# Elephant Man

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191 "2003-11-09T05:49:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![john31584](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@john31584](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john31584)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191/1 "2003-11-09T05:49:02Z")

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Hi, I just registered an account here, after lurking on and off for quite some time.

Anyway, I was wondering if Michael Jackson really owns the skeleton of the Elephant Man. This story is quite persistant, and I was wondering if it’s true.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191/2 "2003-11-09T05:56:30Z")

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Apparently not.

This [brief online bio](http://www.who2.com/josephmerrick.html) of John Merrick, nicknamed “the Elephant Man”, indicates that Michael Jackson never has purchased the mortal remains.

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**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191/3 "2003-11-09T14:31:05Z")

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Yes: a Google search for [“elephant man” skeleton] finds repeated debunkings - since Merrick’s death, his skeleton has always been at the Royal London Hospital (in its Museum, though apparently not for public view).

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**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191/4 "2003-11-09T14:36:11Z")

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This fact however does not make the king of pop any less weird

just some fyi

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elephant-man/212191/5 "2003-11-09T15:04:39Z")

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Around the same time that the rumors about Jacko started, Lisa Lisa (Lisa Velez) said that she wanted to buy it, too. Although that was meant as a joke, she was indeed quoted as having said that in “USA Today.”