Long before the era of holograms and record-breaking tours, Michael Jackson was making headlines for something quite unexpected: his peculiar private jet dining habits.

The 2009 unauthorized biography Michael Jackson Conspiracy by Aphrodite Jones reveals some of the King of Pop’s most eccentric in-flight requests, painting a portrait of a man as meticulous about his meals as he was about his music.

KFC for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

A passenger profile dated September 1, 2003, unveils Jackson’s surprising obsession with fast food, particularly Kentucky Fried Chicken.

His breakfasts aboard the private jet routinely included “KFC original chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits with strawberry jelly and spray butter,” sometimes swapped for “scrambled eggs with strawberry jelly” or lox and low-fat bagels. Yet, the Colonel’s chicken remained the star of the menu.

Lunch mirrored this pattern—family-style KFC with potatoes and corn on the cob. Dinner rarely deviated from the theme, featuring KFC, although during multi-leg flights Jackson might request other types of chicken but still insisted on the Colonel’s brand.

Dessert? Only on Sundays

While Jackson was not one for sweets, he allowed himself a sundae “one out of 10 times.” Otherwise, his sweet cravings were satisfied with gum, mints, or fresh fruit like oranges, grapes, apples, and bananas. His preference for simplicity extended to cleanliness, with everything needing to be individually wrapped or disposable.

Wine in a Coke Can: A Private Ritual

Perhaps the most curious insight is Jackson’s discreet drinking habit. According to former cabin crew member Cynthia Bell, who spoke to The Telegraph in 2005, Jackson was a “very private drinker.” To maintain privacy, he always drank white wine poured into a Diet Coke can.

This disguise helped him feel more comfortable drinking in public—even at 35,000 feet. When he wanted something stronger, such as tequila, gin, or Crown Royal whiskey, the beverages were similarly concealed in soft-drink containers.

A Glimpse Behind the Curtain

These intimate details, sourced from an unpublished flight manifest, offer more than quirky celebrity trivia. They reflect Jackson’s lifelong desire for control and privacy amidst the dizzying glare of fame.

Whether indulging in Colonel Sanders’s chicken or covertly sipping wine from a soda can, the King of Pop’s in-flight rituals were as carefully orchestrated as his iconic moonwalk—revealing a man who sought comfort and normalcy within the extraordinary.