I have a phobia of Michael Jackson — people don’t take it seriously

nypost.com:

on TikTok.“It wasn’t until half an hour in that I heard the start of ‘Thriller’ playing and I instantly started panicking,” Ruby Marriott, 18, told South West News Service of her Jackson-prompted panic attack.

The native of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, in the UK, said she has “a genuine fear of Michael Jackson,” which can be triggered by something as innocuous as hearing an MJ song.The most recent traumatic episode reportedly occurred on Monday, while the student was celebrating her aunt and uncle’s recent marriage while on vacation in Cyprus, according to SWNS.“It was my first night in Ayia Napa and funnily enough, the first bar we went to was really quiet so not many people there,” Marriott explained. “We had no idea about any tribute acts so we went in and had a few rounds of drinks.”She had, “I was enjoying it a lot, we were all dancing, taking photos and having a laugh.”That all changed when the MJ lookalike took the stage. “I turned around and saw a Michael Jackson impersonator dancing around on the dance floor next to me,” recalled Marriott — who quickly collapsed into a meltdown for the internet ages.In the accompanying clip, shot by Marriott’s sister Macey, 19, the fear-stricken woman can be seen sobbing in her seat as the tribute artist performs an animated cover of “Thriller” on stage, complete with pirouettes and the pop icon’s signature kick. “I couldn’t even look at him,” she said.

Family attempted to console her at the time, but the Jackson’s ghostly image stuck with her through the night.“It took me a while to get to sleep,” said Melissa, adding that she kept her boyfriend on the phone until she could pass out.Several viewers on TikTok commiserated with Marriott’s bizarre phobia, claiming they, too,.