Paris Jackson, 23, has recently opened up about what happened to her after her dad, Michael, died in 2009.
Speaking to Willow Smith in a new episode of Red Table Talkin Facebook, Paris described what it had been like to lose her father at such a very young age.
Paris explained that she was too young to fully grasp what was going on as she was sent off to live with her grandmother.
Willow asked the 23-year-old how she found the strength to keep going after Michael’s death.
“I don’t know, it kind of just happened,” she replied. “I was so young that I wasn’t conscious of ‘I’ve gotta keep going”.
“I was just going through the motions and didn’t really understand what was happening, and so I just went with what I was told to do and ‘Okay, I’m living here now, okay, I’m going to school now and I’m not home-schooled anymore, I’ll just do what I’m told,” Paris said.
“Because I didn’t really have much guidance.”
In a voiceover, Willow explained what happened next: “After her dad died, Paris and her brothers moved in with her grandmother Katherine. The Jackson family matriarch was named permanent guardian.”
“The children went from home-schooling and traveling the world with their father to attending traditional school and living under Katherine’s strict Jehovah’s Witness beliefs.”
Willow asked if Paris was still close to her father’s side of the family.
“I’m still very close with my brothers, and I see my family during family reunions and I tell them all the time, ‘If you wanna call me, call me. I’ve got love and respect for all you guys”
“I just saw my cousins for Thanksgiving and Christmas, even though we don’t call it that because a lot of them are Jehovah’s Witnesses (who doesn’t celebrate holidays or birthdays), so we’re just like ‘family reunion during the holidays.”
Paris’ biological mother is Debbie Rowe, who Michael married in 1996 before going on to have two kids together.
When the couple divorced, Debbie gave up custody, and Paris and her brother Prince went to live with Michael full-time.
Paris grew up without her mom, who didn’t come into her life until she was 15.
When asked about her relationship with her mother, she said: “It’s cool. I mean, getting to know her, seeing how similar we are, getting into what kind of music she likes and she really likes country and folk.”
“It’s just cool having her as a friend,” Paris added. “It’s very chilled, which I love.”