Michael Jackson Really Did Voice Leon Kompowsky on 'The Simpsons'

When the third season of The Simpsons aired in 1991, its premiere "Stark Raving Dad" sparked a debate that would last 27 years: Did Michael Jackson really voice Homer's mental institution roommate Leon Kompowsky? And if so, why was he credited as John Jay Smith?

In a recent video interview with Australia's The Weekly, the show's creator Matt Groening finally put the question to rest by confirming that the mentally ill man who thinks he is the King of Pop actually was voiced by the King of Pop.

“We really did have Michael Jackson,” Groening confessed. Ironically, he admitted to hanging up on the icon when he first called because "he has a voice that sounds like someone doing a Michael Jackson bit.” 

“He said that he loved Bart [Simpson] and wanted to be on the show," Groening explained.

“He didn’t want credit for it, it was some kind of deal with his record company or whatever,” he continued, which explains Mr. Smith's credit. “When it came time to do the songs, he had a sound-a-like singer and he stood there and watched the guy—and he was so nervous—who had to to sound like Michael Jackson.”

So there you have it, folks! MJ really did voice a character on The Simpsons, though sadly he did not sing "Happy Birthday Lisa."

Watch the full interview below.