The Tragic, True Story Of Michael Jackson's Eldest Son Prince

This article contains mentions of child abuse and suicide.

When Michael Jackson died unexpectedly in 2009, fans around the world mourned the loss of a controversial pop icon. The "Thriller" hitmaker broke records across the globe to become one of the most famous entertainers of all time, but to his children, Prince, Paris, and Bigi Jackson, he was simply "Dad." Paris went on to become a successful model, working with huge brands like Vivienne Tam, Jean Paul Gaultier, and KVD Beauty. However, Bigi (formerly known as Blanket) has largely stayed out of the limelight.  

Life hasn't been easy for any of the Jackson kids, but Prince Jackson's story is particularly complex. Prince had a turbulent childhood, both before and after his father's death. The oldest of Michael Jackson's kids has always been forthright about the struggles he's faced, from his early days navigating the immense fame of the Jackson family to defending those he loves through numerous scandals. Let's take a look at the tragic, real-life story of Prince Jackson. 

Even before his later, more controversial days, Michael Jackson's three children had to bear the stressors of growing up with an incredibly famous, and arguably eccentric, father. When Prince Jackson and his sister Paris Jackson were young, their father made sure they always wore masks to hide their faces from photographers lying in wait. While it may have seemed extreme to onlookers and may have been difficult for the children at the times, Prince later explained the reasoning. While testifying in his father's wrongful death suit in 2013, Prince revealed, it was "so no one would know what we looked like so if we went out without him we could have a normal childhood," as per the Los Angeles Times. "So I know why he did it."

Prince later elaborated on these comments in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2016. "My dad spoke to me like an adult," Prince explained. "He told us the reason for the masks was he wanted us to have our own life without him." Prince went on to admit that he only realized his childhood wasn't normal when he understood his dad was famous after seeing a video of the King of Pop performing. Though Michael Jackson may have succeeded in hiding his children's faces, the very fact they wore unusual masks became something else for the star's critics to focus on.

When he was alive, Michael Jackson's relationships were always a highly talked about part of the singer's life. Brooke Shields' friendship with Michael Jackson raised eyebrows, as did Lisa Marie Presley and the King of Pop's romantic relationship. By the time the entertainer stepped out with Debbie Rowe, he was used to the press scrutinizing his choice of partner, but it became a new beast entirely when Rowe gave birth to their children, Prince and Paris Jackson. Unfortunately for the two innocent kids, their relationship with their mother has been strained. Two years after Michael's death in 2011, Rowe gave an interview about the nature of her pregnancies.

Her words were scathing, and she seemingly had little regard for Prince or his sister. "I was just the vessel. It wasn't Michael's sperm. Just like I stick the sperm up my horse, this is what they did to me. I was his thoroughbred," said Rowe (via HuffPost). Michael's ex-wife isn't the only one to make this claim. Mark Lester, who was friends with Micheal for many years, has said in the past that he believes he could be the father. "I was just helping out a friend. I think he had a problem with actually doing the physical act of sex and a very low sperm count as well," he told the Daily Mail in 2017, explaining that the singer asked him to donate sperm. Alongside his siblings, Prince has always maintained that Michael is their real father, but it hasn't stopped the chatter.

Michael Jackson's relationship with Debbie Rowe, Prince and Paris Jackson's mom, was never exactly built on solid foundations. Rowe and Michael first met under strange circumstances, as Rowe was a nurse treating him for vitiligo. Though they first met in 1983, they didn't tie the knot until 1996, after Rowe offered to be the mother to his children following his split from Lisa Marie Presley. When the two divorced four years later in 2000, Rowe gave her ex-husband full custody of Prince and Paris. It's typically unusual for a mother to go this route, but Rowe later doubled down on her decision to give the kids up.

In a 2011 interview, as well as stating that the children were not Michael's biological offspring, Rowe said, "I know I will never see them again. I was never cut out to be a mother — I was no good. I don't want these children in my life. My children are my animals now." In 2016, Prince told the Los Angeles Times that he considered his grandmother and his cousin as mother figures, and he doesn't have a relationship with Rowe.

In his younger years, Michael Jackson was one of the most beloved entertainers out there. Things changed when in 1993, the LAPD launched an investigation into Jackson following information that he had molested four kids. At one point, even Michael's sister, La Toya Jackson, claimed the statements were true. The rumors and accusations around Michael's involvement with children continued throughout the '90s and into the early 00's, resulting in Michael being arrested in 2003. He was subsequently taken to court, and though eventually acquitted in 2005, the saga left a lasting mark on Michael's legacy.

In a clip dating back to 2012, Paris Jackson defended her father and puts the accusations down to jealousy of his success. In a 2016 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Prince Jackson skirted around the issue, stating, "After he died, we got bombarded with [everything]." In the same interview, Michael's cousin, Taj Jackson, explained that the family was concerned with how the children would handle the onslaught of press attention. As for Prince, he explained, "It was a shock, It all came at once. But [we] learned how to deal with it by just kind of ignoring it."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

One of the most tragic elements of Michael Jackson's untimely death in 2009 is that he left behind three young children. Paris, Prince, and Bigi Jackson were now without a father. Prince was just 12 years old at the time of his father's death, and while grieving himself, had to withstand the media storm that surrounded the death of such a public figure. Prince, along with his siblings, were taken to the family's Hayvenhurst estate in Encino, California, where they lived with relatives in the wake of the tragedy. 

"It was beneficial. There were 16 people here," Prince Jackson told the Los Angeles Times in 2016. "It took you away from the grief. We'd wake up in the middle of the night, make quesadillas, and talk." Despite Prince's young age and that of his siblings, the three of them made an appearance on stage at Michael's star-studded memorial service. Paris spoke to the crowd about her love for her father before bursting into tears. Prince, along with the rest of the family, hugged Paris tightly before walking off stage. 

The Jackson family is arguably one of the most significant and largest dynasties in entertainment. Michael Jackson, along with siblings, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy Jackson, first found fame in their group The Jackson 5. Perhaps partly because of this, the Jackson family has always remained a tight unit, albeit with a few hiccups along the way. Unfortunately for Prince Jackson, a family squabble reared its head after his father died and when he was in the custody of his grandmother, Katherine Jackson. In 2012, Prince took to Twitter to take aim at his uncles, who reportedly had a hand in getting Katherine's guardianship revoked temporarily when she disappeared for 10 days. 

Prince's cousin, TJ Jackson, was named his guardian in her absence. When Katherine resurfaced, Prince posted on the social media site (via CNN): "Although I am happy my grandma was returned, after speaking with her I realized how misguided and how badly she was lied to." Prince shared screenshots of a text conversation with his family members, in which they apparently chose to stop the children from contacting Katherine. Prince finished his social media flurry by stating that his father had warned him to be wary of "certain people and their ways." 

In the wake of such a complicated childhood marred further by the death of their father, you may think that Prince and Paris Jackson's bond would be unbreakable. However, there were times when the pair didn't have the best relationship. In 2013, reports surfaced that Paris had fallen victim to depression and attempted suicide. While Paris has been candid in recent years about her struggle with her mental health, back then, an insider claimed tense conversations with Prince exacerbated her problems. 

Talking to Us Weekly, the source explained that it was largely down to Paris' willingness to build a relationship with their estranged mother, Debbie Rowe. "[Prince and Paris] were always so insanely close until Debbie came back in the picture, and Paris wanted to get close with her. Paris wanted her mom in her life, but Paris was younger and Prince remembers all of the awful things Michael told them about Debbie. Prince feels Paris is betraying their father by getting close to Debbie." Thankfully, they seem to have been able to get over their rocky patches — so far.  

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For any child, losing a parent is a harrowing experience that leaves a lasting impact. But to lose a father at the tender age of 12 while also navigating a wrongful death suit and immense media attention is something else entirely. In 2013, Prince Jackson was asked to testify in court about Michael Jackson's last days, as part of Katherine Jackson's lawsuit against the concert promoter, AEG Live, who were working on Michael's ill-fated final tour, "This Is It." By this point in time, Michael's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter after administering the singer several drugs that caused his death. 

Reliving the experience, Prince told the court that his dad would get incredibly upset after speaking with the company. "He would say, 'They're going to kill me. They're going to kill me,'" Prince revealed (via the BBC). In dire detail, Prince also recounted the moment he saw Murray performing CPR on his dad while Paris Jackson screamed in the background. Michael's eldest son said Murray told them simply at the hospital, "'Sorry kids, your dad's dead,' ... I was 12. To my understanding, he was supposed to make sure my dad stayed healthy."

In 2017, fans were concerned when Prince Jackson, then 20, found himself in the back of an ambulance following a motorcycle crash. The incident reportedly occurred when Prince was on his way to school in Los Angeles. Though little details were released about what exactly caused the fender bender, Prince sustained a lot of cuts and bruises as well as a knee injury. He did appear to be in relatively good health despite the accident, as he took to Instagram to post a photograph of his feet in the back of the ambulance alongside the caption, "Well s**t ..."

The injuries didn't warrant an overnight stay, with Prince receiving treatment at a local medical facility before being sent home later in the day to convalesce. We know how dangerous traffic incidents can be when celebrities are involved, but thankfully, Prince was one of the lucky ones.

Michael Jackson isn't the only member of his family to face controversy (we can't forget the Kamala Harris and Janet Jackson drama) and, unfortunately, Prince Jackson has often found himself having to defend his relatives. In the wake of his grandfather's death in 2018, Prince took to his Instagram stories to lash out at the media after allegations surfaced about Joe Jackson's mistreatment of his children. And he didn't hold back. "We've got a couple of things to talk about," Prince said to the camera (via Metro). "One of the things I'm going to talk about today is my grandpa and what y'all f***s gotta say about him." 

"You can keep talking all the s**t you want that he abused my dad and all this ... he raised these kids right. Otherwise, they would have been in gangs or f*****g dead." In the expletive-filled emotive clip, he challenged critics to keep talking about Joe, telling him they would never be as great as his late grandfather. 

It's no secret that Michael Jackson's estate is worth a pretty penny, but when it comes to inheritance, it's not quite as simple as leaving a will behind. The popstar did indeed make sure that his children were beneficiaries, as well as his mother, Katherine Jackson, but at the time of writing in November 2024, neither Prince Jackson nor his siblings have been able to see a dime of the estate due to problems with the IRS. The institution reportedly believes that Michael's estate was undervalued, and owes a huge $700 million in taxes to settle the dispute.

The situation is nothing new and has been raging on for years, with the estate pushing back against the claims and winning in 2021. However, despite overcoming that hurdle, there are still other matters that have to be laid to rest before the battle with the IRS can be put to bed. Until then, Prince and his siblings won't be getting any checks, despite their father having died in 2009. 

When a family pet dies, it brings about a unique form of heartache. In 2020, Prince Jackson had to say goodbye to his dog of 14 years, Kenya. Michael Jackson gifted the pup to Prince as a Christmas present when he was a young child. In an Instagram post dedicated to his loyal best friend, Prince explained how devastated he was. 

"I've been trying to think of words to say that could capture what Kenya means to me but there doesn't seem to be anything good enough to say," he wrote, alongside several photos of his beloved pet. "I couldn't imagine my life without Kenya as he was so important for my growth ... This dog meant so much to me it really hurts to see him go." He went on to implore his followers to send him any videos or photographs they may find of Kenya. 

Tragedy befell Prince Jackson once more in 2024 when his father's brother, Tito Jackson, died at the age of 70. Tito's unexpected death happened after he had a heart attack while driving, striking another blow to the Jackson family. Posting on his Instagram, Prince shared a photograph of himself alongside his grandmother and uncles, with the simple caption, "Love you forever, Poppa T." The pair shared a close bond in the wake of Michael Jackson's death, and this was echoed in a comment on the post left by Tito's son, TJ Jackson.

"He always spoke so highly about you Prince and was so proud of the man you have become and your love for family. Thank you for being such a great nephew to him," he penned. TJ stepped in to be the legal guardian for Prince, Paris, and Bigi Jackson in 2009 and stayed in that position until they were old enough to look after themselves.