Overview

• Truly, Richie’s memoir published Sept. 30, recounts first-person stories from his life and friendship with Michael Jackson.
• Richie writes that Quincy Jones teased Jackson with the nickname “Smelly,” and that Jackson laughed about going days without changing or washing clothes.
• He describes Jackson showing up in ill-fitting, unwashed jeans and notes he did not wear deodorant during casual visits.
• Richie attributes some habits to the challenges of global fame, saying Jackson avoided sending clothes for cleaning because items were often kept as souvenirs, leading him to wear pants until they were “unwearable.”
• One anecdote details Richie giving Jackson clean underwear and jeans, driving him home to shower, and later finding Jackson’s discarded clothes on his living-room carpet; these accounts are Richie’s recollections, with no independent verification or estate response reported.