Mark Ronson has opened up about a strange night he experienced as a teenager in Michael Jackson’s hotel room, calling it one of the most unforgettable yet complicated memories of his childhood.
The music producer, who was 13 at the time, revealed in his new book Night People that he was introduced to the King of Pop through his friend Sean Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Ronson explained that the late legend invited them to his hotel after a concert during the Bad Tour, where the superstar hosted a party.
Ronson recalled that Jackson spent most of the evening entertaining himself by throwing wet balls of toilet paper out of the hotel window at parked cars.
"He was just obsessed with throwing these soggies out the window – like taking big mounds of toilet paper and making them damp and then throwing them at parked cars. It’s so crazy to say it out loud,” he wrote.
At the time, the music producer admitted that he was already focused on music and wanted to make the most out of the rare encounter.
"Like: ‘You guys go play and run around like kids, I am going to use this Michael Jackson meeting to like get something, get a song out of it’,” he shared.
However, the experience later took on a different meaning for him after allegations of child abuse were made against Jackson in the years before his death in 2009.
The singer always denied the claims and was acquitted in a 2005 trial.
Reflecting on it now, Ronson said, “Obviously with allegations that came later, of course it made me re-examine that event too many times. I wouldn’t say it’s a highlight of my childhood, but it was certainly one of the most memorable experiences.”
Mark also wrote about his friendship with Sean Lennon, describing their bond as “wild” due to Sean’s charisma and the legacy of his famous father.