Paris Jackson offers rare glimpse into her childhood at Neverland with dad Michael Jackson
Paris Jackson shared rare insight into the realities of living her first seven years at Neverland, dad Michael Jackson’s sprawling California ranch with its own amusement park and zoo. https://t.co/tDcPJoJ2Zw pic.twitter.com/EYPeXKTsxm
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Growing up at Neverland may have seemed like a childhood filled with amusement rides, animals and other attractions, but Paris Jackson revealed that her experience at her father Michael Jackson's California ranch was very different.
During a Wednesday, August 12 appearance on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, Paris clarified that she only spent the first few years of her life at Neverland while also opening up about her decision to keep parts of her life private.
Paris Jackson shares the reality of growing up at Neverland
Neverland, named after the fictional paradise in Peter Pan, featured a private amusement park, zoo, movie theater and train station. However, Paris and her brothers Prince Jackson and Bigi Jackson, formerly Blanket, did not regularly enjoy those attractions.
She was homeschooled at Neverland and recalled waking up and going directly to their classroom for school. She also explained that it was made “very, very clear” that the attractions did not belong to the children and were instead intended for underprivileged children and children who were terminally ill and could not go to Disneyland.
Michael often opened the estate to underserved groups so they could enjoy the rides and animals. Paris said, “The cool, like very congruent line throughout my childhood that kind of started there.”
She explained, “and then just continued on 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.”
The children were not allowed to watch them unless they were studying film with the sound off or had completed everything they were supposed to do. “So, despite the belief that Paris spent the first seven years of her life gallivanting around amusement parks,” that was not the case.
“It would’ve been cool, but no,” Paris admitted. The family also tried to give the children a sense of normalcy by having them wear masks and cover their faces in public.
Paris Jackson opens up about Michael Jackson and keeping family life private
In a June 21 Instagram Story for Father's Day, Paris shared a childhood photo of herself kissing Michael while wishing a happy Father's Day "to some of the best dads" she knew. She followed the tribute with posts about other father figures in her life, including her godfather Macaulay Culkin and 'Buffy' alum Seth Green.
At the same time, she has expressed frustration with feeling that she owes Michael's fans a look into her family life. During an appearance on Jack Osbourne's 'Trying Not to Die' podcast, she explained that she once felt she had to share everything but that perspective had drastically changed.
Paris now believes she can have her own private relationship with her father and does not have to share it with anyone. She described that relationship as beautiful and said there was freedom in keeping it private.
Paris has also pushed back against narratives about her upbringing, acknowledging that parts were “silver spoon-esque” while emphasizing that much of her life involved earning things and developing a work ethic. She explained that working and being productive makes her happy, adding, “Because I’m like a shark. If I stop moving, I’ll die.”
Michael died in 2009 at age 50, when Paris was 11, Prince was 12 and Bigi was 7. Despite their relatively short time together, she remembers her father as a “really funny guy” and described him as her “best friend."
