Apr 14, 20212 min read

[NEWS] Exclusive Interview with ES Magazine !

Updated: Apr 17, 2021

I’ve finally learnt to love myself through music, says Paris Jackson.

By Lizzie Edmonds

Paris Jackson says she has learnt “self-love” by expressing herself through music after battling addiction and depression following her father’s death.

The 23-year-old actress, singer and model is the only daughter of Michael Jackson who died when she was 11. She has two brothers, Prince, 24, and Blanket, 19. After the death of her father in 2009, Paris faced difficulties in her teenage years including grief, drug abuse and attempted suicide.

But in the latest edition of ES Magazine, the star — who released her debut album Wilted in November, a collection of melancholy indie-folk tracks — said she had found herself through music.

“I’m at a point in my life where it’s the first time I’ve ever truly experienced self-love,” she said.

“A big part of it is definitely the self-expression. I’m accepting that this music thing, being a musician, is what I was born to do.”

She also spoke about the lasting influence of her father — in both her creativity and how she lives her life.

“I think he’ll always influence everything I do in some way, whether it’s subconscious or intentional. I was around that creativity all the time, so I’m sure I learnt a lot of what I have from that.”

She added: “My brothers and I have always been massive fans of his music, obviously, but he was always very modest about it. He was very humble.”

Paris said her father had installed strong morals in her and her brothers.

“We were very privileged growing up, but when it came to things like getting toys and going on the rides, we had to earn that,” she said.

“We were lucky enough to be raised with solid morals. “He would be like: ‘Oh, you want to go to Toys ‘R’ Us and get five toys? Great. You need to read five books — and I will test you on those books.’ It was very clear to us that those rides and the zoo were for underprivileged children — children who were sick and couldn’t go to Disneyland. If we were good, and we did our homework and we worked hard throughout the week, maybe we could go at the weekends, but we had to earn it.”