Michael Jackson's 'Addiction To Painkillers' To Blame For Lisa Marie Presley Divorce: 'It Took Over His Life'
Feb. 24 2023, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
In the wake of Lisa Marie Presley's sudden passing on January 12 at the age of 54 following cardiac arrest at her Calabasas, CA, home, the family of her late ex-husband, Michael Jackson, released a statement in her honor.
"We are saddened by the sudden tragic loss of Michael's former wife, Lisa Marie Presley," Jackson's estate said. "Michael cherished the special bond they enjoyed and was comforted by Lisa Marie's generous love, concern, and care during their times together."
It was a touching sentiment, but it came as a bit of a surprise to those familiar with the inner workings of Lisa Marie and Michael's 18-month marriage in the '90s. Now, an unpublished manuscript is revealing the shocking truth about their relationship — and how the King of Pop's struggle with painkillers tore their union apart, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Lisa Marie and Michael had been good friends for years before things took a romantic turn. Yet, in 2003, Elvis Presley's only child admitted she had a savior complex when it came to her second husband. The troubled singer had begun abusing prescription painkillers in 1984 after he suffered painful third-degree burns on his scalp while filming a Pepsi commercial.
"You get sucked into the 'You poor, misunderstood person, you..." said Lisa, adding, "I'm a sucker for that."
According to the unpublished manuscript about Lisa Marie's life, Michael reached out to Lisa Marie in 1993, pleading that he was suicidal. High on drugs, Michael proposed — but mistakenly thought she was his close friend Debbie Rowe.
"She must have noticed something was off about his behavior, but she ignored it until he called her Debbie," a source spilled about Michael's shocking proposal. Despite the split up, she said yes.
After their 1994 wedding in the Dominican Republic, things quickly started to unravel.
"Michael's addiction to painkillers was mainly to blame," said the insider. "It took over his life and he became more and more unstable. Lisa Marie spent less and less time at Neverland Ranch, and when she did, she would sleep in a separate bedroom."
Michael's friendship with Debbie also became an issue. "There was no doubt in Lisa Marie's mind that Michael was using Debbie to get more drugs," explained the source.
In a 2022 documentary, Debbie admitted to supplying him with painkillers, saying, "I regret that. I will regret it. And I am so sorry that I participated in it."
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The final straw was when Michael made a staggering confession: Debbie was pregnant. She eventually miscarried, but the damage was done.
Lisa Marie and Michael divorced soon after — and just three months later, he married Debbie. They went on to have son Prince, 25, and daughter Paris, 24. Michael's son Bigi was born in 2002 via surrogate.
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