Paris and Prince Jackson are opening up about their special bond. In a rare joint interview with Good Morning America that aired Tuesday, 22-year-old Paris discussed her new music with her band, The Soundflowers. The two eldest children of the late Michael Jackson also discussed their upbringing and acknowledged that Paris was the leader of the group, though Prince, 23, is technically older. They also have a younger brother, 18-year-old Blanket.
“The way we were raised, me being the oldest, I should be the one that’s protecting the group,” Prince says.
ABC News’ Chris Connelly then noted that Paris leads with her vulnerability. “I do wear my heart on my sleeve, or so I’ve been told,” she responds. “I’m very expressive with my face, so people can usually tell when something’s wrong.”
Paris now uses music to help cope with her emotions in a healthy way and has the full support of her older brother, who praised a deeply personal song on her new EP titled “Geronimo.” “Geronimo” was written by Paris when she was 15 and dealing with depression and self-harm.
“I can hear and feel all the emotion and pain and hurt that went into that song,” Prince says. “I just remember thinking that, you know, this was a song, I think, that other people could relate to, but other people needed to hear.”
Paris adds, “I think a part of it was, a good portion of it was just being that age and going through the trials and tribulations of a 15-year-old girl. Also, just trauma. Trauma is, you know, it’s the seed to any kind of unhealthy coping skill that you choose.”
Paris was also clearly moved by Prince’s praise for her music. “He’s everything to me, you know?” she says with a smile. “I’ve always looked up to him and always wanted his approval and everything, and wanted to be more like him. So to hear him approve, not just approve but enjoy what I do, it’s everything to me.”
Meanwhile, in a recent episode of her new Facebook Watch series, Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn, Paris got candid about her struggles after her dad’s 2009 death.
“It’s been 11 years and I’ve been through hell, whether it was him passing or all the other s**t I’ve been through in my life,” she said. “If I don’t talk about it or if I don’t let it in my music, it’s gonna completely ruin my life and it’s gonna own me and I’ll be a slave to that kind of pain. I don’t want that.”
