This article mentions suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, addiction, and sexual assault.
Paris Jackson, the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, hasn’t had it easy.
Indeed, Paris is proof that being a celeb kid doesn’t guarantee a charmed existence.
But Paris is nothing if not a survivor.
“The personal stuff is more day-to-day.
It’s going to be a heartbreaking ride.
This is the tragic story of Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris.
In 2009, Michael died of cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home, aged 50.
Paris even gave a heartbreaking speech at the funeral.
“And I just want to say I love him so much.”
Years later, the pain of losing her dad hasn’t subsided.
“They always say, ‘Time heals,'” she toldRolling Stone.
“But it really doesn’t.
You just get used to it.
So going forward, anything bad that happens can’t be nearly as bad as what happened before.”
Moreover, the circumstances surrounding her father’s death have always left her feeling uneasy.
Michael’s passing was onecelebrity death that wasn’t ruled accidental.
“I do not wish to share parenting responsibilities with Michael because he is doing so well without me …
Accordingly, Paris grew up not knowing her mother.
“It’s cool,” she said.
It’s just cool having her as a friend.”
In 2017, she supported Rowe as she underwent cancer treatment.
But it took her a long time to embrace her identity.
Representation is integral to LGBTQ+ youths’ sense of identity and worth.
Although her father was accepting of her sexuality, this atmosphere of tolerance dissipated after he died.
“My family’s very religious,” she explained.
“But there were moments where it was really hard and, like, you feel alone.
You feel kind of excluded,” she said.
It wouldn’t be her last attempt.
She was sent to a behavior modification school, which she has since said did more harm than good.
Accordingly, she has acknowledged that her mental health issues are an ongoing struggle.
“Questions of mental health are part of my daily life,” she toldNumero.
I can’t see myself not talking about it.”
However, Paris denied that she had attempted suicide.
Two years later, she discussed her struggles with suicidal ideation on “Red Table Talk.”
Things have gotten better," she said.
A musician, she also credited music with having saved her life.
Since her attempts, she has had a number of tattoos to cover her self-harm scars.
Paris Jackson has had issues with addiction
Paris Jackson began struggling with addiction as a teenager.
“There should be a better vetting process [in everything]: before you medicate …
It’s important in all kinds of situations,” she said.
“It could be as simple as a job, or as complicated as medicine or a weapon.
Psychiatrists hand out addictive medication like candy without really vetting the patient.
There is no harm in vetting.”
In 2019, she reportedly entered rehab for treatment for substance use.
After leaving rehab, she was seen wearing a chip from Narcotics Anonymous that celebrated 30 days of sobriety.
“I don’t wanna give too many details,” she told Rolling Stone.
At the time, sources toldThe Sunthat her family was aware of the abuser’s identity.
“I went to another [reformatory] school in Utah.”
She praised Paris Hilton for raising awareness of the extreme abuse that allegedly takes place at such schools.
“The whole freedom-of-speech thing is great,” she told Rolling Stone.
“The bang out of harassment I see on my account daily is enough to make someone suicidal.”
Paris has also received death threats from her father’s fans.
As the children of the King of Pop, the youngsters were relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi.
This continued after Michael’s death.
In 2017, Paris was chased by paparazzi while at Los Angeles International Airport.
The paps repeatedly hounded her over her father’s death, asking if she thought he’d been murdered.
Overwhelmed, she covered her face and tearfully begged the photographers to stop flashing their cameras in her face.
“She was very scared.”
“It’s always been pretty gnarly …
I experience auditory hallucinations sometimes of camera clicks, and severe paranoia,” she said.
“And I have been going to therapy for a lot of things but that included …
I’ll hear like a trash bag rustling and I like flinch and panic.”
She credits EMDR therapy as being helpful in addressing her PTSD.
But when their grandmother gained custody, they were suddenly free to eat whatever they wanted.
And that’s how I fell into self-harm," she said.
Over time, things have improved for Jackson.
She credits modeling with helping her heal and subsequently embrace her appearance.
And in that sense, it’s selfish."
The self-loathing has also subsided, with music providing an outlet for her to channel her trauma.
In fact, she has even be able to embrace self-love.
“A big part of it is definitely the self expression.”
Paying tribute to Noah, she alluded to their death being related to mental illness.
“You deserved nothing but light and joy and love …
It brings me peace to know you are now surrounded by those things, and no longer in pain.
rest in transition, little brother.
you will never be forgotten.”
I hate this."
In 2021, she discussed the meaning of the song with the Evening Standard.
“It’s kind of what I would tell them if they were here.
I think about them all the time and I still feel their love with me.
I really took down all my walls and completely exposed my heart when I wrote these songs.”
TheSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
TheRape, Abuse & Incest National connection websiteor contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
