“We Were Scammed”: 16 Years After His Passing, Michael Jackson’s Iconic Lean Sparks New Doubts

Michael Jackson, undeniably one of the greats in the history of the music industry, was seen as someone who could outsmart the laws of nature due to one of his signature dance moves — but it appears as if ‘defying gravity’ should be reserved for the world of Wicked instead.

In his Smooth Criminal video, MJ pulled off a forward lean that left fans in awe. Now, of course there was some kind of mechanic behind it to create the illusion of Jackson defying gravity.

But, unlike his other famous dance moves such as the Moonwalk, no one else seemed to be able to do it but MJ himself.

Michael Jackson’s famous forward lean has finally been debunked by a viral video on social media

Image credits: Carlo Allegri / Getty

For years, people have been theorizing how he could have managed the stunt. And now, a viral tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, gave a potential solution to the years-long question.

Garnering more than 43M views in just two days, a user named Tansu Yegen posted a video of a dancer wearing a specific kind of black shoe that had a slot in a heel. From here, this hole would hook with a peg that rose from the stage floor at the right moment.

Once the two were anchored, it allowed Jackson — or any dancer — to lean forward far beyond belief, with the help of their upper body strength and core control, of course.

Image credits: MoonwalkerTV

As the video made its rounds, people reacted in a dramatic and hilarious fashion, some mourning their childhood while others felt utterly deceived.

“We were scammed by Micheal [sic] Jackson,” one user joked.

“This just shattered my childhood,” another deemed.

A third chimed in, “No, he could actually levitate.”

Fans joked that their childhood had been ruined

Image credits: TansuYegen

“If course he did, if you look at videos of his concerts you can see them slide their feet in to bolts on the floor and slide them out,” one person analyzed. “Bolts are visible.”

A few netizens didn’t quite believe the theory, however.

“NO he did not,” someone said. “It would be too noticeable.”

“If this was the case he would have been Exposed way before… This is just bullsh–t,” another denied.

Image credits: TansuYegen

It’s been nearly two decades since the King of Pop passed away so it’s unlikely we’ll ever get a concrete answer, but the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, scheduled to release in October 2025, may shed some light into the iconic dance move, as well as other major milestones in his life.

According to Biography, MJ’s humble beginnings began in Gary, Indiana, where he was born. His family encouraged their children to pursue musical ambitions, so Jackson started young at just 5 years old.

A new upcoming biopic focusing on Michael Jackson’s journey will be released in October of this year

Image credits: funnysoccer111

His father molded his sons into a musical group in the early 1960s, and they would later become known as the Jackson 5. When MJ joined, he emerged as the group’s lead vocalist, showing remarkable range and depth, especially for such a young performer. 

They played local gigs and started gaining a lot of interest. Eventually, the group moved to Los Angeles in early 1969, where they made their first television appearance.

As years passed, Jackson decided to pave his own path as he was still part of the group, releasing his debut solo album Got to Be There at age 13 in 1971.

 

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A post shared by Michael Jackson (@michaeljackson)

His stardom quickly rose as he tried dipping his toes in the world of acting, portraying the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1977). His breakthrough came with Off the Wall (1979), his first album with Epic Records. 

And the rest of his journey is history.

MJ was labeled as a “pure entertainment genius”

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