Paris Jackson took the opportunity to share a rare family photo with her late dad, the iconic Michael Jackson, on Father’s Day this past Sunday.
It’s difficult to believe it’s been 14 years since the King of Pop passed suddenly, leaving a hole in the entertainment industry that will never be filled.
Yet though MJ – just 50 when he died – undoubtedly had millions of fans the world over who mourned his loss, he also left behind three young children who were forced to grow up without their legendary father.
Said children, Paris, Prince, and Bigi Jackson, have been seen more often in recent years. Now adults in their own right, they’re never far from the spotlight thanks to the residual effect of their father’s virtually unparalleled fame.
Paris, Michael’s only daughter, has caught particular attention in recent years, mostly through her modeling work, but also through appearances in films and TV shows, as well as her endeavors in the music industry.
On Sunday, the 25-year-old took to social media to share a rare throwback with her 4 million Instagram followers. The photograph in question shows Paris and her two siblings – Prince and Bigi – alongside their father.
Fans didn’t fail to realize that the post came only a few days before the 14th anniversary of MJ’s passing, which lands on Saturday, June 25.
Captioning her Instagram photo, Paris wrote only: “Happy fathers day.”
The snap saw the four Jacksons standing in a kitchen. MJ is holding his youngest son, Bigi, while Paris and Prince appear to be in the middle of baking a cake.
In general, MJ’s children have been reticent over the years where it concerns talking about their father in public. In 2021, however, Paris offered a rare insight into what being raised by arguably pop music’s biggest ever star was like.
“My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated, and not just showing us like the glitz and glam, like hotel hopping, five-star places,” Paris said at the time.
“It was also like, we saw everything. We saw third world countries. We saw every part of the spectrum.”
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The then-24-year-old said she was very grateful for her “privileged” childhood. But at the same time, Paris learned early on that she shouldn’t feel entitled. Her father made sure that the children understood the concept of having to put in work in order to get things.
“Even growing up it was about earning stuff,” Paris explained.
“If we wanted five toys from FAO Schwarz or Toys ‘R’ Us, we had to read five books.
“It’s earning it, not just being entitled to certain things or thinking ‘oh I got this’,” she added. “It’s like working for it, working hard for it, it’s something else entirely, it’s an accomplishment.”