“My dad has been the best dad since I was born.” I just wanted to tell him how much I love him. Paris Jackson, who was 11 years old at the time, cried when she stated these things at her father’s memorial service in July 2009. They caught a moment that felt like it was both private and public. People all throughout the world called Michael Jackson the “King of Pop.” A lot of people changed their lives because of his songs. But to Paris, he was just “daddy.” At that moment, millions of people witnessed not the famous person but the caring parent who made them famous.
When Michael Jackson died suddenly, the whole world was shocked. The official story was that the victim died of heart failure because they took too much propofol. Fans all over the world were heartbroken, and the news was full of messages of sympathy. Prince, Paris, and Blanket (now called Bigi) were the ones who missed him the most. Their father was everything to them. He taught them, protected them, and was always there for them.
When Paris lost her father at such a young age, her life changed forever. For a long time, Michael has kept his kids out of the public glare. He made them wear scarves or masks over their faces when they went out in public. He wasn’t scared; he just wanted them to feel normal and have a chance to live without the stress of having a name that everyone liked. He kept to himself a lot, yet he always showed affection.
He taught them how to be polite, set limits for them, and encouraged them to be creative. Paris has said that although though Dad was renowned, Michael made sure she never felt like she was living in a castle of luxury. Dad was quite active in their lives. He taught his kids to be kind to others, work hard, and strive for meaning in things other than money and fame.
After their father died, people started to pay attention to the kids, which was the antithesis of what he had worked so hard to shield them from. They were always being filmed. There were a lot of rumors going around. To make meaning of their lives, tabloids turned their issues into stories. Three youngsters were at the center of it all. They were having a terrible time dealing with the death of the person they loved the most.
Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, was given legal custody of the kids. She was in her late 70s at the time, yet she had to take care of three grieving kids in front of the whole world. Her grandmother raised her when she was a teenager, and she tried her best to figure out who she was in a world that always reminded her of her father.
But the loss did change things. As Paris got older, she had to deal with the stress of being a Jackson and the pain of losing her father. When she was a teenager, she had a lot of problems with herself. She has talked about how hard it is for her to deal with despair, self-harm, and thoughts of suicide. I had a hard time dealing with my feelings because my father was so famous, liked, and well-known.
When Paris reached 19, she took a big and personal decision: she moved out of her grandmother’s house and into her father’s own studio on the Jackson family estate. People used to be able to paint and play music at this studio. She turned it into her own home, a dormitory-style hostel where she could remember her father on her own terms. This place meant a lot to her emotionally, and it became a safe place for her. She could begin to create a life there that wasn’t focused on what other people believed she should do, but she still missed her dad.
People started to notice Paris not because she was the daughter of a renowned person, but because she was an artist in her own right. She used music, fashion, and modeling to show who she was, deal with her past, and build something that was all her own. People in the modeling business quickly learned about her because of her unique style and the fact that she didn’t care what other people thought. She didn’t let her last name define her, fought against what society thought was beautiful, and loved her body and spirit.
But music was always the most important thing to her. In 2020, she released her first album, Wilted. It was a sad collection of silhouettes that displayed her artistic and sensitive side, which had grown and changed throughout the years of loss and strength. The songs on the CD are about love, loss, getting well, and figuring out who you are. You can sense the pain she’s been through in her songs, but you can also hear how strong she’s gotten by producing something of her own.
Paris discusses honestly about her childhood in a 2021 YouTube interview with supermodel Naomi Campbell. She also added that Michael didn’t make her feel like she deserved stuff just because they were rich. They had to put in a lot of effort to get what they wanted. It wasn’t about getting expensive gifts on your birthday; it was about having fun and learning new things. He told her to stay grounded, to appreciate different cultures and communities, and to remember that privilege should be used with kindness, not pride.
Paris remarked that her father taught her how to be creative and work hard. She said he told her to be curious, ask questions, and never let what other people wanted her to be change who she was. She still has that legacy, maybe even more than the music.
Paris is in her mid-20s now, yet she is constantly growing as a person and as an artist. Her last name makes it sound like she hails from a wealthy family, but she is more than that. She is a tough woman who has been through a lot and still had the guts to speak up. People in the media sometimes compare Paris Jackson to her father, but she is slowly finding her own style. Her creativity, honesty, and deep, lasting love for the man she still calls “daddy” define how she acts.
Michael Jackson has died, yet his memory lives on in Paris. Her name and how renowned she is aren’t the only things that make her special. It’s also how kind, deep, and brave she is.