Back when his three kids were children, Michael Jackson was pretty quiet about them. He kept them out of the spotlight and wanted them to have a private and secure childhood. But since 2009, when Michael died, his two eldest have chosen to embrace the spotlight. Especially Paris Jackson, who's Michael's only daughter.
Officially named Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, she was born in 1998 to Michael and Debbie Rowe. Debbie reportedly met Michael through his dermatology office. She knew that Michael always wanted to have children, and she offered to carry them for him. She brought him his first two — Michael Joseph, who's known best as "Prince," and Paris.
These days, Paris has made quite a career for herself. She's a model and actress — and a noted fan of tattoos. In fact, she notably got matching tattoos a few years back with her godfather, Macaulay Culkin. These days, while staying inside, she's trying to master the art herself. She was brave enough to try a design on her own foot.
Page Six reports that Paris has her own professional gun and has been working on designs for quite a bit. She even tattooed a bird on one of her friend's arms, which proves she's a trustworthy artist. Already on Instagram, people are begging Paris to create their next design.
For Paris, tattoos are truly a form of art and expression. She's got plenty of them herself — most done by other artists — and most of them mean something special. And she's got more than one tattoo dedicated to her dad. In her collection are at least two references to his past albums.
For example, the tattoo she got with Macaulay was that of a spoon. When asked the meaning behind it, Macaulay admitted that it stemmed from a fun activity the two of them used to do. Macaulay was a good friend of Michael's at the time, so it's good to know that he's still close with Michael's kids.
The meaning behind the spoon? They used to steal them from restaurants. "It's harmless," Macaulay said to Esquire. "It's a harmless thing. It's not like you're ruining something, like stealing a chess piece, where the board would be incomplete."
Paris' toe tattoo is just a small swirly design. She already has some linear designs on her toes, so this isn't too much of a stretch from her overall aesthetic. Based on the video that Paris had someone take, she's making sure to take all proper precautions. She's wearing gloves while handling the gun, and she isn't rushing anything.
It's amazing to think about how this time inside has made her passion blossom. A lot of us now have the time to focus on hobbies and crafts when we didn't before. Paris has always proven she's multitalented, but she may be able to carve out a whole secondary career based on this hobby.
Paris gave one of her first public interviews back in 2017, to Rolling Stone — which was a great choice, given her father's profession. She wasn't afraid to talk about her dad in detail, which was especially intriguing. There are so many stories and myths about Michael Jackson that it's hard to know who to believe.
Especially recently. Multiple people have called Michael Jackson out for crimes against children. He's become a very controversial star, even after his death. But Paris has said that as a father, he was dedicated and wonderful. He had a strong relationship with his kids.
The interview points out that big brother Prince thinks Paris is a lot like their father. "In all of her strengths, and almost all of her weaknesses as well," he said. "She’s very passionate. She is very emotional to the point where she can let emotion cloud her judgment."
She was only 11 when he died. But the experience, while terrible, also helped her grow. "They always say, ‘Time heals,'” she told the magazine. "But it really doesn’t. You just get used to it. I live life with the mentality of ‘OK, I lost the only thing that has ever been important to me.’ So going forward, anything bad that happens can’t be nearly as bad as what happened before. So I can handle it."
In the interview, she also admitted that she had a rough few years as an early teen. "I was doing a lot of things that 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds shouldn’t do," she admitted. "I tried to grow up too fast, and I wasn’t really that nice of a person." But these days, she's become more comfortable with herself.
She got many of her tattoos while she was still underage. But it seems as if she has no regrets. She reportedly has over 50 at this point, so it's truly a legitimate interest. And thanks to her tattoos, she has reminders of her dad inked on her permanently. She really did cherish their relationship.
Modeling has been another form of therapy for Paris. "Plenty of people think I’m ugly, and plenty of people don’t," she told Rolling Stone. "But there’s a moment when I’m modeling where I forget about my self-esteem issues and focus on what the photographer’s telling me — and I feel pretty. And in that sense, it’s selfish."
She's also said that even from a young age, Michael taught her to be kind and open-minded. "My dad raised me in a very open-minded house," she said. "I was eight years old, in love with this female on the cover of a magazine. Instead of yelling at me, like most homophobic parents, he was making fun of me, like, ‘Oh, you got yourself a girlfriend.’"
No matter what, Michael would be so proud of the young woman that Paris has become. She wants to make a name for herself outside of her father and has developed her own skills and interests that'll allow her to make her own money. If she ever gets into the tattoo world professionally, she's bound to rack up a ton of clients.
