At just 24 years old and as the second child of the legendary musician Michael Jackson, Paris Jackson has been a celebrity her entire life. While she has faced numerous challenges following her father’s death, the talented young woman is now pursuing a career in music.
Despite the many ups and downs she has experienced, Paris has chosen to open up about her upbringing with her father, who was widely known as the “King of Pop.” Few individuals are unaware of Michael Jackson’s impact and legacy in the music industry.
Michael Jackson – “King of Pop”
As the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson’s music legacy speaks for itself, but his life was not without challenges. From a young age, he faced domestic issues while performing with his siblings in the Jackson Five. These challenges were exacerbated by his strict father who was quick to discipline the children if they disobeyed.
Despite the circumstances of his upbringing, Michael Jackson’s musical talents were undeniable. While some may argue that he was a manufactured product, created to be an entertainer from a young age, his music, dance moves, and songwriting were all masterful.
When Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, the world mourned the loss of a musical icon. Despite the constant scrutiny and harassment by paparazzi and tabloids throughout his life, even his final resting place was not spared from unwanted attention.
Paris Jackson – Michael’s daughter
Following Michael Jackson’s passing, media helicopters swarmed around the helicopters transporting his body from the Los Angeles hospital. Even to this day, news about Michael Jackson and his family continues to be reported around the world.
Currently, his family members are the ones receiving the majority of the attention. His children, in particular, have become targets for paparazzi due to the Jackson family’s notoriety.
Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson’s second child, has spent her entire life in the public eye. She’s now focused on carving out her own identity, separate from her father’s legacy.
Despite facing mental health challenges over the years, Paris is doing remarkably well.
Paris Jackson – early life
Born on April 3, 1998, in California, Paris Jackson is the second child and only daughter of Michael Jackson.
During her early years, Paris and her brother were homeschooled and kept out of the public eye. Michael Jackson was adamant about protecting their privacy and went to great lengths to shield them from the media. In early photographs, the children in Michael’s family were often seen wearing costumes or having their faces covered with scarves.
Growing up on the Neverland Ranch was a unique experience for Paris and her siblings, with a lifestyle that was both incredibly privileged yet also quite isolated.
In a conversation with supermodel Naomi Campbell, Paris spoke candidly about her father and her upbringing.
She revealed that Michael Jackson placed a strong emphasis on education and cultural experiences, going beyond just the glitz and glamour of luxury living.
Paris explained that she and her siblings were exposed to a wide range of experiences, including visiting third-world countries and witnessing the full spectrum of life. This gave them a unique perspective on the world that went beyond their privileged upbringing.
Speaks out on her childhood
During her childhood, Paris Jackson had the opportunity to travel the world with her father as he performed for massive crowds across the globe.
Despite her privileged upbringing, Paris learned early on the importance of hard work and not taking things for granted. Her father instilled in her and her siblings the idea that they had to work hard to earn what they wanted.
Paris reflected on this in an interview, saying that even as children, they were required to earn their toys by reading books or working towards other goals.
She emphasized the value of earning something through hard work, rather than feeling entitled to it. For Paris, this was an important lesson that she continues to carry with her.
Tragically, Paris was just 11 years old when her father passed away.
Tragic passing of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest at home and passed away shortly after being transported to a nearby hospital.
In accordance with his will, Michael’s three children, including Paris Jackson, were placed under the legal guardianship of their grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
During Michael’s televised funeral service, 11-year-old Paris briefly spoke about her father, expressing her love for him and describing him as the best father one could ever imagine. Her two brothers, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II, were also in attendance, marking one of the first times that the public had seen Jackson’s children.
In January 2010, Paris and her brothers made another public appearance at the Grammy Awards, where they accepted a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of their father.
Paris Jackson – life after Neverland
Paris Jackson spoke about her father on the Oprah Winfrey Show in November of the same year. She described her father as amazing and felt that nobody understood how good of a father he was. According to Paris, Michael Jackson was just a normal dad who was the best cook ever, and he made the best French toast in the world.
Following Michael Jackson’s passing, Paris Jackson moved into a mansion in Calabasas, California, with her grandmother Katherine Jackson and other family members. However, when she turned 19, she decided to move into Michael Jackson’s private studio at the family compound, which she converted into a dorm-style bedroom.
Losing a father is hard enough, but for Paris, it was much more challenging. She was suddenly expected to continue her father’s legacy.
Paris Jackson – career
Paris Jackson graduated from high school one year early in 2015, but with a billion-dollar heritage on the line and the public eye always on her, she had a lot to consider. Now, like her father, she is pursuing a career in entertainment. Paris takes her father’s advice to heart, believing that hard work is necessary to achieve success. Despite being born into incredible wealth as the daughter of one of the most famous people in recent history, Paris is determined to carve out her own path in life. She grew up surrounded by adults and found the transition to attending a traditional school challenging. For Paris, the world is much more than being Michael Jackson’s child. She acknowledges that the world can be cruel, sexist, racist, and frightening, but she remains undeterred
“Once I got introduced into the real world, I was shocked. It blew me away,” Paris Said. “Not just because it was sexist, but misogynist and racist and cruel. It was scary as hell. And it still is really scary.”
Modeling and music
Paris Jackson has carved out her own path in the entertainment industry by starting out as a model. She has made a name for herself in recent years by appearing on the covers of some of the world’s most prominent magazines such as Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Narcisse. Modeling is something Paris finds natural and therapeutic. Paris understands her father’s choice to undergo multiple plastic surgeries, especially in this age of social media and cyberbullying. Paris herself has struggled with self-esteem issues for a long time, and modeling has helped her forget about those issues and focus on the photographer’s directions, making her feel pretty. She believes it is a selfish endeavor in a good way. Through her Instagram page, Paris shares her life with her followers, revealing that she enjoys spending time with friends and doing things she was unable to experience when she was younger.
In 2020, Paris Jackson entered the music industry with the release of her debut album, Wilted. While her father was known for his R&B and pop music, Paris chose to follow a different path and pursued indie folk music for her album.
“It’s mainly just a story of heartbreak and love, in general, and the thoughts and feelings that come after it doesn’t work out,” she remarked.
Having grown up surrounded by her father’s music, Paris Jackson acknowledges that she knows all the lyrics to his songs. Although she has created her own unique sound, it’s natural that Michael Jackson’s musical preferences have had an impact on her.
“He loved classical music and jazz and Hip Hop and R&B and obviously the Motown stuff,” she says.
Paris Jackson has paid homage to her father, Michael Jackson, by getting more than 50 tattoos, nine of which are dedicated solely to him. Despite the overwhelming pain of losing her beloved father, Paris has learned to cope with the loss instead of relying on the passage of time to heal her wounds. She takes comfort in the fact that Michael still visits her in her dreams, reminding her that he will always be with her.
“I live life with the mentality of ‘OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me.’” she mentioned. “So going forward, anything bad that happens can’t be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it.”
“I feel him with me all the time.”
While anyone who has lost a parent can relate to the pain that Paris Jackson is going through, her experience growing up as Michael Jackson’s daughter is unique. It’s refreshing to see that she can now pursue her life without being constantly followed by paparazzi. Wishing her all the best! If you admire Paris Jackson’s courage, please share this article with your loved ones.