Sananda Maitreya, formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby, has launched a scathing attack on the late Michael Jackson, accusing him of being a “b******” who deliberately tried to ruin his music career. The 63-year-old singer opened up about his turbulent experience with Sony Music following the release of his 1989 album Neither Fish nor Flesh, which flopped both critically and commercially. The album’s failure led to a breakdown in his relationship with the label and took a severe toll on his mental health, marking the start of a difficult chapter in his career.
Despite his struggles, Maitreya has chosen not to share the full extent of his experiences with his two young sons, aged 15 and 13. He explained that he fears doing so might influence them to pursue music careers, something he does not encourage. However, he admitted that one of the hardest parts of keeping his painful past private is watching his children idolize Michael Jackson, the man he believes was responsible for his downfall. He confessed it was painful to reconcile his sons’ admiration for the pop icon with his own bitter memories of Jackson’s alleged behavior toward him.
Maitreya suggested that Jackson used his immense influence at Sony to damage his career when he began to rise in prominence. While he acknowledged he has no direct evidence linking Jackson to these actions, he firmly believes the superstar viewed him as a threat and acted out of insecurity. According to Maitreya, Jackson’s dominance in the industry made him nearly untouchable, leaving others — including himself — vulnerable to manipulation by those in power.
In contrast, Maitreya spoke fondly of his relationships with other major artists such as Prince and George Michael, describing them as “competitive friendships” built on mutual respect and creative inspiration. He recalled a sense of artistic camaraderie between them, where each artist motivated the other to push boundaries rather than tearing one another down. This, he implied, was the kind of healthy rivalry he wished he could have shared with Jackson.
Interestingly, despite his resentment, Maitreya expressed a sense of reluctant gratitude toward Michael Jackson. He reflected that while Jackson may have obstructed his career, the interference could have inadvertently saved his life. Many of his peers, including Jackson, Prince, and George Michael, have since passed away, whereas he has survived to tell his story. “It may very well be possible that I’m still here because of Michael’s interference,” he admitted, suggesting that his forced retreat from fame might have spared him the same tragic fate as his contemporaries.
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