Paris Jackson, the only daughter of late pop star Michael Jackson, opened up about her African-American roots and how proud she is of that, as well as the criticism she received.
Paris, 25, was born to parents Billie Jean hitmaker and Debbie Rowe in 1998.
Over the years, there have been speculations that Jackson wasn’t the biological father of his three children, Paris and her two brothers, Bigi, 22, and Prince, 27. This was due to the fact that that many couldn’t see any resemblance between the late star and the kids, especially Paris who has white skin, light eyes and now bleached-blond hair.
The kids were very close with their father who went to great lengths to protect them from media scrutiny. His measures were unlike, however. He would show his son Bigi to the public with his face covered with a blanket, causing him troubles while growing up because his friends often teased him. He now prefers to be called Bigi.
Following the star’s death in 2009, his children were tossed alone in the public eye, turning them a highly profitable prey for the media that were eager to share their photos and followed their every step.
This experience left Paris battling a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I experience audio hallucinations, sometimes, with camera clicks and severe paranoia and have been going to therapy for a lot of things, but that included,” she shared.
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By age 15, Paris attempted suicide “multiple times” and in 2019 she was admitted at a treatment facility. “It was just self-hatred…Low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore.”
Today, she’s a successful musician who follows into her father’s footsteps. Over the years, she has also walked the runway for famous brands such as Chanel. Paris is a member of the band The Soundflowers.
“Everyone in my family does music. I mean, I’m a Jackson,” she said in 2020. “It makes sense that I’m a musician but like, a Jackson doing folk indie?”
Paris is very close to her brothers and looks up to Prince. “He’s everything to me, you know?” In 2020, she told People of her relationship with her older brother. “I’ve always looked up to him and always wanted his approval and everything, and wanted to be more like him.”
He loves and supports his younger sister as much. “Basically, as a person, she is who my dad is. The only thing that’s different would be her age and her gender,” he said of Paris, adding that she’s similar to her father “in all of her strengths, and almost all of her weaknesses as well. She’s very passionate.”
The physical appearance of the King of Pop underwent significant changes over the course of his life and many accused him of bleaching his skin, which was considerably darker in his younger days, but he claimed he had never done anything to his skin and that it turning white was a result of Vitiligo, during an Oprah interview in 1993.
“I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am,” Jackson told Winfrey at the time.
Back in 2017, speaking of herself, Paris told Rolling Stone magazine she “considers [herself] black,” and that “[Michael] would look me in the eyes and he’d point his finger at me and he’d be like, ‘You’re black. Be proud of your roots.’”
“Most people that don’t know me call me white. I’ve got light skin and, especially since I’ve had my hair blond, I look like I was born in Finland or something,” she said. “And I’d be like, ‘okay, he’s my dad, why would he lie to me?’ So I just believe what he told me. [Because], to my knowledge, he’s never lied to me.”
This declaration of race triggered criticism on Paris. Among the rest, it was host Wendy William’s that mocked Paris’ statement.
“I get that she considers herself black and everything, but I’m just talking about the visual because you know…black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike.”
She added: “It’s what they see. But that’s cute and good for her.”
Cillian Murphy Is Rumored to Be the Next James Bond, but People Are Disappointed
A replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond has been tough to find, but a new star has joined the race and is a strong contender. It’s none other than Cillian Murphy, who became Hollywood’s most desired man after his Oscar-winning performance in Oppenheimer. However, many disagree that he’d be a good choice to play the renowned character and here’s why.
As per The Sun, Cillian’s portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer has grabbed the attention of Bond executives, who are actively seeking Daniel’s successor. An insider mentioned that «Cillian is the toast of Hollywood right now, and this would be the ultimate role.»
But it wouldn’t just be a plus for the actor. The same source says it could benefit the franchise as well. «This is a way to elevate the Bond franchise with an actor who is at the very top of his game.»
But, although James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has been closely monitoring Cillian for the past year, there is still some time for a decision as production on the 26th Bond movie is not expected to start until late 2025.
There’s no lack of support from Cillian’s co-star, Clay Bunker, who is publicly rooting for the Irish actor to take on the role of 007. «He would fare beautifully. It’s funny because Cillian is the nicest human, but he has that dark side and there’s a darkness to Bond,» he said. «We forget that sometimes Bond is like the character [Ian] Fleming created — a pretty dark character. He just happens to be on the side that we call good. Cillian has that ability to tap into that.»
Unfortunately, not everyone online agrees with Bunker. Some users have expressed their disappointment in the fact that Cillian is even running for the part. «He’s almost 50! You need someone young who will be able to last through multiple movies. Someone like Jacob Elordi,» one person commented. And others share the same sentiment, adding, «I like him, and he’s a great actor, but he is not Bond by any stretch of the imagination.»
Still, there are fans who would be thrilled to see it happen. «I think he’d be perfect. Bond is a cold, calculating spy, actually. If Cillian decided to take on the role, he would give an exceptional performance, as always,» someone wrote.
And the people have not only spoken, they’ve also voted! Through an online voting poll, thousands of James Bond fans expressed what actor they’d most like to see portray James Bond next, and the results are in. Click here to see the ranking.
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