Jaafar Jackson’s electric performance as MJ helped lift the new “Michael” movie to the number one spot around the world, breaking box office records for biopics and reminding us of dance floor classics like “Don’t stop ‘til you get enough,” “Thriller,” and “Bad,” but becoming the King of Pop took its toll on Jaafar, revealing that numbness and planta fasciitis in his feet were his price for perfection.
As the son of Jermaine Jackson, Jaafar has always been aware of uncle Michael’s strong work ethic, but on the May 11 episode of the Complex YouTube series, Sneaker Shopping, he went into painful detail about filling MJ’s lofty loafers. The actor and musician explained that he even had to go a half-to-a-full-size down in order to break his leather loaders in, because they expand over time. “So, the first two months of dancing, those feet are scrunched and then to do the toe stand, the moonwalk… all these different moves in them, over time, it caused a lot of complications with my feet,” he explained.
How Michael Jackson’s Dance Moves Caused Jaafar Jackson To Develop Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is an extremely painful condition affecting the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of the feet known as the plantar fascia. Footwear with poor cushioning is a common cause of the ailment, as is frequent activity and overuse. “Each day was kind of different,” Jaafar told Complex. “Because sometimes it would go numb for 20 minutes, sometimes it would go numb for two hours,” shared the Jackson family member. “I’m like, it’s not coming back, and my toe would go completely white. It got completely cold. I had to gauge it, and then I would apply a lot of heat to it. Sometimes that wouldn’t work. Sometimes I had to get a ball and roll it over,” reflected the star while detailing the recovery process.
How Jaafar Jackson Recovered From Foot Injuries During Filming
Experts recommend massaging and stretching as a means of improving mobility, but to dance like MJ, supporting shoes were not an option. “But the move that would really kill the toes is the toe stand, for me,” revealed Jaafar. “Doing that repetitively, it wasn’t good,” he explained.
Incredibly, Michael Jackson’s largest solo tour was for Bad, requiring the moonwalker to complete 123 gigs between 1987 and 1989. And, due to the success of the “Michael” movie, Lionsgate have now confirmed that a sequel is currently in development. So, you may need to break in some more loafers, Jaafar!
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To watch the full episode of Complex Sneaker Shopping with Jaafar Jackson, see below: