Paris Jackson is pulling back the curtain on what it was really like growing up as Michael Jackson’s daughter. The 28-year-old model, musician and actress shared rare memories of her famously private childhood during the Aug. 12 episode of Call Her Daddy, opening up about everything from homeschooling and Neverland Ranch to the masks she and her brothers wore in public.
She also spoke candidly about losing her father. As per Page Six, Paris described a childhood that may have looked extraordinary from the outside but came with plenty of structure behind closed doors.
Paris Jackson Reveals the Rules Michael Jackson Set for His Kids
GettyParis recalled beginning her mornings in a classroom and made clear that life as the King of Pop’s daughter did not mean unlimited access to everything around her.
Although she spent her earliest years at Neverland Ranch, Paris said she “didn’t grow up” there.
“It was made very, very clear that all of the attractions there were not for us … that did not belong to us,” she said. “That was for underprivileged children and children that were terminally ill that couldn’t go to like Disneyland.”
The same rules followed Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi, as the family traveled and frequently changed locations. Fun came after responsibilities.
If the children finished their chores and schoolwork, they could enjoy outings on weekends, including trips to Chuck E. Cheese or Circus Circus.
Television was similarly restricted. Paris said they could watch movies for educational purposes or enjoy TV on weekends after completing what was expected of them.
Why Michael Jackson Had His Children Wear Masks in Public
One of the most recognizable parts of the Jackson children’s early years was their habit of covering their faces in public.
Looking back, Paris said the practice never frightened her. Instead, she understood it as her father’s way of giving his children a chance at anonymity.
“[We were told], ‘If you do this now, you can go to Chuck E. Cheese and be normal because no one will know who you are,'” she explained.
That privacy became especially important because of Michael’s extraordinary level of fame. Paris said the family also “hotel hopped a lot” and “wouldn’t stay in one place for more than a year.”
Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding their lives, Paris remembers the man behind the global superstar in far simpler terms.
Paris Jackson Remembers Michael Jackson as Her ‘Best Friend’
When host Alex Cooper asked Paris to describe her father, she called Michael a “really funny guy that was [her] best friend.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Paris described herself as his “little princess.”
Michael died in 2009 at age 50, when Paris was 11. His death abruptly changed the private world he had created around his children. Paris described navigating the loss as “rough” and said suddenly entering a very different social environment became a “crash course in gaining social skills.”
Paris has previously spoken about being homeschooled and having limited interaction with children outside her family during those years.
In an earlier interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she recalled that her childhood before and after her father’s death felt markedly different.
Now, more than 16 years after losing the father she still calls her best friend, Paris said her priorities feel clearer than they once did.
In fact, she described the past year simply as the “best” of her life.
