Howie Mandel reveals daughter’s wild plan to honour Michael Jackson

Howie Mandel has revealed a hilarious and slightly chaotic family moment involving his eldest daughter and the one and only Michael Jackson.

The Howie Mandel, now 70, shared that his daughter Jackelyn Shultz was utterly obsessed with the King of Pop as a child, so much so that she launched a full-on campaign to name her unborn baby brother after him.

Speaking about the family memory, Howie recalled how four-year-old Jackelyn was determined that her younger sibling, now known as Alex Mandel, should be called “Michael Jackson”. 

But while she was bold at home, things took a very different turn when she actually came face-to-face with her idol.

During a visit to meet Jackson, who passed away in 2009 aged 50, Jackelyn completely froze. 

Overwhelmed by nerves, she burst into tears and hid in the bathroom rather than meeting the global superstar.

Howie admitted he tried to coax her out, urging her not to miss the moment. 

But in a surprising twist, it was Jackson himself who stepped in, gently telling him to back off and let the frightened child be.

Jackelyn later recalled the surreal scene, remembering Jackson doing a photoshoot with his famous pet monkey, Bubbles, before she became too starstruck to cope.

The comedian joked that the whole episode was “epic”, if only to prove to his daughter that Michael Jackson was better suited as a pop legend than her baby brother.

Howie shares Jackelyn, Alex and daughter Riley with wife Terry Mandel and it’s safe to say none of them ended up with quite such a legendary name.

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