Michael Jackson’s Chimpanzee Bubbles Celebrated His 40th Birthday in Florida

May 2nd 11:09 AM

A sculpture with the title 'Michael Jackson and Bubbles' (Gold) by the American artist Paul McCarthy is pictured during the preview of the exhibition "Michael Jackson - On the Wall" at Bundeskunsthalle on March 21, 2019 in Bonn, Germany. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Do you remember Bubbles? He was the chimpanzee Michael Jackson had as a pet back in the 1980’s. He has outlived his former owner by many years. And now, the chimp just celebrated his 40th birthday! And since he’s retired, of course he lives here in Florida.

According to the New York Post, Bubbles is now living in a chimp “retirement home” in Wauchula, Florida. It’s called the Center For Great Apes. They just threw a huge birthday bash for him that included a cake frosted with mashed bananas and his name written out in blueberries. As you might imagine, the party’s theme was bubbles, complete with a bubble bath and paper bubble decorations.

Bubbles definitely got presents too! The staff gave him a blanket with his photos on it. They entertained him with DVDs of Michael Jackson, which you might think would be a trigger for the chimp. However, the staff at the center says he really loves watching his former owner, and he actually remembers the King of Pop.

Michael Jackson’s pet chimp Bubbles turned 40 with a party fit for pet royalty https://t.co/Xxiw12WEgK pic.twitter.com/xI2CUHFvc8
— New York Post (@nypost) April 29, 2023

Jackson bought Bubbles as an infant from a Texas research facility, but within six years the growing chimp was too big to keep as a pet so he was taken to a ranch in California. He’s been living at the center in Wauchula since 2005. He hasn’t been told to “Beat it” yet.

Portrait of Bubbles, a chimpanzee owned by popular entertainer Michael Jackson, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, holds up a photo of himself and the singer, while a plush Bubbles doll stands beside him, Tokyo, Japan, 1987. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Redditors Think These Celebrities Probably Smell Bad

Some celebrities, including Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Lizzo, Jake Gyllenhaal and Brad Pitt have admitted to not showering daily or using deodorant. Though they have habits that may not fit everyone else’s “norm” of showering, some have shared alternatives that keep them clean.

Not all celebs are skipping soap and water, though. Like many of us, rapper Cardi B doesn’t quite understand why so many celebrities have shared that they don’t bathe regularly. In 2021, she tweeted “Wassup with people saying they don’t shower? It’s giving itchy.”

Also chiming in the shower talk was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “I’m the opposite of a ‘not washing themselves’ celeb,” he tweeted. “Shower (cold) when I roll outta bed to get my day rollin’. Shower (warm) after my workout before work. Shower (hot) after I get home from work.”

Despite what celebrities have shared or not shared about their hygiene, people on Reddit took matters into their own hands. Users gathered on a thread and shared who looks like they smell bad in the world of celebrities.

Some of the names on the list aren’t necessarily on it for having foul body odor. It’s unlikely that many of the Redditors commenting have been around the celebrities that they are commenting on (although some claim to have been). There are celebrities named for their alleged overuse of perfumes, colognes, scented creams, or patchouli or things that they’ve said about their bathing habits.

Take a look at celebrities who look like they smell bad, according to Reddit users.

Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke is an American actor and screenwriter. In 2009, he won an Oscar for his lead role in The Wrestler. He also appeared as one of the villains in Marvel’s Iron Man 2. One Reddit user said that there are actually stories about him “smelling like a– and earring backs.”
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne is a model, actress, and singer. Her most notable roles include Margo Roth Spiegelman in the romantic mystery film Paper Towns and the Enchantress in the DC film Suicide Squad. Some Reddit users commented on her reported chain smoking. “It’s hard to find a candid picture of her where she isn’t smoking,” said a user. “I’ve been in the same room with Cara Delevingne. BO and cigarettes.” said another.
Russell Brand
Russell Brand is a comedian and actor. He has received three British Comedy Awards for Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy (2011). Though Reddit users named him in the thread, one user defended the actor’s smell. They said, “Russell Brand LOOKS like he stinks, but I can vouch the man smells incredible.”
Jared Leto
Jared Leto is an actor and musician who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. He also co-founded and leads the popular alternative rock band 30 Seconds to Mars. The savage comments continued with Leto as one user said, “Jared Leto looks like he uses his own sweat as cologne.”
Post Malone
Rapper Post Malone is named amongst other celebrities who look like they smell bad. Maybe it’s his head-to-toe tattooed body or overly casual style. Someone posted “100% Post Malone” in the thread, racking over twenty-four thousand likes.
Kid Rock
Kid Rock was named in the Reddit thread. As far as why he was named, one user commented “He looks like he smells like he just smoked McDonald’s.” There’s a Mean Tweets clip from Jimmy Kimmel where someone tweeted that Kid looks like he smells like “stale farts and cigarettes” and Kid quips that it’s more like “fresh farts and cigars.”
Kesha
Kesha was featured on Flo Rida’s hit “Right Round.” She immediately put out a series of hit songs including “Blow” and “Tik Tok.” One user pointed out her Tik Tok song lyrics “brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack.”
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson is best known for music released in the 1990s, including the albums Portrait of an American Family, Antichrist Superstar, and Mechanical Animals. More than three thousand Redditors seem to agree on this one. “He looks like he either smells like eye-watering B.O or an eye-watering amount of cologne,” said a comment.

Marilyn Manson
Megan Fox
Megan Fox rose to fame as Mikaela Banes in the 2007 film Transformers. She’s since worked on projects like Jennifer’s Body, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and New Girl. Someone got really specific in the comments about what they think she might smell like saying, “Megan Fox looks like she smells like cigarettes and lube.”
Bella Thorne
Bella Thorne is an actress, model, author, and singer. She’s well-known for her role in Shake It Up, The Babysitter, and Blended. A Redditor compared what they think Thorne smells like to an old roommate. “If you left a mostly empty jar of strawberry jam sitting in direct sunlight mixed with sweat and that exact scent is what I imagine Bella smells like,” they said.