Michael Jackson's path to cosmetic surgery had a surprising connection to Hollywood’s underworld, according to a new docuseries
The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood, which premiered on MGM+ on Sept. 8, explores the infamous 1981 Wonderland murders and features an unexpected link between Jackson, pianist Liberace, and the surgeries that altered his appearance.
In the docuseries, the late Scott Thorson — Liberace’s former lover and pivotal witness against the Wonderland Gang — claims that he introduced Jackson to the doctor who performed the King of Pop’s first nose job.
Thorson recalls meeting Jackson through Liberace during the 1980s, a time when both were undergoing cosmetic procedures.
“Michael decided to have his nose done. I was having my chin and nose done... we had it on the same day,” Thorson shared via People Magazine.
Thorson further alleges that the doctor, Dr. Jack Startz, was intoxicated during the procedures. “The doctor came up, and he was drunk when he was shooting Liberace full of Demerol. I had to take the needle away from him,” he claimed.
Reflecting on the incident, Thorson says he feels partly responsible for Jackson’s journey with cosmetic surgery, noting, “I almost feel kind of guilty about Michael having his nose job because I introduced him to the doctor... That’s what started the plastic surgery.”
Jackson, who passed away in 2009, underwent several more cosmetic procedures in the years that followed.