We all know David Lynch and his amazing work for directing a promotional short film for him back in 1991 for the release of the album Dangerous.
In a recent interview for Vulture, told a peculiar story involving the King of Pop (or not in this case). After having collaborated with the star, Lynch took the rather curious decision to invest $5,000 in what he thought was Jackson’s soda company, Chewy Nougats.
“One day I was at Dino De Laurentiis’s company and Dino had a guy who was on the business side,” Lynch told Vulture, “He seemed very intelligent. I had in my pocket $5,000 in cash that I’d saved from my per diems. I used to love carrying money around in my pocket. I don’t carry money around now because people find out you carry cash and you get rolled. But I passed this guy’s office and he said, ‘David, listen to me. Listen to me. You can get in on the ground floor: This is Michael Jackson’s company: Chewy Nougats. You can buy in now’”.
Continuing, Lynch recalled: “So I said, ‘Well, I got this five grand right here.’ My thinking was that I’d double it at least, so I put $5,000 into Chewy Nougats. I followed it for a while and the Chewy part left and it was just called Nougats. Then the Nou was gone and it was called Gats. Then it all disappeared…I don’t even know what it was. I think it was candy. I never really knew. I just knew that if it was Michael Jackson, it was gonna be big”.
With no record of Michael Jackson ever owning a candy company, less still one named ‘Chewy Nougats’, it seems as though Lynch was scammed by a group claiming to represent the king of pop.
Here the full section about this story from Vulture’s interview:
I read an anecdote from Questlove where he said that you’d invested in a soda company owned by Michael JacksonThe Jackson connection isn’t a random one: Lynch directed a promotional short video for Jackson and his 1991 album Dangerous.. Can you tell me about that?
Okay, so one day I was at Dino De LaurentiisThe famous film producer helped finance a few of Lynch’s films, including Blue Velvet, as well as the director’s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel Dune, an infamous flop.’s company and Dino had a guy who was on the business side. He seemed very intelligent. I had in my pocket $5,000 in cash that I’d saved from my per diems. I used to love carrying money around in my pocket. I don’t carry money around now because people find out you carry cash and you get rolled. But I passed this guy’s office and he said, “David, listen to me. Listen to me. You can get in on the ground floor: This is Michael Jackson’s company: Chewy Nougats. You can buy in now.” So I said, “Well, I got this five grand right here.” My thinking was that I’d double it at least, so I put $5,000 into Chewy Nougats. I followed it for a while and the Chewy part left and it was just called Nougats. Then the Nou was gone and it was called Gats. Then it all disappeared.
So Chewy Nougats was candy? I’m confused.
I don’t even know what it was. I think it was candy. I never really knew. I just knew that if it was Michael Jackson, it was gonna be big.
How do you know Michael Jackson was really involved?
I don’t. I took it on faith.
I’m glad for your sake that you didn’t have more than $5,000 in your pocket.
No kidding. I’ve been bitten twice like that. The next time was way more serious. But that’s not a story for now.
