Brett Ratner Talks Michael Jackson Pranks: Hitting A Homeless Man With Water Balloons

Just when you thought there was no story that could top Michael Jackson and Rashida Jones taking a Super Soaker to an line of unsuspecting movie patrons, well, watch out George Clooney, The King of Pop also had a taste for the prank.

Tower Heist director and Oscar-producer-to-be Brett Ratner visited "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to reminisce about his own Michael "The Prankster" Jackson story.

The director explained that he was sleeping in "The Elizabeth Taylor Suite" when Michael's voice floated in via intercom. Suddenly, his driver (a short Japanese man named Kato, who always donned a tuxedo and hat) appeared and Ratner embarked on a trip he'll never forget.

They ended up at the bathroom of a 7-Eleven convenience store, filling up water balloons with Jackson wearing a Hulk mask. (Can't you just picture it?)

Then they piled into Jackson's absurdly long stretch limo, driving around to find their target: A homeless man walking on the side of the expressway.

Jackson yelled "Kato, hit the breaks!" and nailed him.

And you thought the story about him, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando doing a cross-country survey of KFC and Burger King joints was good.

Comments

[Tige234]

11:00 PM on 11/03/2011

All of these comments prove that once again someone overestimated the intelligence of the public when they thought they would recognize a joke.

[HDeezy]

02:40 PM on 11/04/2011

chill

[Tige234]

08:14 PM on 11/04/2011

My first comments were not posted until I did the last 2. I was chillin.Don't read too much into the failings of Twitter.LOL

[Tige234]

10:38 PM on 11/03/2011

Brett must be scratching his head right about now wondering how it is that no one sees wit in the world and especially when it is connected to MJ.People need to get a grip or a life not sure which one at this point.

[Tige234]

10:36 PM on 11/03/2011

What is wrong with this picture? Kato is the name of the fictitious chauffer of the fictitious Green Hornet? Doesn't anybody get a joke on a comedy show anymore? LOL

[Tige234]

10:17 PM on 11/03/2011

Okay people does anyone realize that this is a comedy show? Who has a chauffer named Kato you guys? THE GREEN HORNET! MJ would have loved how idiotic you all look responding to this the way you have.Doesn'y anyone have radar for a joke when you hear one? Brett must be wondering WTH has happened to people?

[Tige234]

10:08 PM on 11/03/2011

Does anyone see what is wrong with this story?LOL.Who has a short Japanese man as a chauffer you idiots? It is THE GREEN HORNET.Some people will buy anything hook line and sinker.I think the best part is the laugh that MJ would have had at y'alls expense.What a hoot!Do you not recognize that Kimmel is a comedy show? Brett must be sitting somewhere going WTF?LOL

[anoitaanthropakia]

08:58 AM on 11/03/2011

This was the same Michael Jackson who gave 300 million to charities, helped people around the world with terminal desease to find transplant­s and payed their hospital bills, the same guy who wrote that song "We are the world" the money of which went to eliminate famine in Africa, etc. etc?? Wow, that Michael Jackson was really a Monster!!! I'm glud he's dead!!!

[MJ Hater]

12:06 AM on 11/03/2011

It's hypocritic­al of MJ to complain about being "abused" when he had nooooo problem shooting water guns and throwing water balloons at innocent, unsuspecti­ng bystanders­!

And don't try to sugarcoat it because if you throw ANY projectile at ANY person, whether it's water, blood, saliva, urine, feces, rocks, bricks, whatever, it is ASSAULT. Period. End of discussion­. During the Civil Rights movement, racist whites threw water balloons (among other things) at blacks, so don't you dare try to defend MJ.

You expect me to feel sorry for a then 40 year old man who wants to throw water balloons at a homeless person? He should have been arrested and jailed for what he did! You MJ worshipper­s are hypocrites­!

But what do you expect from a grown man who thinks it's OK to sleep in the same bed as young boys after paying $20 million dollars in 1994, but then he's "surprised" that anyone would think he's guilty. Pathetic.

[Louis Gonzales]

05:38 PM on 11/09/2011

So..wait.. people who throw water balloons on Sunday picnics at others, are basically committing assault by your standards? Wow, such childish black/white standards to live by. Overall, if he threw a rock, than yes that's horrible and probably illegal. But Water Balloons are just Water Balloons. One legally is assault, the other is childish prank mischief. Really stop being such an uptight person with a rigid moral code that can ever change at all for different situations.

[RobertFromMN]

05:24 AM on 11/02/2011

Having "Cato" drive him around in a stretch limo so he could throw water balloons at homeless people? Well, that's one more disturbing thing about Michael ...and that list was already ridiculously long.
Shame on Jackson. Shame on Ratner and the audience for thinking it's funny to assault some poor down-on-his-luck guy. I'm relieved to see that not everyone thinks it's funny.

[Louis Gonzales]

05:41 PM on 11/09/2011

He didn't say that it was absolutely a "homeless" person though.

[byronKat]

02:28 PM on 11/01/2011

Sadly, this is disturbing on so many levels. The combination of Michael's blatant disrespect of any other human being with this adolescent behavior, and his allegations of countless indecent sexual advances towards children, just proves how pathetic he was as a person. There is something really evil about someone when they even consider harming a child, or humiliating a complete stranger. The fact that Michael has more incidents of these actions than any other public figure I have heard of is disgusting, and I am thankful that his pitiful soul is put to rest.

[Louis Gonzales]

05:19 PM on 11/09/2011

Come on this is a joke, Michael never had limo driver named Kato.. besides throwing water balloons is something he used to do when he was 10 on his hotel balcony. Besides it's sort of hard at night to determine if a person is actually a homeless person. Overall, to me, it sounds like amusing childlike mischief! :D
Overall, Michael Jackson did help countless amounts of children by giving his time and resources to them. For you to call someone disgusting without looking at all aspects of a person's complex life is pretty foolish.

[Scott Roddy]

09:07 AM on 11/01/2011

How is this funny. Just another reason why he rests in the underworld

[Louis Gonzales]

06:57 PM on 11/09/2011

Shouldn't really judge other people there.. mate..

[RobertFromMN]

05:31 AM on 11/02/2011

Neverland Ranch? Neverland - the place where children never grow up. More than one multimillion dollar settlement. Remember "Jesus Juice"?
I'm surprised but pleased that this comment wasn't censored. The nearly hagiographical revisionism and selective memory of Jackson since his death is sickening. The guy was twisted.

[butchcliff]

07:22 AM on 10/30/2011

He was just a kid then. Stories have also been told how he used to help homeless people. Exceptionally talented person taken too soon.

[byronKat]

02:29 PM on 11/01/2011

Unfortunately his true nature has come out too many times with these acts, as well as his immoral treatment towards children and statutory rape!

[Louis Gonzales]

05:20 PM on 11/09/2011

Slander

[lalalalaicanthearu]

02:37 AM on 10/30/2011

dudes... calm down. this is hilarious! I dont think michael was specifically targetting the homeless, he was just having fun, and it sounds like he was young then (hence: hulk mask) sooo.. i think there's nothing wrong with some minor foolery.

[urnumbersix]

12:32 AM on 10/30/2011

OK -- with this, if true, combined with some OWS reaction stories -- my question is:

Do rich people REALLY think of average or poor people as "less than human?"

Are we viewed as "amusement" pieces, instead of equal, fellow, human beings?!?

Or do they view Themselves as something More than human beings?

Really?
Seriously?!?

{{Frankly, it Would explain a lot if this supposition turned out to be true. We need to Know.}}

[DimpleH]

05:50 PM on 10/29/2011

He 'thinks' it was a homeless guy? So he doesn't know. I remember one of Jackson's friends saying he loved throwing water balloons at random people, and that he once threw them at topless women sunbathing in Brazil from his hotel balcony. I thought was pretty funny lol.