Michael Jackson's explosive paternity scandal linked to Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando has been named as the real father of Michael Jackson’s youngest, widely known as Blanket or Bigi Jackson, according to recently circulated rumours.

Officially named Prince Michael Jackson, the 23-year-old son of the late global icon was born via surrogacy in 2002 — two years before Brando’s death at the age of 80.

According to a source cited by The Sun, on the theory, it has “all kicked off within the wider Jackson estate quite recently, with [siblings] Paris and Prince being told of this development.”

“It is all very strange, but the pieces of the puzzle seem to all add up. Everyone is trying to get their heads around it,” the insider further noted.

The report also claimed that it is “pretty much accepted as fact these days” that the Thriller hitmaker had employed sperm donors, “despite what the Jackson family might have said publicly in the past.”

However, the Godfather star’s name being “among the people who helped him become a dad because he was unable to do it himself” is only a recent development.

Furthermore, the reason why “it has stayed quiet for so long” is because the King of Pop and the two-time Oscar winner “were both megastars and very close, so they had a lot of trust between them.”

Nevertheless, the insider added, “a handful of people close have always known.”

Meanwhile, according to News.com.au, Jackson was known to have struggled with "fertility issues.”

Michael Jackson is considered the father to three children in total: Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson, and Bigi Jackson.

While Marlon Brando fathered a total of 11 children, choosing to fiercely protect their privacy, as they were brought up on a private island in Tahiti.