Paris Jackson Gets Real About Performing On Dad Michael Jackson's Death Anniversary

Yahoo

8 hours ago

is setting the record straight for those criticizing her latest tour schedule.
The 27-year-old daughter of the late took to Instagram Stories on June 13 to address backlash she's received for performing on June 25, which is the anniversary of her father's death.
The date has long held emotional significance for Paris Jackson and her family, marking the day in 2009 when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away.
The model, singer, and actress expressed frustration that she even needed to defend herself, noting that as a supporting act, she has no control over when she's scheduled to perform.
'So people are mad again,' Paris began in the candid video shared on her Instagram Stories. 'This time, I think, I guess one of the tour dates I'm supposed to be going out on tour with Incubus and Manchester Orchestra happens to be June 25, which is a very negative anniversary for me in my life and my family.'
'What I guess I have to explain to these people is that when you're not headlining these shows, you don't pick what date you perform,' she explained.
Paris, who has often spoken openly about grief, family, and the public scrutiny that comes with her last name, has faced criticism before when it comes to how she chooses to honor, or not publicly honor, her father.
She's been vocal about carving out her own identity, career, and boundaries, despite constant comparisons and expectations.
Ahead of her 2023 tour alongside Incubus and Manchester Orchestra, Paris appeared to focus on her art and her healing, regardless of what critics had to say.
On what would have been the King of Pop's 65th birthday, Paris took to Instagram to share a personal message, both reflecting on her father's true feelings about his birthday and addressing the intense scrutiny she often faces from fans.
'So today is my dad's birthday and back when he was alive, he used to hate anybody acknowledging his birthday,' Paris said in a video post at the time. 'He actually didn't want us to even know when his birthday was because he didn't want us to throw a party or anything like that.'
The model, singer, and actress also expressed her frustration with people who attack her online for not publicly posting a birthday tribute.
'People have told me to kill myself, and they're basically measuring my love for my own father based off of what I post on Instagram,' she said.
She added a powerful caption to the video. "Please don't use a man you have never met as an excuse to abuse, manipulate, and harass his daughter (who you also have never met)."
Despite the criticism, Paris did honor her father in her own way, through music. While touring with Incubus, she shared a video of herself onstage paying tribute to Michael at a concert on the same day.
'He would have been 65 years old today and he put 50 years of blood, sweat and tears and love and passion into doing what he did, so I could stand up here on stage, in front of you, and scream into a microphone,' she told the crowd. 'So I owe everything to him.'
Paris also offered fans a meaningful suggestion for how they can honor Michael Jackson's legacy by giving back to the causes he cared deeply about.
'If you are an MJ superfan, and you want to do something that he would have loved, which is not celebrate his birthday, my suggestion would be: there's always ways to get involved with raising awareness for climate change, doing stuff for the environment, animal rights activism,' she said. 'These were things that he loved and he was very, very interested in.'
Born on April 3, 1998, Paris is Michael's only surviving biological child. His elder son, Prince Jackson, who was born via surrogacy, also survives him, while Prince's twin sister, Paris-Michael Katherine, passed away a few days after birth.