Most of us remember her as the teen ‘love interest’ in the 1983 Michael Jackson Thriller video, but today Ola Ray, at 48 years old is grieving with the rest of the world of celebrity at the loss of the man who brought her to the fore and made her a household name.

When asked for her thoughts on the Man in The Mirror Ola recalls, ‘He’s given me so much inspiration, in regards to being able to work with someone in his greatness. I’m very grateful to have made history with him. I’m so honored. God bless his soul, may he sing and dance for God in peace. His work will live on forever and ever. I’d like to say thank you to all my fans for their support and prayers.”

Ola’s memories of working with Michael provoked a happy response as she revealed, “It was like being with someone that was five years old and in kindergarten.  All he wanted to do was play and laugh and joke. I’ll always remember him having a free spirit like that. At times there were fans trying to climb over the roof, which was kind of funny. I was just in awe of being with him. I’ll never forget it, and I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity. We made history. He’ll always be in my heart.”

Ray also stated that Jackson left a lasting effect on her life in the things he taught her about being a decent human being. He taught Ola about, “Being humble. Not taking anything for granted and knowing that nothing lasts forever. It’s about being here and doing what you do. It was a very humbling experience. It’s bigger than life. The whole world was watching.”

The girl who grew up to appear in the glossy pages of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy magazine in as his Playmate of the Month in June 1980, said her message to the world about Michael would be, “We should all just be grateful for the opportunity and life that God gave us. God gave Michael to us for a short time. Let’s focus on the positive not the negative. Let’s celebrate what Michael gave us through song and dance.”

In the past Ola and Jackson had been locked in legal disputes with regard to the royalties she felt he had made it difficult for her to collect. Ray first blamed Michael Jackson, then apologized to him in 1997.

However, on May 6, 2009 it was reported that Ray sued Jackson in a dispute over royalties for the Thriller video.