Fabio Jackson walked into the 51st AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards on April 18, 2026, dressed in a black military jacket, and came face to face with Jaafar Jackson, the man playing Michael Jackson in the new biopic. The TikTok caption said everything: "Michael Meet Michael." That three-word post went viral within hours, and Fabio Jackson — the British-born MJ lookalike with 12.4 million TikTok followers — became the name everyone was searching for.
The timing was no accident. With Antoine Fuqua's long-awaited Michael biopic hitting theaters on April 24, 2026, the cultural appetite for anything connected to Michael Jackson's legacy had hit a peak. And right in the middle of it stood Fabio, a 32-year-old from Great Yarmouth, England, whose uncanny resemblance to the King of Pop has turned a childhood oddity into a full-time career — one that now includes a Kanye West gig, a Las Vegas wedding with an Elvis impersonator officiating, and a son named Anakin.
Here is everything you need to know about Fabio Jackson.
Fabio Jackson's Real Name, Age, and Early Life in England
Fabio Jackson's real name is Fabio James — the "Jackson" surname is not his birth name but a tribute identity he built around his resemblance to Michael Jackson. The shared last name has fueled years of fan speculation about a family connection, but Fabio has addressed it directly and repeatedly: there is no biological link.
He was born on June 13, 1993, in Great Yarmouth, a coastal town in Norfolk, England, making him 32 years old in 2026. Growing up, people regularly told him he looked like MJ — a comparison that came with its own social difficulties. He has spoken about being bullied in school for his appearance, an experience that could have pushed him to distance himself from the resemblance. Instead, he made the opposite call.
Fabio started creating content in 2010 at age 16, posting videos on YouTube and Instagram that showcased his natural likeness to Michael Jackson. Those early posts attracted attention quickly — not just for the visual similarity but for how deliberately he leaned into the look through makeup, contouring, and styling choices that have remained central to his content ever since. He later moved from London to Redding, California, where he currently lives with his family.
Fabio Jackson's TikTok Career: From Banned Accounts to 12.4 Million Followers
Fabio Jackson's path to social media dominance was not smooth. His early Instagram presence — where he first gained tens of thousands of followers — was repeatedly disrupted by account bans. Rather than abandoning the platform, he pivoted to TikTok, where he built the account @officialfabiojackson into one of the most recognized MJ tribute presences online.
As of April 2026, Fabio has 12.4 million TikTok followers and 164.3 million likes. His content covers Michael Jackson's signature dance routines, wardrobe recreations, and daily livestream performances that pull his global fanbase into real-time engagement. He enhances his natural resemblance with makeup and contouring — nose contours, eyeliner, and skin care routines he has discussed openly with fans. His curly hair, he maintains, is completely natural.
Beyond TikTok, Fabio has appeared in two documentary productions centered on Michael Jackson: The Last 24 Hours: Michael Jackson (2018) and Fatal Addiction: Michael Jackson (2022). These projects placed him in a more formal media context, lending his impersonation work a degree of documentary legitimacy beyond social media.
His professional bookings have expanded significantly alongside his follower growth. Earlier this year, Fabio landed a gig with Kanye West, describing the rapper as "kind and humble" in an exclusive TMZ interview — a comment that raised eyebrows given the ongoing controversy surrounding West but also confirmed the level at which Fabio now operates commercially.
He has also met several members of the Jackson family over the years, including Prince, Bigi, Taj, and TJ Jackson, as well as Michael's longtime friend Chris Tucker and musician Ed Sheeran. Each encounter has reinforced his standing as the most prominent MJ tribute creator in the digital space, which is what makes the April 2026 AFI Awards moment so significant.
Fabio Jackson and Jaafar Jackson's Viral AFI Awards Meeting Explained
Fabio Jackson met Jaafar Jackson on April 18, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, during the 51st AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards — an event that evening was officially celebrating Eddie Murphy as its honoree. What nobody anticipated was that the most talked-about moment of the night would come from a handshake in the crowd.
Fabio arrived in full tribute mode — black military-style jacket, the kind of look MJ made iconic — and encountered Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson and nephew of the late King of Pop, who is currently starring as his uncle in Antoine Fuqua's Michael biopic. Jaafar, according to fans who clocked the moment in TikTok comments, appeared visibly caught off guard.
Fabio posted the clip on TikTok with the caption "Michael Meet Michael" — three words that were all the framing the moment needed. The video accumulated millions of views within hours, sparking debate across social media about identity, legacy, and what it means to embody someone else's image versus inheriting their bloodline.
The biopic, Michael, debuted in theaters on April 24, 2026 — just six days after the AFI encounter. For Fabio, the timing amplified everything. He told TMZ that a woman had approached him at a separate event, convinced MJ was still alive — shouting "I knew you weren't dead!" — an incident that captures exactly how surreal Fabio's daily life has become.
On the biopic itself, Fabio has been measured. When speculation circulated that he felt resentful about Jaafar landing the official role, he addressed it publicly. "I'm not gonna be ambitious about any movie at all in today's age," he told The Express Tribune. "Even though Michael's biopic is probably going to be one of the best movies out there, it's good to keep your expectations down." The quote landed as measured support — not jealousy, not manufactured enthusiasm.
For more on the MJ biopic and Jaafar's preparation for the role, Entertainment coverage on GlamourBiz tracks the story as it develops.
Fabio Jackson's Wife Ana Lyrio, Son Anakin, and Family Life in California
Fabio Jackson married Ana Lyrio on May 21, 2023, at the Little Chapel in Las Vegas — with an Elvis Presley impersonator officiating the ceremony. The detail is almost too fitting for a couple where one half has built a career around tribute performances. Only a small group of close friends attended; many of Fabio's followers were unaware he was even in a relationship before the announcement.
Ana Lyrio is a Brazilian singer, actress, and talent manager whose music is available on Spotify. Her background in talent management adds a professional layer to the relationship — she understands the demands of Fabio's content schedule and booking commitments from both a personal and industry perspective. The couple met through mutual connections in entertainment and fashion.
In mid-2024, Fabio and Ana announced that Ana was pregnant. Their son, Anakin Jackson, was born on May 30, 2025. The couple created an Amazon registry for baby Anakin, and in a message to fans wrote: "We are excited to add a new member to our family!" Ana also has children from a previous relationship, and Anakin joins a blended household in their home in Redding, California.
The family dynamic — a British-born MJ tribute creator, a Brazilian singer, and a baby named after a Star Wars character — reflects the genuinely unconventional life Fabio has built around an identity that started as a childhood accident and became a full career.
Fabio Jackson on the Michael Biopic, Kanye West, and What's Next
Fabio Jackson's 2026 profile has grown partly through the cultural wave of the Michael biopic but also through his own consistent content output, which predates the film by over a decade. He has denied being related to Michael Jackson categorically and has also denied persistent plastic surgery rumors, sharing childhood photographs to demonstrate that his resemblance to MJ has been present since his youth.
His income streams are diverse: TikTok monetization, brand partnerships, sponsored content, live performance bookings, merchandise, and acting appearances. His estimated net worth sits at approximately $1.2 million, though this figure is unconfirmed publicly.
The Kanye West booking earlier in 2026 signaled a commercial level that goes beyond social media virality. Fabio's ability to secure live performance gigs for major artists positions him in a different bracket from standard lookalike entertainers. Whether the post-biopic cultural moment sustains his current momentum or fades as the news cycle moves on is the open question — but his 12.4 million follower base gives him a floor that few tribute creators can match.
For more on trending entertainment figures in 2026, see GlamourBiz's Trending coverage and the Celebrities section for related profiles.
Fabio Jackson at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full real name | Fabio James |
| Known as | Fabio Jackson |
| Date of birth | June 13, 1993 |
| Age (2026) | 32 |
| Birthplace | Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Current residence | Redding, California, USA |
| Wife | Ana Lyrio (married May 21, 2023) |
| Son | Anakin Jackson (born May 30, 2025) |
| TikTok | @officialfabiojackson — 12.4M followers |
| TikTok likes | 164.3 million |
| YouTube | @officialfabiojackson |
| Related to MJ? | No — confirmed multiple times |
| Estimated net worth | ~$1.2 million (unconfirmed) |
| Notable gigs | Kanye West, AFI Awards 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Fabio Jackson
Who is Fabio Jackson?
Fabio Jackson is a British content creator and performer known for his natural resemblance to Michael Jackson. Born Fabio James in Great Yarmouth, England in 1993, he has built a following of 12.4 million on TikTok through MJ tribute content, dance recreations, and livestream performances. He currently lives in California with his wife Ana Lyrio and son Anakin.
What is Fabio Jackson's real name?
His real name is Fabio James. He adopted the "Jackson" surname as part of his tribute identity — not because of any family connection to Michael Jackson, which he has denied on multiple occasions.
Is Fabio Jackson actually related to Michael Jackson?
No. Fabio Jackson is not related to Michael Jackson by blood or family connection. His resemblance to the King of Pop is entirely coincidental. The shared surname came from Fabio adopting it as part of his public persona, not from family lineage. He has clarified this directly in multiple media interviews.
Who is Fabio Jackson's wife?
His wife is Ana Lyrio, a Brazilian singer, actress, and talent manager. They married on May 21, 2023, in Las Vegas at the Little Chapel, with an Elvis Presley impersonator officiating. Ana's music is available on Spotify, and she has children from a previous relationship.
Does Fabio Jackson have children?
Yes. Fabio and Ana welcomed their son Anakin Jackson on May 30, 2025. Ana also has children from a prior relationship, making theirs a blended family. Fabio announced the pregnancy publicly in mid-2024 and shared the birth with his follower base.
What happened between Fabio Jackson and Jaafar Jackson at the AFI Awards?
On April 18, 2026, at the 51st AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Fabio Jackson and Jaafar Jackson — MJ's nephew and the star of the Michael biopic — met and shook hands on camera. Fabio posted the TikTok clip with the caption "Michael Meet Michael," which went viral globally within hours.
Did Fabio Jackson get plastic surgery to look like Michael Jackson?
Fabio has consistently denied plastic surgery. He says his resemblance to Michael Jackson is natural and has shared childhood photographs to support that claim. He enhances the likeness using makeup, nose contouring, and eyeliner — techniques he has described openly to his audience.