Paris Jackson has shared new details about meeting her mother, Debbie Rowe, for the first time when she was 15 years old. Speaking on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Jackson, 28, explained that she began asking about her mother around age 10 and was satisfied with the answers she received.
Her relationship with Rowe, who was married to Michael Jackson and shares Prince, 29, and Paris with him, began to deepen in her late teens. Jackson recalled the initial encounter, stating, "I remember coming downstairs and she was in the living room with my grandma. I came in and I was just like, 'hey, mom.' And she was like, 'hi.'"
Jackson emphasized that not having expectations for the meeting helped foster a strong bond. "When I walk into something and I don't have expectations, it creates this really cool space for something organic to just blossom, yeah," she said.
During the podcast, Jackson also spoke about her upbringing with her father. She mentioned living at Neverland for only a few years and being taught that the estate's attractions were intended for underprivileged and terminally ill children. "Wherever we went was '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 recounted.
She described her relationship with Michael Jackson as being that of a "daddy's little princess," highlighting a unique bond that is difficult to put into words. Jackson also noted that the family frequently moved, hotel-hopping and never staying in one place for more than a year.
Jackson also discussed past struggles with addiction, marking six years of sobriety earlier this year. She revealed that she had been addicted to heroin and alcohol, using substances as a coping mechanism for depression and emotional trauma following her father's death. She explained her realization that she could not stop using, even after discontinuing harder drugs, stating, "I had my breaking point, I had my bottom."
Additionally, Jackson addressed calling off her engagement to musician Justin Long. She described it as her second engagement that she ended, recalling a prior engagement where she was "strung out on drugs." She explained that while she often tried to end the relationship with Long, she would question if staying would lead to improvement. "I'm the person that needs to be sure," she stated, emphasizing that even if someone is a good person, they are not necessarily the right person. She concluded that her needs must be met in a relationship, and if core needs are not fulfilled, it is not a reason to stay, regardless of the partner's character.
Jackson expressed that taking time to be single after the failed engagement allowed her to realize she did not want to overlook issues. She believes her standards can be higher now, as they have historically been "very low."