Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley’s Passionate Liplock Was the Cringiest MTV VMA Moment Ever
The MTV VMA’s are well-known for famous and cringe-worthy moments that fans discuss for years afterward. However, in 1994, no one expected to see the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, plant a passionate kiss on his new bride, Lisa Marie Presley, three months after their surprising marriage. Here’s what happened on that fateful September evening that sent viewers into a tizzy.
When did Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson marry?
Presley and Jackson first met in the 1970s in Las Vegas. However, their friendship deepened 20 years later when they had dinner with a mutual friend. At the time, Presley married Danny Keough, the father of two of her children, Riley and Benjamin Keough.
Presley and Jackson’s friendship deepened in the summer of 1993, reported Us Weekly. When accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler, Jackson leaned on Presley for comfort and advice. Jackson subsequently reached a financial settlement with the family in January 1994.
In early 1994, Presley and Keough split. On May 26, 1994, Jackson and Presley tied the knot in the Dominican Republic.
People Magazine released a statement from Presley after her marriage to Jackson.
It read, “My married name is Mrs. Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson. My marriage to Michael Jackson took place in a private ceremony outside the United States weeks ago. I am very much in love with Michael, and I dedicate my life to being his wife. I understand and support him. We both look forward to raising a family.”
The cringiest MTV VMA moment ever came from Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley
Just over a month later, the couple opened the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 8, 1994.
Jackson held Presley’s hand as they stepped out onto the stage.
“Welcome to the MTV Video Music Awards,” Jackson said, with Presley by his side as the audience cheered. “I’m very happy to be here. Just think, nobody thought this would last,” the entertainer concluded as Presley looked on nervously.
Jackson punctuated his feelings for his new bride with a lingering kiss before the couple exited the stage.
Presley spoke of her marriage to Jackson one year after his death
According to the LA Times, Presley filed for divorce from Jackson after 20 months of marriage. Her publicist released a statement spelling the end of their union in December 1995.
Presley told Oprah Winfrey that her marriage to Michael Jackson was real. However, she claimed Jackson was a master manipulator of the media and other aspects of his life.
“I always confused that manipulation, thinking that it meant he didn’t love me,” she says. “But I understand it better now. The manipulation was a survival tactic for him.”
However, Presley maintains the couple had a typical marriage.
For example, when Michael couldn’t sleep at night, she would stay awake to talk with him. “I loved taking care of him,” Presley told Winfrey. “It was one of the highest points in my life when things were going well, and he and I were united. It was a very profound time of my life.”
