“Thriller” Model Looks Great Now, But One Thing About Her Looks Is Alarmingly Different

Posted On : July 7, 2018

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We all remember when the beautiful Ola Ray, was dancing and giggling her way through Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” video. The former Playboy model became an overnight star on that fateful day in 1982. At that time, I -like many others- was crushin’ on Ola Ray something SERIOUS…as I also was on ‘Thelma’ from “Good Times,” but I digress. Anyways, it’s been about 36 years since most fans have laid eyes on Ms. Ray and a lot has changed. Although she’s still a beautiful woman at 57 years old, one thing is drastically different from the Ola Ray that we knew back in the day. What is it, you ask? Her complexion.

Lighter Shades Of Ola Ray

In the 1980’s, Ola Ray had the melanin-rich, caramel complexion that she was born with. Fast forward to now and her new complexion is the topic among many. Why? Because it seems that her skin tone has gradually transformed in the same way that Michael Jackson’s did. In other words, her skin is surprisingly more of a melanin-less, flushed tone these days. That has some fans wondering if Ola Ray’s new hue is the result of excessive skin bleaching, or some other cause. Check out her recent pics below…

(L) Ola Ray NOW; (R) Ola Ray THEN (via Instagram and Getty Images)

Not sure what the reason behind her melanin transformation is, but 36 years has brought about a change.

Ola Ray now (via Instagram)

Old School Fun Facts About Ola Ray & MJ

1. Ola Ray was hand picked by Michael Jackson to be his video “girlfriend” and guess where he selected her from? The Playboy Magazine. He pointed to her…while he was looking through the magazine one day and asked his people to find her.

2. Ola Ray said MJ flirted with her a lot and that she was in love with him but never told him.

3. Ola Ray said she wakes up to Michael everyday:
“I have a huge poster of Michael, just of himself and then I have the 25th Anniversary album,” she said in the ABC News interview. “Then, I have a picture of us walking together in the video … I see Michael every morning when I wake up.”

4. Michael Jackson gave one of his Thriller Awards to Ola Ray. She said after he’d asked her to go to Germany and accept the award on his behalf, this is what happened next:

“He wanted to send someone else to come pick it up [from me], but I told him, ‘No. If you don’t come pick it up yourself, then you’re not going to get it,'” said Ray, who went on to land small roles in Beverly Hills Cop II, Gimme A Break! and Cheers. “He didn’t come get it, so he called and told me it was mine. I could keep it.”

5. Word on the Old School curb is that Ola Ray is now a stay-at-home mom with a beautiful 20-something year old daughter.

About I Love Old School Music

We salute the incredible people and beautiful memories of that "old school". We’re not saying that every artist and every facet of the soul era was perfect, but the artists’ contributions to soul music and the old school memories of that particular time are PRICELESS.