studios and onto sets, turning Bubbles into a headline wherever the Bad era went…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/rLqaJ6VKaC
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) October 24, 2025