Princess Diana and Michael Jackson met only once, backstage at Jackson’s Bad tour concert at Wembley Stadium in July 1988, but their connection went far beyond that brief encounter. Diana was a fan of Michael’s music and famously encouraged him to perform “Dirty Diana,” which he had initially removed from the setlist out of respect for her.
Although they met just once in person, Michael later claimed they developed a close friendship through late-night phone calls, bonding over their shared experiences with fame, media pressure, and their love for humanitarian causes. While some of these claims were disputed by Diana’s friends, others close to Jackson said he deeply admired her and even believed he was in love with her.
Both were passionate about charity work and struggled with constant paparazzi attention, which strengthened their bond. When Diana died tragically in 1997, Michael was reportedly devastated, postponing performances and later paying tribute to her on stage. Though he did not attend her funeral, he honored her at a memorial service in Los Angeles, calling her “the true princess of the people.”