Paris Jackson has revealed that her father, Michael Jackson, implemented a unique set of rules to help protect her and her siblings' childhoods from the overwhelming nature of his global superstardom.
In an interview on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Jackson recounted how her father insisted on a structured approach to their upbringing. "If you're good, and you do your chores, and you do your homework, and you do the things that you're supposed to do. Then on the weekends you can go see some animals, and you can go ride some rides, and you can go to the movies," she explained.
This rule extended to the attractions at Neverland Ranch, which Paris stated were explicitly not for them. "It was made very, very clear that all of the attractions [at Neverland] were not for us," she said. "That it did not belong to us. That was for, you know, underprivileged children and children that were terminally ill that couldn't go to like Disneyland."
This disciplined approach followed the family wherever they lived. "If we were living in Vegas, and it's like, 'OK, if you're good you can go to Circus Circus on the weekends.' Or like we were in like some random place in Virginia. Like, 'OK, if you're good you can go to Chuck E. Cheese this weekend,'" Paris recalled.
Television and movie watching were also contingent on completed responsibilities, with an exception for studying film without sound. "It was like, 'Oh yeah, if you do this now, then you can go to Chuck E. Cheese and be normal this weekend 'cause no one will know who you are,'" she said, reflecting on how this logic made sense to her at the time.
Michael Jackson also employed measures to shield his children from public recognition, frequently having them wear masks when they were out. This anonymity allowed for a semblance of normalcy, enabling them to visit places like amusement parks.
Despite these efforts, Paris acknowledged that she didn't fully grasp the magnitude of her father's fame until later in life. She recalled moments, like looking out a hotel window to see a large crowd, where the limits of their privacy became apparent, even when aliases were used.
Paris Jackson has since forged her own path in the entertainment industry, pursuing a career in modeling, acting, and music. She released her debut album, "Wilted," in 2020. She has two brothers, Prince and Bigi Jackson.