The Truth About Paris Jackson's Relationship With Her Siblings

If there's one entertainer who's synonymous with the music industry, it's Michael Jackson. The king of pop died many years ago, but his impact on all aspects of music and entertainment can still be felt today. But in the wake of his death, Michael left behind not only a complicated legacy, but also three children — Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson. The three of them made headlines when they attended their father's public memorial shortly after his death, and, for the most part, have stayed in the spotlight.

Of course, growing up in a pretty judgmental public eye made things for the siblings increasingly difficult. Their childhood was unconventional, and they were rarely seen without some sort of face covering on.

Of all the Jackson kids, Paris has forged ahead in the music industry. She has an indie sound, is active on social media, and is bold in her life and her choices. She is, without question, a force to be reckoned with. But her life hasn't always a bunch of roses, as she and her brothers have really gone through it. Here's the truth about Paris Jackson's relationship with her siblings.

Teenage years are rough, but Paris Jackson really went through it. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Paris attempted to commit suicide at just 15 years old, and her brother Prince Jackson rushed to be by her side. He was scheduled to appear on German game show Wanna Bet, but backed out of his commitment when his sister was admitted to the hospital. "Under these circumstances, we perfectly understand that Prince Michael prefers to stay close to his family," Silke Blömer, the representative for German TV network ZDF, said in response to the situation. 

It was a good thing that Prince went to his sister's side, because she wasn't in a good spot. According to a close source, she'd been "very, very depressed for a while," the insider told People. "She's been throwing fits and tantrums, kicking and screaming and cutting herself." At the time of hospitalization, Paris had reportedly tried to cut herself and had taken up to 20 painkillers.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Talking about vulnerability and emotions is never easy, and Paris Jackson and her siblings have had to do so on many occasions, given how public their lives (and their grief) has been. Prince Jackson is older than Paris by about a year, but while appearing on Good Morning America, the two chatted about the fact that Paris has always been the "leader" of the siblings, something that Prince has sometimes struggled with. "The way we were raised, me being the oldest, I should be the one that's protecting the group," Prince said (via E! News). And as he's the eldest and a male, it's a pretty understandable mentality. 

In response, Paris shared that despite her natural role as the leader, she's often motivated by her emotions, something that her brothers are very aware of. "I do wear my heart on my sleeve, or so I've been told," she revealed. "I'm very expressive with my face, so people can usually tell when something's wrong." Looks like Prince is clued into his want to protect his sister for a reason.

Paris and Prince Jackson are only about a year apart in age, so like any siblings, the two butt heads, according to Paris. "Prince, [is] 14 months older than me, [so] of course we get into tiffs and fights, it's normal for siblings who are so close in age," she said during one of her Facebook Watch episodes, Unfiltered. 

Additionally, as kids, Prince and Paris were very close to entertainer Omer Bhatti, and still consider him to be an older brother. As such, he shed some light onto what the pair was like as children. "Prince and Paris were pretty different when they were little, Paris was definitely a rebel, always more rebellious than Prince," he said. "Prince is always way more in line, compared to Paris, and he would also get after her...he would see that he was always that big brother, trying to tell her right from wrong." But if one thing is clear, Paris marches to the beat of her own drum.

Michael Jackson was one of the most recognizable figures in the world; he had fans in just about every country, and paparazzi followed him everywhere. So it's no secret that Paris Jackson and her siblings were photographed at early ages. And as Paris revealed during an episode of her Facebook Watch series, Unfiltered, she's glad that her father covered her and her brothers' faces with masks when they were kids. "I appreciated it. It was nice. Because we were able to go to Chuck E. Cheese and Circus Circus and we were normal," she revealed. 

However, Paris also divulged that she struggled with her father's fame and the scrutiny that came with it. "For a long time I was just against letting the world in because I was just too scared to do it," she continued. 

Paris also revealed in an Unfiltered episode that her fear of the paparazzi and the media stemmed from the invasion she received after an interview with Rolling Stone — people chased her through airports, following her just to snap a photo and yelling questions — not a fate we'd wish on anyone.

With the age of social media has come a certain amount of control over the narrative, and while Paris Jackson and her siblings have been photographed since they were kids, Paris seems to have taken it upon herself to share intimate snaps of her life with her siblings. Instead of paparazzi chasing her through streets to snap a photo, social media sees a much more relaxed Paris, and as noted by People, serves as a window into her life. 

For instance, Paris posted a sweet pic of her and her brother Prince Jackson on her Instagram story back in July of 2020, the two of them seated outside. Paris had her arms wrapped around Prince and captioned the snap, "Always fun reconnecting with my twin." 

Paris has also posted down-to-earth and everyday snaps of her and Prince, and she took to her Instagram to share pictures of them hanging out and working together. "Our relationship in a nutshell," she wrote in the caption. They both deserve happiness, and we love to see it.

To lose a family member, much less a father, is hard enough. But the Jackson siblings also had to grieve publicly, a fate that we can't even begin to imagine. According to People, Michael Jackson passed away after going into cardiac arrest, brought on by sedatives. His public memorial was held in Los Angeles two weeks later, and the three kids — ages 12, 11, and 7 — were all in attendance. Paris Jackson spoke briefly, while surrounded by her extended family; she said that her dad was the best father she could've asked for. At age 11. Just let that sink in.  

So it's no wonder that Michael's influence has carried the Jackson kids throughout their lives, and a close family friend shared that the king of pop is always on their minds. "The kids live like Michael is constantly looking down upon them," the source explained. The close friend also shared that Michael's death was hardest on Blanket Jackson, the youngest Jackson sibling. "He acted very lost and extremely upset," the friend added. Just sadness on every level for these kids.

Paris Jackson has really made a name for herself as a bold woman who is unapologetic. We love to see it, but she revealed that not everyone in her life has been supportive. According to People, Paris felt like she "needed to withhold" the truth about her sexuality from her family due to their religious beliefs. She noted that her father knew about her sexual fluidity and was supportive of her before he died, but not everyone in her family was on board. "The first time I came out to a family member they didn't believe me," Paris said. 

Of course, Paris has forged ahead in her self-identity and worth, and has been linked to some standout people, including Cara Delevingne. "I wouldn't consider myself bisexual because I've dated more than just men and women," Paris continued. "It has nothing to do with what's in your pants. It has nothing to do with what your XY chromosome makeup is, it's literally just what are you like as a person." Here's a friendly reminder to support your family.

It really seems like the closer you are to your sibling, the better off your life is, and that's something that Paris Jackson knows all too well. While speaking about her older brother Prince Jackson, Paris admitted that she's always admired him, which is honestly just really sweet. "He's everything to me, you know?" she revealed, as noted by E! News. "I've always looked up to him and always wanted his approval and everything, and wanted to be more like him." That's beyond adorable, and is really something for siblings to aspire to. 

Additionally, it seems like the feelings Paris has for her brother aren't aspects of her emotional life that Paris is shy about sharing, because she took to social media on Prince's birthday to gush about him. "This guy. Right here. Greatest big brother and role model a girl could ever hope for," she wrote. "I love you for always til the sun is swallowed by darkness and even after." Why does that make us want to cry? Call your brother; do it now.

Music is therapeutic, and Paris Jackson turned to her own singing chops to process her emotions surrounding her dad's death. "It's been 11 years and I've been through hell, whether it was him passing or all the other s**t I've been through," she shared, as noted by E! News. "If I don't talk about it or if I don't let it in my music, it's gonna completely ruin my life and it's gonna own me and I'll be a slave to that kind of pain." 

Paris's struggles with emotional stress and mental health are aspects of her life that her brother Prince Jackson understands. He shared that he could tell how much emotion went into Paris' songwriting and that it was a journey for his sister to share with the world. "I just remember thinking that ... this was a song, I think, that other people could relate to, but other people needed to hear," he shared. It looks like Paris and Prince really know how to rely and support each other.

There isn't much else that's as sweet and enduring as your siblings supporting you in your life and career, and Paris Jackson's biggest fan is her brother Prince Jackson. He's often taken to social media to share his support of his sister's music career and has given her the sweetest messages of courage and confidence over the years. "So proud of my sis @parisjackson for chasing her dreams. Her and the @thesoundflowers are going on tour this week starting in Santa Barbara," he wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of him and Paris. And like any good big brother, he promoted his sister's merch in the caption as well. 

In a similar social media move, Prince shared a behind-the-scenes video of him and Paris working together, interwoven with footage from an interview with him about his and Paris' work ethic. "Nothing great in life comes free. It requires hard work, dedication, discipline and sacrifice," he wrote, before plugging his sister's Facebook Watch series show in the caption. We love these two and the ways they support each other.

Michael Jackson's legacy is really complicated. He was a groundbreaking entertainer who inspired generations of musicians, and he was adored by fans, but he also faced some serious allegations. To that end, when the Leaving Neverland documentary was released in 2019 (ten years after Michael died), things got really sticky. The documentary featured the stories of two men that accused Michael of assaulting them as children, and the Jackson kids didn't take it well, especially Paris Jackson. 

According to People, Paris used work to stay busy, but she got wrapped up in the emotions that came with the documentary and the allegations. "Of all the kids, she is the one who really gets worked up and upset about any kind of negativity involving Michael," a family friend explained. "She knows her upbringing with Michael was different, but she thinks he was the best dad. She is very defensive about him." 

The family friend also shared that the Jackson kids worked hard to move forward with their lives together after Michael's death, but the complicated allegations made things difficult.

Nothing is worse than family conflict — actually, nothing is worse than public family conflict — and that's an area that the Jackson kids are well-versed in. As noted by People, Paris Jackson's brother Prince Jackson had her back when some of their family members publicly dragged her. (Good for Prince, and what were those family members thinking?) 

Specifically, a relative of Paris said that she had "lost it" — a particularly triggering thing to say about someone who's publicly dealt with mental health problems. 

Paris took to social media to clap back. "So apparently people think I'm about to die," she declared. "My therapist texted me about it laughing though, so that's good. So I guess to the family members that are talking to all of these news outlets saying they're worried for me: When is the last time you called me?" Paris continued by saying that Prince wasn't worried about her, and he had no reason to be because the two of them are always in touch. " If you're worried about me, call me," she concluded. Siblings really have to stick together.

If there's one Jackson sibling who keeps a low profile, it's Bigi Jackson. Known by his nickname Blanket, Bigi is the youngest Jackson sibling, and he keeps his life on the down low. As such, there isn't a ton of publicly known information about his dynamic with his siblings, Paris and Prince Jackson. 

According to Today, Bigi purchased a $2.62 million home in the Calabasas hills in California that's fairly secluded. That's probably by intention, because Bigi largely keeps to himself. 

What we do know about Bigi's relationship with Paris is that she's a real fan of his, and she has had a hard time watching her baby brother grow up. "My little brother is a legal adult today," she posted on Instagram on Bigi's 18th birthday in 2020. "I used to change his diapers. This is such a trip... proud of the handsome, intelligent, insightful, funny, and kind young man he has become. He likes privacy so that's all I gotta say." Looks like the privacy memo is one that Paris knows about and is respectful of. We hope that the youngest Jackson is living his best life.

Siblings that go to movie premieres together stick together. Ok, that's definitely not a saying that applies to most siblings, but it's something that's appropriate for Paris and Prince Jackson. As noted by People, Paris had a supporting role in the 2018 film Gringo — starring Charlize Theron, Joel Edgerton, and David Oyelowo — and her brother Prince joined her at the Los Angeles premiere. 

The two walked the red carpet separately, but reconvened inside the theater and watched the film together. Paris looked stunning, as always, in a detailed, sultry gown, and Prince looked cool and collected in a bomber jacket and jeans. It really seemed like the two of them being at the premiere of a movie that Paris starred in was a culmination of the siblings watching each other develop — something that Prince talked about with Today. "[Paris has] grown so much and she's been able to really step up," he said. "I don't really see myself as her older brother. We're equal partners when it comes down to it." We're big fans of these two.