Michael Jackson’s Estate Calls Out Misleading Sale Of ‘Thriller’ Jacket

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 4, 2024

Michael Jackson’s estate is calling out the bogus auction of a “Thriller” jacket the late King of Pop never wore.

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Michael Jackson’s estate is calling out the bogus auction of a “Thriller” jacket the late King of Pop never wore.

A letter sent out on Tuesday, April 2, questions the Gotta Have Rock and Roll (GHRR) auction house for selling a “Thriller” jacket Jackson never wore during the production of his infamous 1983 music video, TMZ reports. There are only two genuine “Thriller” jackets worn by the legendary singer and one was sold for nearly $2M over a decade ago.

GHRR’s auction page promotes the jacket as a “Michael Jackson 1983 Owned & Worn Thriller Style Jacket (Sotheby’s Provenance).” It was sold at Sotheby’s back in 1993 and is being auctioned by GHRR until Friday, April 12.

With an estimated final bid between $300,000 to $500,000, GHRR was expecting to earn big from the sale. However, as of Wednesday, April 3, zero bids have been placed amid the letter from Jackson’s estate.

The GHRR “Thriller” jacket is originally from the Frank DiLeo collection with DiLeo serving as Jackson’s manager from 1983-1989. The jacket was eventually consigned to Sotheby’s in 1993 by a friend of DiLeo’s.

While the jacket is promoted as “owned and worn” in the auction title, GHRR acknowledges in the description that Jackson did not wear the jacket himself.

“This jacket was used by Jackson, but was not worn during the “Thriller” music video,” the auction page declares. “The jacket is still an incredible item.”

While GHRR sees the jacket as “incredible,” MJ enthusiasts might feel otherwise, hence the lack of bids so soon to the auction’s end. In June 2011, the “Thriller” jacket Jackson actually wore during the filming for his coveted music video sold for $1.8 million at Julien’s auction in Beverly Hills, California.

The final bid was exponentially higher than the estimated $200,000 to $400,000 auctioneers expected to receive for the item. Part of the proceeds went toward the Shambala Preserve where the King of Pop’s two Bengal tigers, Thriller and Sabu, had been living.

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