The 1990s were a tumultuous decade for the rock band Guns N’ Roses. Amid feuds, addictions, and ego clashes, one of the more intriguing side stories involves legendary guitarist Slash and his high-profile collaborations with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. But did these collaborations contribute to the band’s eventual implosion?

Former Guns N’ Roses manager Doug Goldstein once claimed that Slash’s work with Jackson marked the beginning of the band’s end. According to Goldstein, Axl Rose had recently revealed in a 1991 Interview magazine article that he had been sexually abused as a child. Goldstein alleges that Axl was deeply offended by Slash’s association with Jackson due to the latter’s controversial child abuse allegations.

But this timeline doesn’t hold up. Slash’s first collaboration with Michael Jackson occurred in 1991—two years before Jackson faced public allegations in 1993. Goldstein’s version of events seems inconsistent, particularly when he claims Slash was motivated to work with Jackson because Eddie Van Halen was once paid a million dollars to play on “Beat It.” In reality, Van Halen famously recorded the guitar solo for free.

Slash himself set the record straight in later interviews. He revealed that Michael personally reached out to him through his manager and invited him to contribute to the Dangerous album. Their first recording together was on the track “Give In to Me,” a heavy, sexually charged rock ballad. Slash recorded his parts at the Record Plant in Hollywood after a brief and surreal meeting with Jackson and Brooke Shields. Jackson left Slash alone in the studio, granting him full creative freedom—something Slash described as both flattering and liberating.

The collaboration extended beyond the studio. Slash performed live with Jackson more than 50 times, including a memorable appearance at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. He also featured on tracks like “D.S.” (HIStory, 1995), “Morphine” (Blood on the Dance Floor, 1997), and “Privacy” (Invincible, 2001).

Interestingly, many fans mistakenly believe Slash played the iconic riff on “Black or White.” In fact, that was guitarist Bill Bottrell. Slash did, however, perform the riff live with Jackson, contributing to the widespread confusion.

Despite the drama surrounding Guns N’ Roses during this time—including late concerts, on-stage outbursts, and internal firings—there is no solid evidence linking the band’s 1996 split to Slash’s work with Jackson. The real cause was a breakdown in relations between Slash and Axl Rose over the direction of the band and the commercial failure of their 1993 covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?

In a twist of irony, Axl Rose himself admired Michael Jackson and once listed “Man in the Mirror” as one of his favorite songs.

By the early 2000s, Slash was facing health problems due to years of alcohol abuse. He nearly died of heart failure but returned to the stage to perform at Jackson’s 30th Anniversary concerts in 2001. During the show, he suffered frightening symptoms from a defibrillator implanted in his chest, but masked it from the audience and carried on.

Slash later reflected on his time with Jackson with a mix of admiration and sympathy. “He was a genius, but very isolated,” he said. “Being that famous… it’s a crazy world to be in. He didn’t have anyone around him he could really trust.”

Their final chance to collaborate again never materialized. In 2009, as Slash considered asking Jackson to play on his upcoming solo project, the pop icon was deep in rehearsals for This Is It. Slash delayed the call. A few weeks later, Jackson passed away.

Though their musical partnership was brief, the bond between Slash and Michael Jackson remains a testament to artistic respect across genres. And despite revisionist claims, their collaborations were not the cause of Guns N’ Roses’ demise—but rather a footnote in a much larger, more chaotic story.