Michael Jackson’s Nephew Is Offended That Harry Styles Has Been Hailed The “New King Of Pop.”

The recent cover of Rolling Stone UK featured Harry Styles and called him the “new King of Pop.” Taj, Michael Jackson’s nephew, is not happy with this.

The fuming Taj, 49, tweeted, “There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it; my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired.”

In the same tweet, Tito Jackson’s son stated that he had no disrespect toward Harry Styles. He acknowledged the singer’s talent but suggested that he be given a new title. Taj tagged Styles on his post.

Recall that the Estate of Michael Jackson has trademarked the title “King of Pop”. This was Michael Jackson’s opening line, nickname, and representation back then, and it was used frequently throughout his life.  Even after his death, the title has continued to be associated with Jackson.

The estate of Michael Jackson has been so protective of this exclusive title that, at one time, they sued a small-scale company, specifically a popcorn shop, for naming their website KingOfPop.com.

Today, if you access the supposed popcorn website, you will be redirected to the Michael Jackson website.

Fans were divided about a new artist being called the “King of Pop.” Some agree that there is nothing wrong with branding a contemporary artist with the title since the king is dead, and a new one will always emerge. Others say Michael Jackson didn’t earn that nickname because he adopted it for branding purposes.

Michael has one of the strongest legacies in the entertainment industry. In 2009, he died at 50 from cardiac arrest after he was administered propofol to help him sleep.

He was undoubtedly one of the best performers, with excellent vocals and dancing skills that appealed to the masses. 

Jackson was also under scrutiny in the years before his death because of allegations of him being a child molester. He was acquitted of these assertions in 2005, but it remained in the public eye with the release of a documentary called Leaving Neverland in 2019.

Taj also backed his uncle in the face of Leaving Neverland. He condemned the critics profiled on the series for their online “gloating about Michael.” He went on to say that he, too, had been assaulted as a child. Nonetheless, he stated that he had over 200 sleepovers at his uncle’s house and never witnessed any improper sexual behavior in the house or among the individuals who lived there.

Concerning Leaving Neverland, Taj stated that the allegations were motivated by greed, and he had no doubts about his uncle’s innocence.

Furthermore, he cited, “Michael was probably the best person I have ever met. He had a healing factor to him and the biggest heart and soul. When you were around him, nothing else mattered in the world. All your troubles and all of your pain were gone. Even when my mom passed away, it felt like I was going to be okay because of him.”