There's a price on everything and it seems that celebrity is paying its highest fee on Michael Jackson's private life.

Michael Jackson's shopping day was quite a drag for the pop star, who was spotted in a mall in the Gulf Arab state of Bahrain on Wednesday disguised as a traditional Arab woman, apparently to avoid public attention.

47-year-old Michael Jackson relocated in the Arab country in June 2005 after being acquitted of child molestation charges and has been living there so far. The star is considered a guest of the royal family in Bahrain and has a special status there.

Yesterday, he was seen at a popular downtown mall wearing a black abaya robe, black gloves, sunglasses and a veil that covered his face, exactly like all Bahraini women.

But the disguise wasn't that perfect, as the three Western-looking children accompanying him drew the attention of other shoppers, who quickly recognized the pop star. Since living in Bahrain, Michael Jackson became a extremely popular figure in the Gulf region.

"Please, no!" Jackson shouted at photographers before making a rapid exit with the children and a woman via the back door of the mall. Also the woman who was accompanying Jackson asked photographers to step back: "You have to give us some privacy. Please, you have to understand his position, he is with his kids � you need to leave us alone," she said.
One cannot but wonder what are those kids thinking� "Look, there's mum!... Oh, no, that's dad dressed like mum!... No, wait, we don't have a mum� Oh well�"