“There are a lot of bad people out there” Michael Jackson’s children speak about life since their father’s tragic death

Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, beat and bullied him into forging a pop career - and now he seems to have set his sights on the late performer's children too…

jacksons

by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

For years, we never saw their faces - their father, Michael Jackson, insisted they wore masks in public to shield their identity.

“They say there will never be another Michael Jackson, and I say, we already have one. He just has to be trained"

But now, for the first time since his death, all three of Michael's children - Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket - have spoken openly and emotionally about their father.

The video interview, which was made before Paris Jackson's suicide attempt, shows the teen speaking wistfully about her dad - and a promise he was never able to keep:

"He promised he would teach me how to moonwalk but never got around to it. I really hope his legacy lives on forever. I will never forget him ever. He was amazing."

Janet, Jackie and La Toyah comfort Paris, Blanket and Prince Michal at Michal Jackson's memorial
Janet, Jackie and La Toyah comfort Paris, Blanket and Prince Michal at Michal Jackson's memorial

She, along with her two brothers, also opened up about their life with MJ on Neverland Ranch, admitting they were isolated from children their own age:

“We didn’t know a lot of kids, like, our age. We were more secluded. We never really left the ranch that often.”

But, while they were kept apart from others, life on the ranch was nothing short of a fairytale adventure. Blanket admits that they really did have their own menagerie on the grounds:

"We had kind of like a zoo basically. Giraffes, lions. You probably heard of it, but yeah, a chimp named Bubbles."

And Prince Michael added that Michael never pressured his children to follow in his famous footsteps:

“It took me till I was like six years old to learn that his name was Michael Jackson, because he was always daddy to me. He wanted us to always be, like, what we wanted to be, just be greater at it than anybody else has ever been.”

It's a very different story from Michael's own upbringing; his father, a failed r&b singer, was determined to turn his sons into a successful pop group, forcing them to rehearse for hours and whipping them if they missed a step or a note.

Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael II

In an interview with British TV journalist Martin Bashir, Michael - who joined the Jackson 5 at the tender age of 6 - admitted: "If you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up."

We imagine that's why Michael was so adamant about letting his children grow up in their own way, far from the pressure of the public.

However Joe Jackson, who remains married to Michael's mother Katherine but is not allowed to live with her and her grandchildren, has suggested he sees big potential in young Blanket:

“They say there will never be another Michael Jackson, and I say, we already have one. He just has to be trained. That kid is the spitting image of Michael when Michael was smaller.”

We hope that Katherine, who previously put her foot down when Paris sought the spotlight, will similarly prevent little Blanket from chasing fame too.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us