Michael Jackson Met 'Drunk' Doctor Who Gave Him Nose Job Through Liberace's Ex, Doc Claims (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Michael Jacksonhad an unexpected link to one of Hollywood’s most infamous murder mysteries.

While he was moonwalking his way to King of Pop status in the ’80s, he was “close” friends with the legendaryLiberace’s then lover, a man with underworld connections who would go on be a witness for the prosecution in one of the biggest murder trials in Hollywood history.

The new docuseriesThe Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood, which premiered Sept. 8 on MGM+, goes deep inside an unsolved 1981 quadruple homicide commonly known as the Wonderland murders. The film features a lengthy interview with Scott Thorson, Liberace’s ex, who once claimed to havehad an affairwith Jackson in the ’80s.

Thorson does not link Jackson to the murders, but while recalling his involvement with Nash, he discusses his turbulent romantic relationship with Liberace, who died in 1987 at age 67, and his “close” friendship with the music superstar.

Michael Jackson (left) and Liberace in 1984.Mike Guastella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Mike Guastella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

PEOPLE has an exclusive clip of Thorson talking about Jackson and the role he played in the King of Pop’s journey with cosmetic surgery.

“Michael and I became very close when Liberace introduced me to Michael,” Thorson recalls in the clip. “Later on, Liberace decided to have plastic surgery. Michael decided to have his nose done. I was having my chin done and nose. So we had it on the same day.”

Scott Thorson (left) and Liberace in 1979.Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Ron Galella Collection via Getty

“The doctor came up, and he was drunk when he was shooting Liberace full of Demerol,” Thorson continues. “I had to take the needle away from him. I had to do it; he was so drunk.”

Thorson had complicated feelings about what he said happened that day. “I almost feel kind of guilty about Michael having his nose job because I introduced him to the doctor,” he says in the docuseries. “That’s what started the plastic surgery. He didn’t like his nose. He always hated his looks. He thought he was ugly.”

Eddie Nash under arrest in 1981.Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty

Boris Yaro/Los Angeles Times via Getty

The Wonderland massacre was believed to have been tied to organized crime and L.A.’s drug underworld, and various suspects were implicated and prosecuted over the years, including nightclub owner and drug mogul Eddie Nash, who allegedly masterminded the murders, and porn star John Holmes.

During the ’80s, Thorson, who died in August at age 65, was deeply involved in Hollywood’s drug scene, of which Nash was a key figure. Thorson discusses his connection to Nash, the murders and Jackson in the docuseries.

John Holmes in court in 1981.Bettmann/Getty

Bettmann/Getty

Holmes was charged for his alleged involvement with the murders in 1982 but was eventually acquitted. He died in 1988 of complications from AIDS. Nash was tried for orchestrating the murders in 1990, but the trial ended in a hung jury.

Thorson was placed in a federal witness protection program and changed his name to Jess Marlow after testifying for the prosecution. He claimed that while visiting Nash’s home on the night of the murders, he heard Nash order the hit that later left four people dead in a house on Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon.

In the episode, Thorson also claims that Nash supplied the drugs that led toJohn Belushi’s fatal overdose in 1982, and he also recalls his friendship with the lateRichard Pryor.

The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywoodairs Sundays on MGM+. Episode 2 will be available to stream after its premiere on Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

source: people.com