IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING

Paris Jackson on dad Michael and her bizarre life

Being the daughter of the King of Pop comes with a price. You instantly become a media target without having any say in it. Especially when the rumor mill surrounding your father is endless. Eight years after her father's death, Paris is candid for the first time about her life at Neverland Ranch, her own struggles with depression, and whether her father's death was murder or not...

Life at Neverland Ranch

‘We really weren’t allowed to just go on the rides whenever we felt like it. We actually had quite a normal life. We had lessons every day and had to behave well. If we showed good behavior, we could do something fun like go to the movies or visit the animals. But with bad behavior, of course, this was not allowed.’

About school and cyberbullying

Until her father's death, Paris was taught at home – ‘home-schooling’ as they call it in America. When she was 13, she decided to go to a private school, but soon realized that not everyone accepted her, leading her to hang out with an older crowd. She did everything that normal kids aged 13, 14, and 15 didn’t do. In her own words, she tried to grow up too fast. She also became a target for a lot of cyberbullying. ‘That whole freedom of speech is nice, but I think no one predicted how big social media would become when the amendments were written.’

Why she understands her father's plastic surgery

Yes, Michael changed quite a bit about his appearance, but she understands his choices like no one else after experiencing from the age of twelve how people can completely tear you apart over your looks. Nowadays, Paris works a lot as a model. For her, it’s therapeutic. ‘I’ve had struggles with my self-worth for a long time. There are many people who find me ugly and enough others who don’t. When I’m in front of the camera, I forget everything related to my self-worth and just do what the photographer wants from me – and then I feel pretty.’

Paris is convinced that her father's death was not an accident, but murder

‘He always dropped hints that there were people after him. There was even a moment when he said: ‘One day they will kill me.’ It may sound like a conspiracy theory or bullshit, but all the real fans and his family know how it really is. It was a set-up. People wanted him dead.’

“Paris, I like you.”

And now a bit about the rumors of child abuse

Let’s be clear about the fact that Michael was acquitted of all charges. Paris herself says: ‘My father read A Light in the Attic to no one but my brothers and me at bedtime. No one experienced him as a father, except us.’

Her own abuse

What was not known, is that Paris was abused at the age of fourteen by a complete stranger. ‘I don’t want to go into too much detail about this, but it was definitely not a pleasant experience. I had a hard time, and when it happened, I didn’t dare to talk about it with anyone.’

The (multiple) suicide attempt(s)

That Michael's daughter struggled with depression was well known in the media after it was revealed that she attempted suicide at fifteen. ‘I hated myself. I had a negative self-image, I felt like I couldn’t do anything right and that my life had no value.’ But now, three years later, Paris admits that her suicide attempt was a turning point in her life. The hospital where she was treated each time had a ‘three-strike rule’, so after the third attempt, they insisted that she be admitted to a residential therapy program.

Her reaction to the rumors that Michael is not her biological father

‘He is my father. He will always be my father.’ And that’s just how it is. Who are we to decide for her who is or isn’t her father?

And finally: what would Michael think of her current rise to fame?

‘If you want to be bigger than I am, then you can. If you don’t want to be, that’s fine too. All I want is for you to be happy.’

I recommend everyone to read the interview with Paris in Rolling Stone. Her openness gives you a certain insight into the Jackson family that you probably didn’t have before. I must honestly admit that I always caught myself believing all the nasty things that were said about Michael, but in the core of it all, never judge a book by its cover. Paris, I like you. And all the success that comes your way, you have earned it double and then some, and no, not just because you are his daughter.