Saying her father would insist she’s black, “be proud of your roots,” Paris honors her father’s roots and legacy – both musically and physically – remarking, “I consider myself black.”
Keep reading to learn more about Paris Jackson’s identity!
Born April 3, 1998, Paris Jackson, an American actress, model, and singer, is the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.
Paris, who is 25, along with her two brothers Bigi, who is 22, and Prince, who is 27, grew up in the public eye. Many fans are eager to learn all about the latest additions to the famous Jackson family.
When they were young, the Billie Jean singer tried to protect his children from prying eyes with blankets (for Bigi), masks, and veils.
In 2007, Jackson’s bodyguard told People the three kids were “well-mannered, well-behaved kids…They are really level-headed…They were Michael’s first priority.”
In 2009, everything changed when their dad passed away. Without his protection, the young kids suddenly found themselves in the spotlight all by themselves, making them easy targets for the paparazzi who wanted to make money off their lives.
And it left Paris experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She shared: “I experience audio hallucinations, sometimes, with camera clicks and severe paranoia and have been going to therapy for a lot of things, but that included.”
A young woman shared that she tried to take her own life several times before she turned 15. In 2019, she went to a treatment center for help.
She said: “It was just self-hatred…Low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore.”
‘She is who my dad is’
She really looks up to her big brother, Prince Michael Jackson. She said, “He means the world to me, you know?” Back in 2020, she shared with People how much she admires him, saying, “I’ve always wanted to be like him and get his approval for everything.”
Yet Prince says his little sister is more like their father. “Basically, as a person, she is who my dad is. The only thing that’s different would be her age and her gender.”
He adds that his little sister is similar to her father “in all of her strengths, and almost all of her weaknesses as well. She’s very passionate.”
She is super passionate about her job, having walked the runway for big fashion names like Chanel. Plus, she’s the lead singer and guitarist for the band The Soundflowers. On top of all that, she really wants to keep her father’s memory alive.
“Everyone in my family does music. I mean, I’m a Jackson,” she said in 2020. “It makes sense that I’m a musician but like, a Jackson doing folk indie?”
All about the race
She also connects with her late father on race.
Michael Jackson, known for his song “Beat It,” had light skin as he got older. However, he was African-American and had a darker skin tone when he was younger. He also had a condition called Vitiligo, which affects how skin color looks.
Jackson faced a lot of speculation over his changing appearance over the course of his career and always denied bleaching his skin.
In a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the famous singer known for “Thriller” claimed that he only had one cosmetic surgery on his nose. He also explained that the changes in his skin color were because of a condition called Vitiligo.
“I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am,” Jackson told Winfrey at the time.
With her dad’s African-American heritage in mind, Paris says she identifies as black.
In 2017, Paris talked to Rolling Stone magazine about her identity. She mentioned that she sees herself as black. She also shared a memory of Michael, who would look her in the eyes, point his finger at her, and say, “You’re black. Be proud of where you come from.”
She talks about her lighter skin and mentions that a lot of people think she’s from “Finland or something” because of her dyed blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She says, “I’d just think, ‘Well, that’s my dad, why would he make stuff up?’ So I trust what he says. As far as I know, he’s never lied to me.”
When she announced her race, it wasn’t a shock that some people criticized her. Talk show host Wendy Williams didn’t hold back, making fun of Jackson’s daughter for saying she identifies as a black woman. She said, “I understand she thinks of herself as black, but let’s be real about how it looks. Being black isn’t just what you say; it’s how the police see you when they have a gun pointed at you on the highway.”
She adds: “It’s what they see. But that’s cute and good for her.”
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