Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, makes peace with herself and lands her first movie role
Paris Jackson is forging her own path. Photo: Getty
Hearts around the world broke when, in 2009, an 11-year-old Paris Jackson bravely took the microphone at father Michael’s memorial service and paid him a touching tribute
“I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she said through sobs. “And I just wanted to say I love him so much.”
Paris, now 19, her brother Prince, 20, and her half-brother Blanket, 15, have been the subject of media scrutiny since they were born.
After years of flying under the radar, the teenager is finally embracing the talent and opportunities that come with her famous surname, nabbing a role in an upcoming feature film.
Paris will star in a dark comedy film from Amazon Studios and Australian director Nash Edgerton, the brother of actor Joel, known for his work on the 2008 thriller The Square.
Paris will reportedly star alongside Joel and other big names like Amanda Seyfried and Charlize Theron as Nelly, an “edgy 20-year-old”.
The role is the culmination of a number of recent public appearances by the aspiring actress, who has been gradually reacquainting herself with the limelight.
The daughter of the late pop icon and his second wife, nurse Debbie Rowe, Jackson took her father’s death hard.
Paris with her brothers Prince (right) and Blanket (front) at a 2009 memorial service for their father, Michael. Photo: Getty
At the age of 15, she attempted to take her own life after enduring a sexual assault and suffering depression and anxiety.
Raised by her grandmother, Katherine, Jackson moved to a therapeutic school in Utah where she managed to get on top of her mental health struggles.
“I was actually crazy, I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help,” Jackson told Rolling Stone earlier this year.
Like her father, she battled self-esteem issues after online trolls criticised her appearance – something a career in modelling helped her overcome.
“Plenty of people think I’m ugly, and plenty of people don’t. But there’s a moment when I’m modelling where I forget about my self-esteem issues and focus on what the photographer’s telling me – and I feel pretty,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
Jackson, who counts famous models like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner as her friends, has appeared on the cover of both Harper’s Bazaar and Rolling Stone this year.
This week, she attended the star-studded Met Gala and was snapped hanging out in the bathrooms with stars like Kim Kardashian, P Diddy and Brie Larson.
She communicates with her ever-growing fan base mainly via Instagram, where she has 1.3 million followers and shares snaps of herself at A-list events or relaxing at home with her dogs.
It’s a far cry from her childhood spent in home-schooling, hiding from the publicity that plagued her father for most of his half-century on earth.
“When I was a kid, I was with my dad and my two brothers. Growing up, I was treated as the favourite because I was the only girl. I was the princess; I was perfect in my dad’s eyes,” she told Bazaar.
“For the past six years, I’ve been learning how to communicate. And I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”