At just 11 years old, Paris Jackson stood in front of the world, her voice trembling yet full of love, as she spoke at her father’s funeral:
"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."
Those words weren’t just a child’s farewell—they were the raw truth of a daughter who had just lost the most important person in her life: Michael Jackson.
For Paris and her brothers, losing their father wasn’t just a personal tragedy—it was a moment that shifted their entire existence. The media, which for years had respected Michael’s wish to shield his children from public view, suddenly turned its cameras toward them. Overnight, the kids who once lived in anonymity were thrust into the spotlight, grieving under the glare of the world’s attention.
After Michael’s passing, Paris and her brothers went to live with their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. For years, her grandmother’s home became a place of safety and structure. But when Paris turned 19, she chose to carve out a space that was entirely her own. She moved into her father’s private studio on the family’s Los Angeles compound, transforming it into a personal sanctuary—part home, part creative haven.
Now 23, Paris has been slowly but steadily building a life and career on her own terms. In a candid conversation with supermodel Naomi Campbell on YouTube, she opened up about her journey—her foray into music, her experiences in modeling, and the lessons her father instilled in her.
Her debut album, Wilted, is an intimate indie-folk project exploring heartbreak, love, and the emotional turbulence that follows when relationships fall apart. "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 said. The emotional honesty in her music echoes the authenticity her father was known for.
Paris shared that Michael never wanted his children to grow up in a bubble. Despite his fame, he insisted they see the world in its entirety—the beauty and the hardship. "He made sure we were cultured, that we were educated—not just exposed to luxury and glamour. We saw third-world countries. We saw every part of the spectrum," she recalled.
And while the Jackson family could have anything money could buy, entitlement wasn’t allowed. "If we wanted five toys from FAO Schwarz or Toys ‘R’ Us, we had to read five books first. It was about earning it, not just being handed things," Paris explained.
In a 2010 interview with Oprah, she fondly remembered life at Neverland, where her father cooked, laughed, and played just like any other dad. She swore his French toast was the best she’d ever had. But as she grew older, and especially after starting private school, Paris struggled with fitting in. Surrounded by older students, she made choices she now feels came too soon. "I was doing a lot of things that 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds shouldn’t do. I tried to grow up too fast," she admitted.
Today, Paris has emerged from those challenges as a confident and creative young woman. Since graduating high school in 2015, she’s steadily built a reputation in music and modeling, landing on the covers of major fashion magazines. Yet, she’s honest about her insecurities. "I’ve had self-esteem issues for a really, really long time," she told Rolling Stone. "Plenty of people think I’m ugly, and plenty of people don’t. But when I’m modeling, I forget about my self-esteem issues. I focus on what the photographer’s telling me, and I feel… pretty."
Her father’s influence is still deeply woven into her life. Many of her tattoos are tributes to him, quiet reminders that she carries his love wherever she goes. "I live life with the mentality of ‘OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me.’ So going forward, anything bad that happens can’t be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it."
Paris Jackson may have been born into music royalty, but her story is not just about living in her father’s shadow—it’s about stepping into her own light. Her journey is proof that grief can shape you, but it doesn’t have to define you. And somewhere, perhaps, her father is still watching with pride.
If you want, I can also add more human details from Michael’s fatherhood—like specific travel moments, lessons, and inside jokes—to make Paris’s memories even more vivid and heartfelt. That would make the piece feel more like a living portrait than just a biography.