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Michael and Me: The Untold Story of Michael Jackson's Secret Romance
More than six years after his death, Michael Jackson continues to fascinate the world. Shana Mangatal was one of Jackson’s only constant and true rocks of stability for nearly two decades. Their relationship was quiet and sweet and real—a closely guarded secret, known only to a few trusted employees and friends. Shana is now coming forward to tell their love story. Her story is rich with every little detail. She witnessed the scandals, lawsuits, the release of groundbreaking albums and subsequent world tours, big-budget short films, addictions. Michael and Me entertains and inspires, but above all, Shana continues to treat Michael (and his legacy) with respect. This is not an exploitative tell-all, but rather a book that shows the side of Michael people never knew. In it, Shana paints a more intimate picture of this beloved, yet very misunderstood man.
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Published August 29, 2016
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November 28, 2019
Let me state from the outset that she may well have been Michael's secret girlfriend; but it was so secret that even he didn't know about it. Based upon several conversations I had with Ms. Mangatal, as well as engaging several e-mail exchanges, I have no other choice but to conclude that her book is a cleverly timed, well-crafted, extraordinary fabrication.
-Firpo Carr
I always welcome new books that are written about my beloved Michael Jackson and read each one thoroughly but there are many problems with this and the main issue is the author herself; many contradictions and falsehoods which with a quick research can be debunked.
However, I'm going to keep my review based solely on the book.
As an avid book reader ever since the day I learned how to read, I always made it a habit to dig deeper behind the meaning and read between the lines. I read Shana's book with an open mind and most certainly rigorously; I wanted to know what she had to tell and what is behind her obvious bitterness–from her own words and she did reveal herself.
The book starts with Ms. Mangatal going to her first Michael Jackson solo concert--the Bad Tour in 1988 (The first concert she attended was the Jacksons’ Triumph tour in 1981). Right from the Prologue you'd notice the first (and most certainly not last) unreasonable claim, quotation from the book: “He then launched into a beautiful rendition of his hit song ‘Human Nature.’ ‘See that girl—she knows I’m watching. She likes the way I stare.’ As his smooth voice effortlessly glided over the lyrics, he pointed right to me. I squealed so loud, he started smiling. I had been screaming the whole time, so there was no doubt he had noticed me before then. He kept glancing at me for the remainder of the concert and I was sure we had made a love connection.” 20,000 screaming fans and yet Ms. Mangatal want to convince the rational reader that she managed to grasp his attention and establish “a love connection” this easily?
However, I tried to look past this shallow attempt that most certainly would appeal to fan-girls. The real story begins when she moved to Los Angeles and sat out to make it in Hollywood as a singer (she had no luck) or as an actress (she only landed small roles here and there) so to survive in California she had to look for a job, as she claimed, she first worked as a tour guide and then she landed a better job as receptionist for Gallin Morey Associates—in which she stayed for around 7 years. Some of Gallin Morey clients included Renee Zellwegger, Paul Walker, Mariah Carey, Milli Vanilli, Dolly Parton, Whoopie Goldberg, Martin Lawrence, Korn, Mariah Carey, Nicole Kidman, Paul Walker, and, unsurprisingly, Michael Jackson.
Now let's explore the book
1- The cover of the book is silly. I understand when someone wouldn't want to blast her lover private pictures on the internet. That is respectable but when you write a book revealing private matters (e.g. kissing a man's private genitalia), it wouldn't hurt to provide one proper and more “romantic” picture as a cover–other than this meet & greet photo–that of course if she has any at all.
2- I feel cheated. Now, the author claims that this book “shows the side of Michael people never knew.” I started with it and I was looking forward to read more about that 'hidden' side, however, there is absolutely nothing! Most of her information that she shares are coming either from tabloids or people from the camp. I wanted a firsthand information about the promised side of Michael that the advertisement claimed we never knew and I wanted it coming from Shana as the source, not “I heard from...” “Someone told me..” or “I read from a magazine...”
3- I searched within the book and there is no real understanding of the man nor his art, mere tabloid-ish assumptions. The simplest facts are untrue and can be easily debunked. Also, the timeline is wrong. The first part of the book reads like a fan-fiction, the second half reads like a terrible soap opera.
4- Her reasoning for his change of color is that he wanted to achieve colorless-ness. Quotation from the book: “(...) In fact, his wish was to be color- less, which I suppose he achieved. I suspect it was his years of enduring the pervasive racism that he constantly spoke about existing within the music industry that caused him to want to be without color, almost to prove a point. (...) He never explained any of his actions to the public and was deeply misunderstood because of it.”
Now two problems with this exact quotation: 1- He suffered from Vitiligo. 2- He did explain his actions to the public (keyword: Oprah Winfrey interview) but many–including the author–were following the tabloids. Ms. Mangatal did mention Vitiligo once which means that she's well-aware of his skin condition then what is the point of mentioning this unreasonable "color-less" theory?
5- Ms. Mangatal supports the self-proclaimed King of Pop falsehood that many journalists up til his death insisted on referring to him as such. Although his achievements most certainly merited such title and more--what makes this claim bogus is that this title was given to him in the early 80s! But again, this is not the only time that Ms. Mangatal endorses tabloid stories. Quotation from the book: “This experience taught me that if a star is in trouble, you should always be skeptical of any statements or actions coming out of that star’s camp. You would be better off reading the tabloids for true information.”
6- Ms. Mangatal contradicts herself quite a lot. One time she says that she had suspicions of his friendship with Jordan Chandler when she was watching the AMAs and other times she says that she believes his innocence yet on some other parts she revert back into putting comments that can be misinterpreted! You either believe in his complete innocence, which was proven in the court of law or you simply do not which will mean that you do not know him after all but going back and forth depending on the mood is just odd.
7- Ms. Mangatal keeps on telling how Michael never gave a closure nor made it clear not wanting to be with her but there's this story that she shares in the book about the one time after the first allegation when her coworkers at Gallin Morey started throwing out the idea that she and Michael should get married. They thought it was a good idea to rectify the bad publicity. Jim told Shana to make sure that her passport is up to date because they wanted to send her overseas to be with Michael as his 'girlfriend' for some tour dates and perhaps get caught in photos. All was left is to "convince Michael," Jim told her. She got extremely excited. Tour dates came and went and she still wasn't flown out to be with him. Obviously, they tried to convince Michael and he rejected the idea all together.
Quotation from the book: “(...) Instead of flying me to be with him, he chose them. I couldn’t believe it.”
8- There's this one story in which she tells about the time she received a death threat phone call and unreasonably enough Michael was her first suspect! She also thought that she was being followed and her phones were bugged which led her to temporarily doubt his innocence! Quotation from the book: “I admit, after this incident I started doubting Michael’s innocence a bit. If he were completely innocent, I thought, why would someone go to this extreme to keep me quiet?” But after wasting precious pages with this odd story she concludes that it was not him. I couldn't help but wonder why and how in hell was Michael even her first possible suspect?
9- You see, Ms. Mangatal plays it smart within the pages of this book. She limited their first interactions to what she described as steamy phones calls. Why? Because phones calls do not require validation. But lets stop here for a second and analyze this: would Michael the ever-careful phone a woman he barely even knew on her work number and have steamy phone calls without a care in the world? There's a certain part in which Ms. Mangatal even suggests that he was probably “pleasuring” himself to the sound of her voice. Outrageously unbelievable! But I think Ms. Mangatal had to restrict their interactions to phone calls because it is safer this way.
10- Even the one night she claims that they spent together “making love” is questionable. I mean, it sounds like it's out of some terrible fan-fiction with weak dialogue that would only appeal to fan-girls. Lets be real, if Michael Jackson is ought to have some sex, is he going to tell the girl to simply not to tell anyone? To swear? To PROMISE? Now, Michael is known to be the most private person and he had a well-justified trust issues so does it make sense that he will ask for a promise? Or would he ask her to sign some sort of non-disclosure agreement? Most certainly the latter. According to Shana, he only asked her to promise not to tell anyone before having sex! Four words: get out of here.
Quotation from the book: “You swear?” “Yes, Michael. I swear.” “You really have to promise me, because no one can know about this. No matter what happens in the future, please remember to keep this between us. It’s very important.” “I promise, Michael.”
11- It is well-known that Michael loved experienced women–quick look at his dating history will prove this right away. Ms. Mangatal claims that he preferred to be “the aggressor” and preferred shy and quiet girls. This couldn't be more further from the truth. I couldn't help but wonder which Michael Jackson is she talking about? Certainly not the Michael Jackson.
12- The parts that I personally found disturbing to read:
• She keeps on changing & contradicting her own opinions of him depending on whether or not they were on good terms during those certain times. I mean, if he was calling the office regularly and asking about her then he's the most amazing person on this earth--she describes him as loving, polite, alert, caring, innocent, happy, clear-headed among other positive descriptions. However, when he stopped calling, she then describes him as drugged, cold, spiteful, cold, mean, vicious, vindictive, improper, paranoid and preferred the company of young boys over having a healthy relationship with the most attractive woman on this planet---Shana Mangatal. Quotation from the book: “I always felt that Michael didn’t feel worthy enough to have a pretty girl want him in that way.”
• She seemed gloating when misfortune befell on him; like it was some kind of punishment for not choosing her. Quotation from the book: “‘This is the craziest day in the history of Gallin Morey,’ I said, exhausted yet excited by all of the drama.” This was after the 1993 false allegation: how could she be excited that his life was being destroyed? If the love of my life is in that deep trouble I know for certain that I wouldn't be “excited by the drama.” She seemed to only sympathize with him when she felt there was some hope for her to get through to him.
• Ms. Mangatal states in the book that she attended a business dinner hosted by a high-ranking executive at Lisa Marie’s record label. That's when the story of Michael using sex to control Lisa comes up and how he would withhold it to barter for other things that he wanted. In my thinking, this sounds like it came out of a tabloid paper. Now, let's remember why Michael wanted divorce from Lisa; she promised him before marriage that they will have kids together, after marriage she broke that promise for whatever reason which led eventually to irreconcilable differences. How does it make sense that he wanted to have his own kids so bad and at the same time he would withhold sex? It just doesn't make any sense.
• In 2009, Ms. Mangatal planned with one of Michael's assistants (and unsurprisingly a close friend of Shana which in the book was called Nicole)–this ‘Nicole’ was fired by Michael so ‘Nicole’ took it upon herself to guide Shana on how to take her place in taking care of Michael's children. Put in mind that Michael didn't ask for help but those two found it their mission to find a way to get into the house. Now this is absolutely disturbing. Michael did not want to have anything to do with Ms. Mangatal for 15 years other than simple friendship and she, herself, confessed in the book indirectly of how she relentlessly pursued him (whether he was married or single) over and over again with no luck at all, so what made her believe that he'd actually want her to take care of his children? What made her believe that was an acceptable idea?
13- In the book she talks about meeting Michael and his children while she was working with David Copperfield and she gushes about how Michael was all over her (he even kissed her) but when Bill Whitfield–who Ms. Mangatal thanked among others in the acknowledgments section–was asked about that on Twitter, he replied: “honestly, I don't know if she and MJ had anything prior to my working for him, during my time with MJ I never heard of her.”
14- Although Ms. Mangatal did put multiple commentaries about Michael's friendship with kids that could easily be misinterpreted by the media but she insisted on defending his innocence from the bogus crime he was accused of (and was acquitted from in 2005) and denied witnessing or hearing anything about inappropriate behavior but then I wonder why add the odd commentaries (refer to #6)
15- Only one chapter that is decent and sounds sort of factual; the shooting of Ghosts. There was a couple of humorous stories but these stories are nothing new though and the only conversations that she and Michael shared somehow always was the shooting of Ghosts. Now, if these two people are madly in love as the author claims, they would've found other things to discuss.
In conclusion:
This book is not for the real fans of Michael Jackson or those who really knew him.
After reading the whole book thoroughly Ms. Mangatal failed to deliver any romance between them. The only obvious thing is that Michael was super nice to her while she kept misinterpreting every word he ever said to her. In my humble observation; it seemed like Ms. Mangatal managed to screw up a normal friendship–we all know how friendly Michael was–and turn a simple flirtation into a make-believe romance. She stalked him; made friends with most people that she thought could get her closer to him; called him obsessively that he had to change his phone number; sent him gifts although he didn't send her nothing back; she had only one picture with him–backstage as meet & greet session; started rumors about false love affair when he clearly wanted nothing to do with her; no significant member of Michael's inner real camp came out to acknowledge her; not to mention that he was married twice and not one time to her. How is that for a romance?
Read the full review here
August 28, 2016
In the beginning I really believed that Shana and Michael did have a secret romance because she seemed so nice. However, there are many inconsistencies and untruths written all throughout this book, this can easily be discovered by conducting your own research. I feel as if certain content that was written in this book were adopted from common rumors and misconceptions about Michael.
Although the author claimed to love him, she persistently states that he was deeply insecure, paranoid, a drug addict, a drunk, very moody and reckless type of person. I was appalled to read her say that he had an unhealthy obsession with children, specifically little boys. Now more than ever the tabloids now have more ammunition to continue associating Michael Jackson to a pedophile because of what she chose to write about his connection with children.
She even went as far to state that the fans are better off getting truthful information from reading the tabloids. That is just ridiculous.
I don't like the tone of this book either. Seems more revengeful intent than it is blissful.
If anything I wouldn't be surprised if this intimacy the author wrote about is all fictional as she doesn't even provide any evidence whatsoever of a relationship, so I have a hard time believing her story. I wasted my money on this one. Ignore this book.
Although the author claimed to love him, she persistently states that he was deeply insecure, paranoid, a drug addict, a drunk, very moody and reckless type of person. I was appalled to read her say that he had an unhealthy obsession with children, specifically little boys. Now more than ever the tabloids now have more ammunition to continue associating Michael Jackson to a pedophile because of what she chose to write about his connection with children.
She even went as far to state that the fans are better off getting truthful information from reading the tabloids. That is just ridiculous.
I don't like the tone of this book either. Seems more revengeful intent than it is blissful.
If anything I wouldn't be surprised if this intimacy the author wrote about is all fictional as she doesn't even provide any evidence whatsoever of a relationship, so I have a hard time believing her story. I wasted my money on this one. Ignore this book.
August 28, 2016
Don't bother with this book. If you are curious about it please read the independent Kirkus review and look at all the reviews on Amazon, not just the gushing five star ones posted there and here by the author's friends. The "secret romance" advertised in the title amounts to phone conversations the author had with Michael Jackson when he called his manager's office and she, working as the receptionist, answered the phone plus, IF she is to be believed, a couple nights of sex in 1996 during which he took her virginity, made her promise never to tell anyone and then proceeded to ignore her to the point that she says he did not recognize her 7 years later. This really is all she has to peddle. The rest of the "relationship" occurred entirely in her mind. She had been an obsessed fan who stalked him for years prior to getting the receptionist job, and has spent the years since his death cultivating a following among his fans as the "secret girlfriend". Whether she is genuinely delusional or just conniving is not clear. What is clear is this book is a waste of time. In between the girlish romantic fantasies she feeds many tabloid caricatures and dismisses his well-documented health concerns. Kirkus calls the book "vexing and tiresome," which is if anything an understatement.
August 30, 2016
Awful!! This is a book written by an opportunist out for revenge. If people do a little research on this woman, they will realize she stalked him for many years and was never his girlfriend as she claims. Nothing but fan fiction.
February 7, 2017
What a waste of paper. Glad I (finally) finished reading it so I can move onto a much better book.
September 3, 2019
Wow so many emotions finishing this book. I don’t quite know how to feel about it. I will say off the bat I went into this with an open mind. At the same time I just feel on the fence about when people put out books or come forward with things after someone’s death. Why didn’t you do it when they were alive. It can come across a bit opportunistic. And so I took everything with a grain of salt. So with that in mind I’ll say what I thought of it.
I’m not 100% why this book was written. Maybe to finally get these thoughts or feelings off her chest. But it’s not like the type of book you come across looking good. Even Michael came across like she threw some dirt on him. Do I think everything in this book was true? It very well might be. Or it might not be. Or it might be exaggerated. Or it might be half true/half false. I think we’ll never fully know because Michael is not here. I try to keep in mind there's always two sides to every story.
Another thing I kept in mind throughout is i tried to really look at it objectively. I thought “let’s take MJ out of the equation, and act as if this is any other guy.” It made me look at my own mind too. How I too have been in love with Michael all my life. And when your in love with someone you can sometimes have rose colored glasses. And it just hit me how I always favor him. Or if something happens that doesn’t make him look 100% good I always find a way to justify it. At this point it has become human nature (pun intended haha) I do it without even thinking about it. And this book kind of made me realize that habit
But back to how this book comes across, like I said I took out of the equation, let’s just pretend it's some regular guy up the street. And not MJ. I would say that this guy isn’t that into you. And really it just sounds like Shana could never catch the hint of that. Maybe she didn’t want to, understandably so. Or maybe I think he had this way of giving you just enough to keep you interested. I felt like she’d run after any scraps or any kind of attention she could get. I think Michael probably tried to brush her off as much as he could without it coming across harshly. But I think she never fully caught the hint. He was kind of ghosting her sometimes. And she never caught on. If a man marries two other women. And has multiple children. None of which you are the mother of. And then twice there were two times in the story he’s a no show in hawaii & another time she’s at neverland. He doesn’t show up. I felt a bit embarrassed for her.
The one time they did have sex. If this actually happened...it came across like she was just an easy hook up. Sounds like a normal guy horny at a hotel late at night & thinks “hmm who can I call to come over and do me right now? Oh yeah that girl from ghosts that’s always all over me” lol It sounded like guaranteed easy sex. He didn’t even have to try much. If a guy is truly into you he’s going to keep in touch with you, he’s going to at least ask for your # or give you his. He’s going to ask you out on a date or spending time together. Granted Michael isn’t your everyday guy, I get that. But he’s still a man. So it just came across to me like a guy that’s not really into this girl. Doesn’t have the heart to reject her outright so kinda does it subtly. And I can see him thinking “hey im still being nice i’m flying her out to hawaii, all expenses paid, etc..”
But ultimately I don’t think he was into her as much as she was into him. That’s the main vibe I received from this book. I do like she always manages to get back on her feet between all these jobs in the entertainment industry.
The details about michael here I pretty much already knew them all. A few ones I didn’t & that were surprising like towards the end the moments saying how he was yelling at some employees. I never pictured Michael doing that. But that may very well be true. It made me look at my own mind asking myself why did you not picture him yelling at someone. I guess because he always comes across kind and sweet. And I very well know he’s capable of it. Everybody gets pissed off sometimes and he’s no different. He’s human. All in all though I’ll say I enjoyed this book more than I thought I originally would’ve.
I think we’ll never see the likes of someone like Michael Joseph Jackson again in our lifetime. I am thankful for getting as close to him as I did. And I will love him unconditionally always.
I’m not 100% why this book was written. Maybe to finally get these thoughts or feelings off her chest. But it’s not like the type of book you come across looking good. Even Michael came across like she threw some dirt on him. Do I think everything in this book was true? It very well might be. Or it might not be. Or it might be exaggerated. Or it might be half true/half false. I think we’ll never fully know because Michael is not here. I try to keep in mind there's always two sides to every story.
Another thing I kept in mind throughout is i tried to really look at it objectively. I thought “let’s take MJ out of the equation, and act as if this is any other guy.” It made me look at my own mind too. How I too have been in love with Michael all my life. And when your in love with someone you can sometimes have rose colored glasses. And it just hit me how I always favor him. Or if something happens that doesn’t make him look 100% good I always find a way to justify it. At this point it has become human nature (pun intended haha) I do it without even thinking about it. And this book kind of made me realize that habit
But back to how this book comes across, like I said I took out of the equation, let’s just pretend it's some regular guy up the street. And not MJ. I would say that this guy isn’t that into you. And really it just sounds like Shana could never catch the hint of that. Maybe she didn’t want to, understandably so. Or maybe I think he had this way of giving you just enough to keep you interested. I felt like she’d run after any scraps or any kind of attention she could get. I think Michael probably tried to brush her off as much as he could without it coming across harshly. But I think she never fully caught the hint. He was kind of ghosting her sometimes. And she never caught on. If a man marries two other women. And has multiple children. None of which you are the mother of. And then twice there were two times in the story he’s a no show in hawaii & another time she’s at neverland. He doesn’t show up. I felt a bit embarrassed for her.
The one time they did have sex. If this actually happened...it came across like she was just an easy hook up. Sounds like a normal guy horny at a hotel late at night & thinks “hmm who can I call to come over and do me right now? Oh yeah that girl from ghosts that’s always all over me” lol It sounded like guaranteed easy sex. He didn’t even have to try much. If a guy is truly into you he’s going to keep in touch with you, he’s going to at least ask for your # or give you his. He’s going to ask you out on a date or spending time together. Granted Michael isn’t your everyday guy, I get that. But he’s still a man. So it just came across to me like a guy that’s not really into this girl. Doesn’t have the heart to reject her outright so kinda does it subtly. And I can see him thinking “hey im still being nice i’m flying her out to hawaii, all expenses paid, etc..”
But ultimately I don’t think he was into her as much as she was into him. That’s the main vibe I received from this book. I do like she always manages to get back on her feet between all these jobs in the entertainment industry.
The details about michael here I pretty much already knew them all. A few ones I didn’t & that were surprising like towards the end the moments saying how he was yelling at some employees. I never pictured Michael doing that. But that may very well be true. It made me look at my own mind asking myself why did you not picture him yelling at someone. I guess because he always comes across kind and sweet. And I very well know he’s capable of it. Everybody gets pissed off sometimes and he’s no different. He’s human. All in all though I’ll say I enjoyed this book more than I thought I originally would’ve.
I think we’ll never see the likes of someone like Michael Joseph Jackson again in our lifetime. I am thankful for getting as close to him as I did. And I will love him unconditionally always.
July 31, 2016
Shana Mangatal is a first time author and she has written an excellent book on pursuing one's dreams (no matter what our dreams may be, we can all apply that same determination to goals we set in our daily lives), love, heartbreak and the exciting world of entertainment in the decades of the 1980's and 1990's when superstars were at their absolute best and the quality of their work was unmatched. This is a story filled with nostalgia and it is also an eye opening look at Michael Jackson. Not only as the multi talented mega superstar he was but as a human being and as a man. I finished this book in one day as I couldn't put it down.
In "Michael and Me", Shana paints vivid pictures as she tells the story of the many years she spent with Michael- the good, the bad and the ugly. As I read her memories I was transported back to another time and space. I was right there in her world. This book doesn't bash Michael, rather it tells sides to him only people in his inner circle would know. You will not get the full picture by reading excerpts leaked online only and then coming to conclusions about the whole story. You have to read the entire thing in its context. Shana stresses in the book multiple times that she never believed he was capable of the horrible allegations he was accused of. She never insinuates nor does she call him a molester. She explains that he was terribly misunderstood and that his relationships with children were all completely innocent. He truly became one of them in their company and I think it was a very safe place for him to go. Some of the challenging aspects in Michael's life that are addressed in this book are all facts and are all public knowledge now. They are not secrets and they are part of the reason he is not on this earth anymore. Shana goes into further detail and explained things from her perspective, being on the inside.
Shana was raw and wrote about these events exactly as they unfolded without sugar coating anything. As magical and otherworldly as Michael appeared to be, at the end of the day he was a human being with flaws like every single one of us. Nobody is perfect. Painting Michael as a flawless person wouldn't be her truth. And as stated before Michael's battles are all public knowledge by now. "Michael and Me" doesn't vilify Michael instead it makes him seem like a regular guy.
Shana's life story, while still being written, has been really fascinating so far. I feel she has a right to share with people who truly are curious about it. She has done so respectfully. She has a deep love that still remains for Michael despite their roller coaster relationship. Michael is portrayed as a man with a big heart most importantly. A man who was extremely likable. A man who gave her some of her most precious memories. He was also a man who didn't always make the right choices and who happened to be battling inner demons that ultimately played a part in his demise.
I recommend this book for Michael Jackson fans, both casual and hardcore, who are curious about the real man. I believe a lot of questions that fans have about the intimate nature of Shana and Michael's relationship are all answered in this book. It gets 5 stars from me. Congrats Shana!
In "Michael and Me", Shana paints vivid pictures as she tells the story of the many years she spent with Michael- the good, the bad and the ugly. As I read her memories I was transported back to another time and space. I was right there in her world. This book doesn't bash Michael, rather it tells sides to him only people in his inner circle would know. You will not get the full picture by reading excerpts leaked online only and then coming to conclusions about the whole story. You have to read the entire thing in its context. Shana stresses in the book multiple times that she never believed he was capable of the horrible allegations he was accused of. She never insinuates nor does she call him a molester. She explains that he was terribly misunderstood and that his relationships with children were all completely innocent. He truly became one of them in their company and I think it was a very safe place for him to go. Some of the challenging aspects in Michael's life that are addressed in this book are all facts and are all public knowledge now. They are not secrets and they are part of the reason he is not on this earth anymore. Shana goes into further detail and explained things from her perspective, being on the inside.
Shana was raw and wrote about these events exactly as they unfolded without sugar coating anything. As magical and otherworldly as Michael appeared to be, at the end of the day he was a human being with flaws like every single one of us. Nobody is perfect. Painting Michael as a flawless person wouldn't be her truth. And as stated before Michael's battles are all public knowledge by now. "Michael and Me" doesn't vilify Michael instead it makes him seem like a regular guy.
Shana's life story, while still being written, has been really fascinating so far. I feel she has a right to share with people who truly are curious about it. She has done so respectfully. She has a deep love that still remains for Michael despite their roller coaster relationship. Michael is portrayed as a man with a big heart most importantly. A man who was extremely likable. A man who gave her some of her most precious memories. He was also a man who didn't always make the right choices and who happened to be battling inner demons that ultimately played a part in his demise.
I recommend this book for Michael Jackson fans, both casual and hardcore, who are curious about the real man. I believe a lot of questions that fans have about the intimate nature of Shana and Michael's relationship are all answered in this book. It gets 5 stars from me. Congrats Shana!
November 8, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and am not really sure HOW to rate this book.
It's a lovely historical look at the behind the scenes life of being on staff with a famous person, and the ups and downs of the life of Michael Jackson... but I don't really know how true the romantic aspect is. I felt more like I was reading ramblings of a super fangirl who felt she knew and loved Michael more than anyone else. I found her "love connection" moments to be relatively one sided.
Within the first 3 PAGES I was wondering just how out there this book was going to be.
To quote:
"As his voice effortlessly glided over the lyrics, he pointed right to me. I screamed so loud he started smiling. I had been screaming the whole time so there was no doubt he had noticed me before then. He kept glancing at me for the remainder of the concert and I was sure we had made a love connection"
... Have you ever been on a stage? Reality check. You can't see over the bright lights. He wasn't pointing at you. He wasn't glancing at you. This is insane and I hope that this wasn't REALLY how she's felt all these years.
BUT throughout the book she quotes a lot of strange, relatively meaningless things claiming them to be love. I tell my friend I love her sometimes on the phone too. But I don't LOVE her.
Overall, I feel like this was mainly a one sided obsession that may have scored her one or two flings because she was close and accessible. And I honestly feel bad that Shana says she has never found a true love because of her love for Michael.
It's an OK read, but I would NEVER buy it.
It's a lovely historical look at the behind the scenes life of being on staff with a famous person, and the ups and downs of the life of Michael Jackson... but I don't really know how true the romantic aspect is. I felt more like I was reading ramblings of a super fangirl who felt she knew and loved Michael more than anyone else. I found her "love connection" moments to be relatively one sided.
Within the first 3 PAGES I was wondering just how out there this book was going to be.
To quote:
"As his voice effortlessly glided over the lyrics, he pointed right to me. I screamed so loud he started smiling. I had been screaming the whole time so there was no doubt he had noticed me before then. He kept glancing at me for the remainder of the concert and I was sure we had made a love connection"
... Have you ever been on a stage? Reality check. You can't see over the bright lights. He wasn't pointing at you. He wasn't glancing at you. This is insane and I hope that this wasn't REALLY how she's felt all these years.
BUT throughout the book she quotes a lot of strange, relatively meaningless things claiming them to be love. I tell my friend I love her sometimes on the phone too. But I don't LOVE her.
Overall, I feel like this was mainly a one sided obsession that may have scored her one or two flings because she was close and accessible. And I honestly feel bad that Shana says she has never found a true love because of her love for Michael.
It's an OK read, but I would NEVER buy it.
September 11, 2016
I read this book so fast. I could not put it down. I am a HUGE MJ fan and I never believed that he abused those boys. But after reading Shana's book here is no doubt in my mind. I believe that Shana is telling the truth and that they did have a physical relationship. Through reading Shana's account and watching many documentaries on the subject I am more convinced than ever that MJ was a pedophile. The things that he said to her as well as his actions are confirmed in Shana's book. The way that he treated Shana follows along in the way that MJ treated his young male victims. MJ was a terrific talent and his songs will live on forever; however, this does not condone his strange behavior with kids especially boys as well as his drug addiction. I think Shana wanted to absolve MJ of any wrong doing and what she did was the opposite. Read the book and you will see that he is definitely guilty of both -pedophilia and drug addiction. A lost soul living larger than life..... So sad.
July 12, 2016
I have to say that I never expected to enjoy this book as much as I did. I thought it might be a tell-all by someone looking for fame and fortune on Michael Jackson's coat tails, but I never thought that at all while reading this book. It was a well-told story of their friendship over many years; it evolved briefly into something more, but it seems Shana was always there for MJ as a loyal friend right to the very end. The book is not salacious and seedy; she always treats the memory of Michael Jackson with respect and dignity. After reading this, I felt as if I had a glimpse into the every day life of MJ and all he had to go through just to try and live his life.
I would highly recommend this to all fans of Michael Jackson. Thank you to Edelweiss and Chicago Review Press for the opportunity to read an advance digital review copy!
I would highly recommend this to all fans of Michael Jackson. Thank you to Edelweiss and Chicago Review Press for the opportunity to read an advance digital review copy!
May 27, 2016
Over a period of twenty years, Shana Mangatal was friends, and at one point, lovers, with Michael Jackson, and relates how her friendship with Michael started and continued until his death in 2009. Over the years she was privvy to inside information about many of his personal and professional problems along with the various molestation lawsuits filed against him. While her disclosures shed a clearer light on what kind of a man he really was (definitely *not* asexual, as many thought), there is also an aura of melancholy and sadness that he could never stay on a steady life keel.
If you want to learn more about his private life, along with a sweet story of real friendship, read this well-told memoir.
Thanks to Chicago Review Press and Edelweiss for the digital review copy.
If you want to learn more about his private life, along with a sweet story of real friendship, read this well-told memoir.
Thanks to Chicago Review Press and Edelweiss for the digital review copy.
July 4, 2024
Shana Mangatal delivers a rare look into a commonly impermissible component in the life of Michael Jackson, though it reads more as an autobiography than an exposeé.
It offers glimpses into Michael’s life from an authentic and realistic part of his life. There are many fun-filled moments mixed in with moments that leave you feeling for Shana. This book highlights the insecurities of the man behind the myth and ponders why he seemed to self-sabotage the good things in his life— love, his career, family, friendships, and ultimately his life.
It’s common knowledge that Michael often lamented that he was alone, but one who internally comsoders being a “Michel Jackson-ologist,” can attest that he was not. Shana is proof that Michael was—and still is, 15 years post-Michael— deeply loved.
It offers glimpses into Michael’s life from an authentic and realistic part of his life. There are many fun-filled moments mixed in with moments that leave you feeling for Shana. This book highlights the insecurities of the man behind the myth and ponders why he seemed to self-sabotage the good things in his life— love, his career, family, friendships, and ultimately his life.
It’s common knowledge that Michael often lamented that he was alone, but one who internally comsoders being a “Michel Jackson-ologist,” can attest that he was not. Shana is proof that Michael was—and still is, 15 years post-Michael— deeply loved.
May 22, 2017
Seems more like she was a fan who turned obsessed and started following him around the world and when she never got what she wanted she created this fanfiction to fulfill her long dream of being with Michael Jackson, which more than likely never happened. She claims she was friends with Michael Jackson but she never had his personal phone number or knew where he was staying unless she followed him or got it from her place of work, which is pretty much the same information the fans had. Her only photo is the backstage one that's on the cover, again something that a lot of fans have, so I'd expect more from an alleged ''lover'' and ''friends of twenty years'' than just a fan picture.
I bought this book thinking Shana would show us the man we've never seen before, the real man behind the image and not the King of Pop (who I adore by the way) but what the book consists of is more about how Shana was able to meet and was lucky enough to work in similar circles to what Michael did and her time during her work at sandy gallins office and on the set of ghosts. You'd think if you were friends for twenty years like she claims that she would have more stories besides her work ones, but she doesn't. This book also contains more information from second-hand sources rather than from the author herself, it also contains tabloid nonsense, which is a shame as it only leads to further negativity on Michaels image. She speaks of Michael Jackson in the same manner that many fans/haters do, which leads me to suspect she never really knew him or was around him like she says she was besides just business.
Overall with everything the book contained & everything I've read online about this woman, it's more than likely she was just an obsessed fan who tried getting close to Michael Jackson but ultimately failed at doing that so she has now resorted to putting her dreams (lies) in this book, which is sad.
My advice is to save your money and look for the excerpts online about the alleged sex encounter she apparently had with Michael, it's not worth the money especially when there's no evidence to back up her claims and reads more like fan fiction.
I bought this book thinking Shana would show us the man we've never seen before, the real man behind the image and not the King of Pop (who I adore by the way) but what the book consists of is more about how Shana was able to meet and was lucky enough to work in similar circles to what Michael did and her time during her work at sandy gallins office and on the set of ghosts. You'd think if you were friends for twenty years like she claims that she would have more stories besides her work ones, but she doesn't. This book also contains more information from second-hand sources rather than from the author herself, it also contains tabloid nonsense, which is a shame as it only leads to further negativity on Michaels image. She speaks of Michael Jackson in the same manner that many fans/haters do, which leads me to suspect she never really knew him or was around him like she says she was besides just business.
Overall with everything the book contained & everything I've read online about this woman, it's more than likely she was just an obsessed fan who tried getting close to Michael Jackson but ultimately failed at doing that so she has now resorted to putting her dreams (lies) in this book, which is sad.
My advice is to save your money and look for the excerpts online about the alleged sex encounter she apparently had with Michael, it's not worth the money especially when there's no evidence to back up her claims and reads more like fan fiction.
September 3, 2016
Ms. Mangatal's book does not provide much new information about Michael Jackson. I already knew that he was odd, that his childlike voice was fake, that he loved the company of young boys because he was trying to recreate the childhood that he missed, and that he could be a difficult perfectionist. She also doesn't provide much interesting behind-the-scenes-of-videos-and- concerts information. But the book is worth reading because it provides a glimpse into the mind of the kind of woman who becomes a groupie, the kind who ends up taking drugs from Bill Cosby or being in the home of the known-to-be-violent Chris Brown. If Ms. Mangatal is typical, these women are usually very beautiful, they can be relatively bright, and they have an odd combination of arrogance (believing that Michael Jackson or some other superstar will marry them) and low self-esteem (being willing to serve as these narcissistic, sometimes abusive celebrities' "secret" girl toys).
November 12, 2017
Honestly this is a tall tale. I feel like she was bashing MJ the entire time , but in subtle ways. Throughout the book she would describe MJ as being naive, childlike, incapable of doing anything for himself, but that he was a genius, smart ,and very business savy. Ther was a lot of contradictions in the book that made the authour seem very unreliable.
There is no pictures of her and Michael together except the one picture on the front of the book. Now that is sketchy to me because If you have had an almost 20 year relationship with someone , you would at least have more than one picture. This novel sounds like a well-crafted fan-fiction with the author having a Notice -me Senapi relationship with the KOP.
There is no pictures of her and Michael together except the one picture on the front of the book. Now that is sketchy to me because If you have had an almost 20 year relationship with someone , you would at least have more than one picture. This novel sounds like a well-crafted fan-fiction with the author having a Notice -me Senapi relationship with the KOP.
October 23, 2016
Shana Mangatal has written a great book. It is well-written, and chock full of information that I didn't know about Michael Jackson. I was a huge MJ fan in the 80s, so it was very interesting to read the more intimate details of Shana's relationship with him, as well as some personal things about MJ himself that I was previously unaware of. I won't do Ms. Mangatal the disservice of saying her "alleged" relationship with Michael Jackson, as I'm sure many have and will, because her story is very believable. Her book is an easy read, with down-to-earth language, so I think many different audiences will enjoy it. I definitely did.
August 31, 2016
Loved it
It's really hard to put into words the emotional rollercoaster I went through reading this. I had all the feels. I really dreaded the ending know that it was truly the end. I cried, of course. I will miss this man til the day I day. Excellent book. Very well written. I envisioned everything.
It's really hard to put into words the emotional rollercoaster I went through reading this. I had all the feels. I really dreaded the ending know that it was truly the end. I cried, of course. I will miss this man til the day I day. Excellent book. Very well written. I envisioned everything.
November 15, 2018
I wanted a trash read and I definitely got it. I have no idea if any of this is real, but there is some interesting ideas into Michael's personality that I could truly believe. I do have to say that it felt like I was reading fan fiction a lot of the time, but I can sense that she is a true fan of Michael. The last chapter made me sad about his death all over again.
June 13, 2025
I believe that her story is very stretched and this is proven by the continuous inconsistency’s in the book but I let you figure this out on your own! I’m giving it a two since it must have taken atleast some effort to write a fiction book like this 🙏🏼😭
October 9, 2020
I want to say that it’s the best fanfiction I’ve ever read but even that would be a lie. It’s just the only fan fic I’ve been able to hear on audiobook...
This story reads out like a very desperate attempt at a daydream “come to life”. She’d put Michael down and then immediately follow it with something very positive so this book wouldn’t be written out of pure spite. I could almost feel the bitterness of what really drove her to write this book — revenge for feelings that weren’t reciprocated.
In the book Shana keeps jumping between being one of the most lusted after people in LA by EVERYONE, and this shy inexperienced girl in her 20s. In her world everyone was also trying to get her and Michael together including all of her co workers, her boss, and every single child they met (yknow because they have nothing better to do I guess?)
All in all it was a decent read if you’re a Michael fan and you want something new, but take everything she said with a grain of salt. I suggest you read My Friend Michael If you’re wanting to get a real look at MJ behind the scenes, and not a failed attempt at someone’s Delusional “secret” relationship with him when apparently she wasn’t even on his radar half the time. Also a good read if you want to hear about her week of “pure hell” because Michael wasn’t calling her during the first time the child molestation allegations came out. Maybe his mind was somewhere else...? But no no Shana, I’m so sorry that week sucked FOR YOU. And then he gets married twice without telling her and she still doesn’t take the hint 😂 He also apparently spent weeks without calling her when all she did was live breath and die for him. A quote she put in the beginning of a chapter read “Love is a friendship caught on fire”. Girl, maybe your thoughts were caught on fire but if what you’re writing was true, you were a friend that - at most - he thought was cute. But he never made the first move, and apparently you write him like someone who only likes the chase... But she’s really trying to make us believe they shared a passionate affair. I’m sorry, Shana, I’m not buying what you’re selling. Infact, after the book ended I got my money back.
Daydreams + bitterness + school girl sexual fantasies = Michael and Me.
Please I beg of you go to Wattpad if you want to read more convincing stories.
This story reads out like a very desperate attempt at a daydream “come to life”. She’d put Michael down and then immediately follow it with something very positive so this book wouldn’t be written out of pure spite. I could almost feel the bitterness of what really drove her to write this book — revenge for feelings that weren’t reciprocated.
In the book Shana keeps jumping between being one of the most lusted after people in LA by EVERYONE, and this shy inexperienced girl in her 20s. In her world everyone was also trying to get her and Michael together including all of her co workers, her boss, and every single child they met (yknow because they have nothing better to do I guess?)
All in all it was a decent read if you’re a Michael fan and you want something new, but take everything she said with a grain of salt. I suggest you read My Friend Michael If you’re wanting to get a real look at MJ behind the scenes, and not a failed attempt at someone’s Delusional “secret” relationship with him when apparently she wasn’t even on his radar half the time. Also a good read if you want to hear about her week of “pure hell” because Michael wasn’t calling her during the first time the child molestation allegations came out. Maybe his mind was somewhere else...? But no no Shana, I’m so sorry that week sucked FOR YOU. And then he gets married twice without telling her and she still doesn’t take the hint 😂 He also apparently spent weeks without calling her when all she did was live breath and die for him. A quote she put in the beginning of a chapter read “Love is a friendship caught on fire”. Girl, maybe your thoughts were caught on fire but if what you’re writing was true, you were a friend that - at most - he thought was cute. But he never made the first move, and apparently you write him like someone who only likes the chase... But she’s really trying to make us believe they shared a passionate affair. I’m sorry, Shana, I’m not buying what you’re selling. Infact, after the book ended I got my money back.
Daydreams + bitterness + school girl sexual fantasies = Michael and Me.
Please I beg of you go to Wattpad if you want to read more convincing stories.
October 20, 2020
My things is she is veryyy desperate, like every fan girl. Every girl I've known was a sucker for Michael Jackson himself because he was a good person, and was a type of man that every girl themselves wished for. Despise what everyone says about him being a "drug addict" was very much unfair because, I feel like they don't know the real him because he was such a private person because he don't want everybody to know a lot of things about him how people are now. They wished and chose to believe and think what they wanted about him. And lots of people fed into it.
Shana herself was very much a fan girl I even thought they were intimate until I read from my own perspective. She was very much delusional even though people don't have enough balls to say it I do. Even if these "things" did happen knowing that Michael was a very private person why tell everyone what happened ?. Even if he made you "promise" not to tell why go behind his back years after he died and tell what happened between them. You don't see Lisa Marie Presley going out years after he died telling about them being intimate.
Ms.Managatal knows that she was wrong because her being a adult she should know better I'm sure the Jackson family is not pleased with the lies she told to satisfy herself. If Michael were alive he definitely would've felt betrayed and wasn't himself because him being a sweet person he would've never said anything about it. He already had to deal with the accusations that were ruining him, adding on is just too much to soak in.
I'm speaking out for all that are upset and are very curious as I were as a fan I'm saying that she shouldn't have published it at all knowing that his fan-base like me is determined to stand up for him. I've been a fan of Michael since I was a kid and I know what I wanted to know about and I feel that she is wrong and this book needs to be took down. If she was such a "fan" of Michael Jackson she should respected his family and Michael himself even though she worked for him to let him rest in peace.
everybody have their own opinion on her book though, so with that being said 'may he rest in peace'.
Shana herself was very much a fan girl I even thought they were intimate until I read from my own perspective. She was very much delusional even though people don't have enough balls to say it I do. Even if these "things" did happen knowing that Michael was a very private person why tell everyone what happened ?. Even if he made you "promise" not to tell why go behind his back years after he died and tell what happened between them. You don't see Lisa Marie Presley going out years after he died telling about them being intimate.
Ms.Managatal knows that she was wrong because her being a adult she should know better I'm sure the Jackson family is not pleased with the lies she told to satisfy herself. If Michael were alive he definitely would've felt betrayed and wasn't himself because him being a sweet person he would've never said anything about it. He already had to deal with the accusations that were ruining him, adding on is just too much to soak in.
I'm speaking out for all that are upset and are very curious as I were as a fan I'm saying that she shouldn't have published it at all knowing that his fan-base like me is determined to stand up for him. I've been a fan of Michael since I was a kid and I know what I wanted to know about and I feel that she is wrong and this book needs to be took down. If she was such a "fan" of Michael Jackson she should respected his family and Michael himself even though she worked for him to let him rest in peace.
everybody have their own opinion on her book though, so with that being said 'may he rest in peace'.
May 11, 2022
Esse livro me deu uma mistura de sensações, tanto pro Michael, quanto para as outras pessoas que estão nesse livro.
A melhor mensagem que esse livro pode passar é que apesar dele ser o maior artista de todos os tempos, dele ser amoroso e ter uma energia que contagiava qualquer um, as pessoas devem se lembrar de que ele é um humano, falho, bom em outros aspectos, mas humano, algo que as pessoas se esquecem quando pensam nele.
Com certeza, um dos melhores livros que li na vida, não só pela história quase que impossível de amor, tristeza e esperança, mas pela maneira de prender a atenção do leitor que a Shana sabe muito bem o fazer. Muitos fãs bitolados não acreditam na história que ela contou, mas apesar de às vezes haver muita defraudação nessa história, seria um verdadeiro trabalho inventá-la com tantos detalhes e nuances.
Se recomendo? Apenas leia, sem julgamentos e depois me diga nós comentários o que achou ❤️ Detalhe: a Shana é uma mulher incrível, pelo pouco que falei com ela depois de conhecê-la através do livro. ❤️
A melhor mensagem que esse livro pode passar é que apesar dele ser o maior artista de todos os tempos, dele ser amoroso e ter uma energia que contagiava qualquer um, as pessoas devem se lembrar de que ele é um humano, falho, bom em outros aspectos, mas humano, algo que as pessoas se esquecem quando pensam nele.
Com certeza, um dos melhores livros que li na vida, não só pela história quase que impossível de amor, tristeza e esperança, mas pela maneira de prender a atenção do leitor que a Shana sabe muito bem o fazer. Muitos fãs bitolados não acreditam na história que ela contou, mas apesar de às vezes haver muita defraudação nessa história, seria um verdadeiro trabalho inventá-la com tantos detalhes e nuances.
Se recomendo? Apenas leia, sem julgamentos e depois me diga nós comentários o que achou ❤️ Detalhe: a Shana é uma mulher incrível, pelo pouco que falei com ela depois de conhecê-la através do livro. ❤️
November 17, 2020
I really wanted to like it because I really like Shana. She sounds so sweet, but unfortunately most of the time I rolled my eyes so hard that my head started hurting. She not only wasted her life hopelessly romantically being secretly in love with Michael, but she really had no self-esteem and was completely used by Michael (if the story is honest and true as she writes it). How can someone be so utterly naive, forgiving, patient and almost childlike in their late 20s?! It is sad that it hurt to read it and again, I think she sounds very sweet. But I she is such a weak woman and it borders on stupidity. Most of the time it sounds like she lived her life in pure oblivion and fanatical passion. Finally done, moving on to the next book.
November 22, 2024
I don't know why I read this book, I was looking for a book to read in the library, and curiosity got the best of me. It started out exciting, it is a page turner, I'm surprised how well written it is, as if a novelist or author helped Shana write it, I was also confused how she recalled every little detail, she didn't mention that she kept a diary, so it seems farcical. Was Michael guilty of sexually abusing children? As with most things in life, only God knows. She claims he would never do that, at the same time, she gives details of his unusual behavior with children, and him telling her his marriage was a publicity stunt etc... There's also the factor of the evil of Hollywood power people that can bring most people down.
June 29, 2021
Hearing the same story of filming "Ghost," became redundant and the author is very full of herself. I would like to know more about her. How did she take a friendship and make it into a relationship? She thought Michael wasn't used to being around pretty girls? He was around a lot of beautiful women. How does one stay innocent in L.A? Is she a unicorn?
May 23, 2022
Michael And Me by Shana Mangatal
is a beautiful in-depth depiction of Michael Jackson and the wonderful adventure of young love. The book held my attention from the second I started reading until the very end even when reading it a second time. We know how it ends and my heart still breaks, Michael is truly missed every day and this book gives him back to us for a short time while reading the book.
July 3, 2023
I listened to this book on Audible.
This is a very well written book. Each person that reads/listens must make their own decision about the book.
There are many opinions about the truth of the book. As a fan since The Jackson 5, I find this account very believable and authentic. I know there are many opinions that do not feel it’s true. You must read it yourself before passing judgement.
This is a very well written book. Each person that reads/listens must make their own decision about the book.
There are many opinions about the truth of the book. As a fan since The Jackson 5, I find this account very believable and authentic. I know there are many opinions that do not feel it’s true. You must read it yourself before passing judgement.
September 22, 2025
The author’s experience with Michael Jackson provides a unique view compared to anything I read in other books about his life. If the things in the book are true, it’s an important layer to understanding him. Overall I enjoyed this. It’s not a literary must read or even a must-read topic, but for those of us who grew up watching adult Michael Jackson, it’s fascinating.
April 3, 2023
This has a different perspective on Micheal. I have read literature from the other side of the story, so I went in with an open mind. I don't regret reading it, but there were a few parts that really made me go... really??
May 11, 2026
Finally someone who had a love affair with MJ! There are a lot of bad reviews on this book but I believe her. I feel like she was sharing her truth and trying to heal. I think she just wanted everyone to know that Michael was just like any other man. And I’m glad I read this book!
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