R&B icon Stephanie Mills, 67, who dated Michael Jackson in the 70s, remains a loyal defender of his legacy despite the allegations made against him over the years. The singer and songwriter, who first rose to fame as Dorothy in Broadway’s The Wiz in 1975, recently told The New York Post, “I loved him ..

. And I don’t like when people try to target what he’s built.” {"@context":"https://schema.

org","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"Stephanie Mills has always defended Michael Jackson. Photo: @iamstephaniemills/Instagram","url":"https://img.i-scmp.

com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/08/23/bdfe7054-9336-4041-839f-fc22c1cf6fff_7390c88c.jpg"} Stephanie Mills has always defended Michael Jackson. Photo: @iamstephaniemills/Instagram Those people include the likes of choreographer Wade Robson , who appeared in HBO’s Leaving Neverland documentary.

Mills insists Jackson “would never do anything to a child” and continues to honour his memory on social media, calling him “one of the greatest entertainers in the world”. Born in Queens and raised in Brooklyn, the sixth of six children, Mills began performing by singing gospel at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, per Blackpast. But who is she exactly? Here’s what you should know about her and her connection to the King of Pop.

Stephanie Mills’ singing career started at the age of 9 Mills entered showbiz at age nine with a role in the 1968 musical .