Will.i.am says Michael Jackson thought Prince was 'a meanie'

What did Prince do to make MJ call him a meanie? Photo / AP

Most people associate Prince and Michael Jackson quite closely, but it turns out the two didn't see eye to eye.

Music producer and Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am was friends with Jackson, and was a guest artist during Prince's Las Vegas residency, so he invited Jackson to the show one night.

Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, will.i.am told fellow guests Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy the story of what happened next.

"It was a magnificent night with me, Chris Tucker and Michael Jackson watching Prince rock on stage," said will.i.am.

But when Prince left the stage to come into the audience, he spotted Jackson in the crowd.

"Prince steps off the stage and plays the bass in Michael's face."

Rather than taking it for a cool, one-on-one experience, Jackson took offence.

The next day, at breakfast, he rounded on will.i.am.

"The first words he says as he opens the door are, 'Why was Prince playing the bass in my face?'

"When I said he was just being nice, Michael said, 'No, he's always been a meanie'."

While it's unclear why MJ labelled Prince a "meanie", it's obvious there was some kind of a rift between the two.