“Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.” These were the heartfelt words spoken by an 11-year-old Paris Jackson at the funeral of the man who meant everything to her—her father.
Losing a parent at such a young age is devastating. For Paris and her brothers, it also meant being thrust into the public eye like never before. Suddenly, the media was fixated on them, with magazines eager to capture glimpses of Michael Jackson’s legacy through his children. He had always been fiercely protective of their privacy, yet now they found themselves in an unrelenting spotlight.
Following his passing, his children were placed under the guardianship of their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. Paris remained in her care until she turned 19, at which point she moved into her father’s private studio within the family estate, transforming it into a dorm-style bedroom.
Paris, who celebrated her 23rd birthday on April 3, recently spoke about her father, Michael Jackson, in a YouTube interview with supermodel Naomi Campbell. During the conversation, she also shared insights into her modeling career, her debut album, and her childhood.
The rising model and musician released her first album, Wilted, an indie-folk project. “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,” Paris told Paper, mentioning that her late father’s music has been a major source of inspiration for her. She has undoubtedly inherited his artistic talent.
“My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated, and not just showing us like the glitz and glam, like hotel hopping, five-star places,” Paris shared.
“It was also like, we saw everything. We saw third world countries. We saw every part of the spectrum.”
Paris went on to explain that despite Michael Jackson’s immense wealth and status as the King of Pop, he never spoiled his children. Instead of handing them everything on a silver platter, he made sure they understood the value of hard work from an early age.
“Even growing up it was about earning stuff,” she shared. “If we wanted five toys from FAO Schwarz or Toys ‘R’ Us, we had to read five books.
“It’s earning it, not just being entitled to certain things or thinking ‘oh I got this’. It’s like working for it, working hard for it, it’s something else entirely, it’s an accomplishment.”
Back in 2010, a young Paris Jackson opened up to Oprah about her childhood at Neverland, reflecting on her father’s role in her life. “I kind of felt like no one understood what a good father he was, he was the best cook ever. He was just a normal dad.”
She also fondly recalled, “He made the best French toast in the world.”
As she entered seventh grade, Paris transitioned to a private school, where she started spending time with much older friends. This had a significant impact on her, leading her down a difficult path. “I was doing a lot of things that 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds shouldn’t do. I tried to grow up too fast, and I wasn’t really that nice of a person,” she admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone.
However, Paris has come a long way since then. Now thriving in both music and modeling, she has built a successful career for herself. After graduating high school in 2015, she has been following in her father’s footsteps. With such a legendary legacy to uphold, the challenge is great, but she’s certainly heading in the right direction.
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Several major magazines were thrilled to feature this remarkable woman on their covers. However, she has faced personal struggles with her appearance. “I’ve had self-esteem issues for a really, really long time,” she shared with Rolling Stone. “Plenty of people think I’m ugly, and plenty of people don’t. But when I’m modeling, there’s a moment where I stop worrying about my insecurities and just focus on what the photographer is telling me—and in that moment, I feel beautiful. In a way, it’s selfish.”
Even though many years have passed since Michael Jackson’s death, Paris still feels his absence every single day. She has several tattoos dedicated to him and believes his presence is always with her. “I live life with the mentality of ‘OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me,’” she told Rolling Stone. “So going forward, anything bad that happens can’t be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it.”
We couldn’t be happier for Paris!
