Michael Jackson’s iconic song Billie Jean, released in 1983, tells the tale of a woman who insists that the singer fathered her child, despite his emphatic denial. Ironically, the song’s immense popularity led to an influx of obsessive fans, with one in particular making bizarre and relentless claims that tormented the King of Pop. This fan, Lavon Powlis (also known as Lavon Muhammad or Gabriella Jamilla), became the real-life version of “Billie Jean.”

Lavon Powlis, a legal secretary, first made headlines in 1987, when she filed a shocking $150 million paternity lawsuit against Michael Jackson. She claimed Jackson was the father of her three children and demanded child support, in addition to millions for her own support as their mother. Powlis even went as far as changing her name to Billie Jean Jackson and argued that she and Michael had been secretly engaged after a six-year affair. According to her, their children had been conceived in a Rolls-Royce parked outside Jackson’s Los Angeles home, and they were supposed to marry.

Her legal claims were based on her belief that she was the inspiration for Jackson’s hit song Billie Jean. Powlis alleged that Jackson had admitted to fathering her children, which she said included twins and an 11-year-old son. However, Jackson’s publicist swiftly dismissed her claims as “ridiculous and preposterous.” Powlis had even been previously known to make similar paternity claims about other famous individuals without following through on them.

Beyond her legal pursuits, Powlis’s obsessive behavior led her to repeatedly harass Jackson. She loitered near his estate, looted his shopping boutiques, and even tried to have Jackson’s expenses billed to him. The harassment became so severe that in May 1986, she was convicted of trespassing on Jackson’s property and was sentenced to probation. This didn’t stop her, though. She continued to breach restraining orders and trespass on Jackson’s estate in the following years, even appearing at his house at odd hours and scaling his walls.

In 1988, after her paternity lawsuit was dismissed for lack of evidence, Powlis continued her campaign by trying to purchase a wedding gown and charge it to Jackson’s account. She was arrested again for trespassing, this time with a bottle of champagne in hand. She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, yet she refused psychiatric help, insisting that she didn’t need mental health treatment. During her trial, the judge even quoted lyrics from Jackson’s Leave Me Alone as a reminder to Powlis of the singer’s desire for peace.

Despite numerous legal setbacks, Powlis continued to pursue her bizarre claims. In 1995, she filed additional claims, again insisting that she was Michael Jackson’s wife and that their children, including Blanket, were his biological offspring. She even demanded custody of Blanket and $1 billion in child support. In 2008, when Powlis was 60 years old, she again sought to claim custody and support for Jackson’s children, despite her history of harassment and failed lawsuits.

Following Michael Jackson’s death in 2009, Powlis went to court one last time, this time claiming to be Blanket’s biological mother and demanding a DNA test. She said she had been married to Jackson in 1986 and insisted she had been stalked by police and Jackson’s family. The judge, however, dismissed her petition due to lack of evidence and suggested she seek psychiatric help. The case marked the end of a bizarre and unsettling chapter in the pop legend’s life.

Powlis’s saga became a real-life nightmare for Jackson, illustrating just how far some obsessive fans can go in their pursuit of fame and recognition. Despite the dismissal of all her claims, Lavon Powlis’s relentless obsession with Michael Jackson haunted him throughout his life and beyond his death, making her the embodiment of a true “Billie Jean” nightmare.