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Michael Jackson’s ex-bodyguard explains why the star used to wear tape on his nose
The former bodyguard of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, Matt Fiddes, has revealed the real reason behind the star’s frequent appearances with tape on his nose.
The now martial arts teacher has been very open about the time he spent with Jackson, even sharing a tribute to his late friend, wishing him a “happy 68th heavenly birthday” on August 29.
In a recent episode of Lee Matthews’ podcast, Elite, he spoke about the 'Thriller' singer’s tactics for dealing with paparazzi and the media.
Fiddes raised the subject of the lengths Jackson went to shape his public image. The star was often captured by the media wearing face masks or tape across his surgically altered nose.
Jackson handled the media very tactically
The former security personnel explained: "He knew how to play the media and keep relevant.
"The sticky tape and the tape on his nose and the makeup and the fedora and the mask and the sunglasses..."
Matthews quizzed Fiddes on why the star made his plastic surgery so public by openly wearing dressings, and whether the tweaks made to his appearance were staged.
Fiddes responded with: "It was all staged.
"He wanted people to think his nose was falling off. It was allergy tape."
While it would be impossible to know why he chose to spin this story to the media, it has certainly helped keep him relevant, as even 17 years after his death, people are still talking about him and his appearance.
In a previous interview with the Metro, Fiddes said: "He knew how to manipulate the media. He knew exactly how to get the front pages. He used to have a meeting as soon as he got to a [city].
"90 percent of the time it worked, by putting a mask on his face, or sticky tape on his hands – or tape on his nose was a favourite one. He would say he wanted his life to be the greatest mystery on Earth."
How did Jackson alter his appearance?
In the new hit biopic, Micheal, confessed to having two nose jobs in his lifetime. He claimed that the first one in 1979 was medically necessary after he broke his nose during a dance rehearsal and faced difficulty breathing.
Before his tragic passing in 2009, Jackson also admitted to having a chin implant. The much-talked-about change in the color of his skin was infamously due to vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes skin to lose pigment.
In the 2026 movie, Jackson’s nose surgery is addressed in a scene in which his father, the allegedly abusive Joe Jackson, called him “big nose”.