Paris Jackson is no stranger to public scrutiny—but this time, the backlash isn’t about her. It’s about fans of her late father, Michael Jackson, and the increasingly unhinged way they’re responding to her simply speaking about him.
It all started when Entertainment Tonight shared a red carpet interview from the Vanity Fair Vanities party, where Jackson was asked about the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. The film stars her cousin, Jaafar Jackson, as the King of Pop, with Colman Domingo portraying family patriarch Joe Jackson.
Paris reflected on Domingo reaching out ahead of the biopic:
“I really appreciated the sentiment of it, because, you know, there's lots of miscommunications and things get twisted and all that.”
Domingo also spoke about Paris in a WSJ Magazine interview published Tuesday, saying he hopes she will “eventually loves the tribute that we made about her father.”
Paris detailed her response to Colman Domingo:
“I responded to him probably a couple months ago at this point, I just sent a voice memo telling him I appreciated him as an artist and wishing him and my cousin success, and joy, and happiness.”
The film, made with the involvement of Michael Jackson’s estate, marks Jaafar Jackson’s feature film debut. The cast also includes Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, Derek Luke, and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson.
Paris was asked what kind of story she wanted out there about her father:
“Love and light.”
You can watch the interview here:
The understated response quickly became the focal point of backlash online.
Overly parasocial trolls soon flooded the video with criticism, with some claiming Paris Jackson lacked the authority to speak on her own father’s legacy. Several responses suggested that longtime fans had a deeper understanding of Michael Jackson than his daughter.
One comment dismissed Paris Jackson’s perspective:
“As much as I have respect for her. She don’t know him when we did. Love her But her insight is minimal.”
Born in 1998, Paris Jackson is the middle child and only daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe. She and her older brother, Prince, were born during Jackson’s marriage to Rowe, while their younger brother, Bigi, was born via surrogate.
Paris has consistently identified Michael as her father and has publicly defended his legacy, including during his 2009 memorial, where she called him the “best father.” She was 11 when he died.
Still, that context did little to quiet critics:
“She didn’t even know MJ 😂She knew her dad for 9 years. We literally known him for 50yrs.”
Others echoed similar sentiments, focusing on the film's depiction of Michael Jackson’s life.
A third commenter criticized her relevance to the biopic’s timeframe:
“With all due respect, she wasn't even a thought in the time period this movie is set in.”
The volume and tone of the reactions prompted pushback from other users, who called out the idea that fans could claim a deeper understanding of Michael Jackson than his own daughter. Many defended Paris, pointing to the deeply personal nature of her relationship with her father and criticizing what they described as parasocial overreach.
You can view the reactions here:
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Paris Jackson is continuing to focus on her own work. She’s set to release new music, including the single " Zombies in Love, " on March 13, 2026, and is scheduled to perform at BottleRock Napa Valley on May 23.
At the same time, she remains locked in an ongoing legal dispute involving her father’s estate. On April 6, Jackson filed new documents accusing executors John Branca and John McClain of using a recent status report to “mock and belittle” her, according to filings obtained by People.
Paris, 28, is a beneficiary of the estate alongside her brothers Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24, and has alleged the executors are abusing their roles for personal gain, which they deny. The dispute centers on the estate’s financial accounting, with Jackson calling for “an efficient, transparent, and orderly process” and accusing the executors of “operat[ing] in the dark.”
Michael Jackson was more than $500 million in debt when he died in 2009. Executors say they transformed the estate into a “powerhouse and a force in the music business.”
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
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Michael Jackson Fans Called Out Over Their Deranged Reaction To Paris Jackson Talking About Her Late Dad
A red carpet interview with Paris Jackson in which she opens up about her late father, pop icon Michael Jackson, is going viral after people noticed the unhinged comments Jackson's fans left on the video.
Morgan Ross is a writer, editor, and script doctor based in Washington, D.C. She received a B.A. in International Relations and Journalism from Mills College. Outside of writing, Morgan enjoys visiting museums, helping high school students achieve their dreams, and wrangling her two lovely cats, Roxie and Salem.