Shouldering the weight of her father’s legacy, Paris Jackson recently revealed how her life, as the only daughter of the late music icon Michael Jackson, was far from ordinary.
Grappling with the intense public mania surrounding her mega famous Jackson family, Paris says her life is rife with privileges and challenges, including the PTSD from paparazzi and “multiple” suicide attempts.
Keep reading to learn more about the life of a young Jackson, who celebrated her 26th birthday on April 3!
Born April 3, 1998, Paris Jackson, an American actress, model, and singer, is the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.
Paris, 26, and her two brothers Bigi, 22, and Prince, 27, were born into the spotlight, with scores of fans wanting to know everything about the youngest members of the Jackson family.
In their earlier years, the children traveled the world and explored different cultures with their famous father, who tried to protect their identity from prying eyes with blankets (for Bigi), masks and veils.
In 2007, Jackson’s bodyguard told People the three kids were “well-mannered, well-behaved kids…They are really level-headed…They were Michael’s first priority.”
Determined to maintain the anonymity of his brood, Jackson homeschooled the kids until they were in grade six.
“I tried to adapt as best as I could and ended up just becoming friends with the teachers, probably because I had gotten used to being surrounded by adults while I was home-schooled,” she tells Spin in August 2022. “I developed in a way where I could communicate more easily with an older crowd. That is what was comfortable because that’s what I knew.”
But in 2009, the layer of protection was removed with the death of their father.
Paris, who was only 11 at the time, spoke, unplanned, at Los Angeles’s Staples Center, where fans packed the stands to say goodbye to a legend.
“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just want to say that I love him so much,” said the tearful child before falling into the arms of her aunt, Janet Jackson.
And then, unsheltered by their father, the young kids were tossed alone into the public eye, turning them into highly profitable prey for the paparazzi.
‘Self-hatred’ and ‘low self-esteem’
The attention and public mania left Paris experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
She says, “It’s primarily if I’m out in public during the day, I don’t really go out during the day,” she says, adding she experiences “audio hallucinations, sometimes, with camera clicks and severe paranoia.”
“I do catch it affecting my personal relationships, especially romantic relationships. PTSD can affect pretty much every aspect of your life…you’re constantly walking on eggshells, constantly looking over your shoulder,” admits Paris, who’s been going to therapy “for a lot of things.”
Things became really bad for the woman who candidly shares that she attempted suicide “multiple times” by age 15, and in 2019, she entered a treatment facility.
She said, “It was just self-hatred…Low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore.”
Paris’ Prince
Today, she leans heavily on the influence of her big brother Prince Michael Jackson, whom she says, “He’s everything to me, you know?” In 2020, she told People of her relationship with Prince, “I’ve always looked up to him and always wanted his approval and everything, and wanted to be more like him.”
Yet Prince says his little sister is more like their father. “Basically, as a person, she is who my dad is. The only thing that’s different would be her age and her gender.”
He adds that his little sister is similar to her father “in all of her strengths, and almost all of her weaknesses as well. She’s very passionate.”
In addition to being hyper passionate about her career – she’s walked the runway for major fashion brands like Chanel and is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band The Soundflowers – she’s also committed to honoring her father’s legacy.
“Everyone in my family does music. I mean, I’m a Jackson,” she said in 2020. “It makes sense that I’m a musician but like, a Jackson doing folk indie?”
Every day, Paris says she’s aware that her actions not only seen as hers, but on her super famous Jackson family.
“You have to sit up straight and act right, because if you don’t it not only reflects on your reputation, [but also] your family’s reputation…I feel like there’s got to be some kind of permanent damage,” she says.
Paris adds, “…those mistakes that everyone makes…mine will get magnified.”
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