The Gist
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Michael Jackson and his ex-wife, Deborah Rowe, welcomed their first child, son “Prince” Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., in 1997.
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The couple welcomed their daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, in 1998.
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In 2002, Jackson’s son “Blanket” Prince Michael Jackson II was born via surrogate. Since 2015, he’s gone by Bigi.
Michael Jackson might be best known for his role as the King of Pop, but in his personal life he was first and foremost a father of three kids: Prince, Paris, and Bigi (formerly known as Blanket).
The “Billie Jean” singer and his ex-wife, Deborah Rowe, welcomed son “Prince” Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. in February 1997. The couple’s daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, arrived in April 1998. Michael’s youngest child, “Blanket” Prince Michael Jackson II—known as Bigi since 2015—was born in 2002.
In a rare interview with Barbra Walters shortly after welcoming Prince, Michael was asked if the infant had shown any signs of talent. “Well, I’ll tell you this much,” he replied, smiling. “When he’s crying, to keep him from crying, you have to do one thing. I have to stand in front of him and dance.”
“Really?” Walter asked.“Yes,” Michael responded, “and he stops crying. His tears turn to laughter and he starts clapping. He smiles.”
Michael Jackson during the Super Bowl XXVII halftime show in 1993.
Credit: Getty Images
Michael was protective of his children’s privacy, often covering their faces with veils or scarves while they were out in public together. They first entered the spotlight in June 2009, following his death at 50 years old. The pop icon’s only daughter xmade an impromptu speech at his televised memorial service in Los Angeles—her first time speaking publicly.
“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” the then-11 year old said, per People, adding, “And I just want to say that I love him so much.”
While they’ve continued to live quieter lives than their famous father’s, the siblings made a rare joint appearance in March 2024, stepping out together at the opening night of MJ: The Musical in London. A Tony-winning musical, it spotlights the performer’s development of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Prince and Bigi also took to the red carpet for the global fan premiere of 2026 biopic film Michael, sporting matching armbands as an homage to one of their father’s signature accessories. Paris, who has previously criticized the film, did not attend.
Here’s everything to know about Michael Jackson’s kids—Prince, Paris, and Bigi Jackson—and how they are upholding his legacy years after his death.
Prince Michael Jackson
Prince Jackson, son of Michael Jackson, at the 2024 NAACP Theatre Awards.
Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Michael and then-wife Deborah “Debbie” Rowe welcomed their first child, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., on February 13, 1997. His nickname, Prince, is widely used. He and his younger siblings share the same A-list godparents—actor Macaulay Culkin and late actress Elizabeth Taylor—per a 2024 E! News report.
Following the couple’s 1999 divorce, Prince grew up at the singer’s Neverland Ranch until Michael’s passing in 2009. He then went to live with his paternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson. She and other relatives were present for one of Prince’s milestone moments in 2019: graduating with honors from Loyola Marymount University’s school of business. In his Instagram post about the occasion, the happy grad smiles alongside his grandmother, aunt LaToya Jackson, cousins TJ, Taryll, and Taj, brother Bigi, as well as other friends and relatives.
Paris Jackson and her brother, Prince Jackson, in August 2022.
Credit: Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Harold & Carole Pump Foundation
During the pandemic the following year, Prince’s charity, Heal Los Angeles, teamed up with Fresh N Lean to deliver meals to those in need. “I would like to think that [my dad would be] be very proud [of my charity work], because I think this was one of his main goals—not only to spread his message of positivity and happiness, but to see it enacted in his kids,” Prince shared in a 2020 interview with ET. “As a father, I think that’s what you want to do when you raise kids. You’re preparing them for the world and the type of person they’re going to be,” he added.
Prince again reflected on the legendary pop star’s legacy during a 2022 party celebrating the 40th anniversary of Thriller. “I think about him every day,” he told People about his late father, adding, “So much of his personality, so much of him, is in his music,” which Prince shared that he listens to regularly.
In August 2025, the 28-year-old announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Molly after 8 years of dating. “8 years down ♾️ to go,” he wrote in the caption of an Instagram post featuring his engagement photos. “Molly and I have spent a lot of time together and made incredible memories. We’ve traveled the world, graduated and grown so much together.
Molly Schirmang and Prince Jackson at the “Michael” Global Fan Premiere in Berlin in 2026.
Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
“I’m excited for this next chapter in our lives as we continue to grow and make great memories,” he continued. “I love you babs 😘.” The post featured audio from Michael Jackson’s 1987 single “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” in a sweet, subtle nod to the singer.
Prince was involved with Michael, the biopic about his dad, which stars cousin Jaafar Jackson. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s producer Graham King revealed that the eldest Jackson sibling “was on set every day.”
Paris Jackson
Paris Jackson at the 2025 Tribeca Festival.
Credit: Gary Gershoff/WireImage
Michael and Rowe welcomed their second child, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, on April 3, 1998. Her names nod to the city where she was conceived, plus her father and her grandmother.
Like her famous father, Paris has a passion for music. Her debut solo album, indie-folk record Wilted, came out in 2020. In an interview with Variety, she opened up about what music means to her while sharing that she wanted to do it for the rest of her life.
“It just makes my heart so full,” she said. It’s that feeling like I’m exactly where I need to be, and I’m doing exactly what I need to be doing. It’s hard to explain, but it’s incredible.”
Paris Jackson performing at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June 2023.
Credit: Gary Miller/WireImage
When she’s not in the studio, Paris has modeled for the likes of Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier, Messika, and Vivienne Tam. She’s also sat front-row at shows for fashion heavyweights like Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.
A true multi-hyphenate, Michael’s only daughter has also flexed her acting abilities. One of her first recurring roles was in American Horror Stories—and her godfather, Macaulay Culkin, helped her prepare for her audition. “He said [to] overdo it at certain points. Kind of like, overact and kind of make it theatrical,” she recalled of Culkin’s advice during a 2021 interview with E! News.
In October 2022, Paris caught up with her Aunt Janet Jackson during Fashion Week. “So good catching up w/ my beautiful niece,” Janet wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of them sitting together.
Paris Jackson and Janet Jackson in 2022.
Credit: @janetjackson
On what would have been Michael’s 65th birthday in 2023, Paris took to her Instagram Stories to talk about how the singer felt about birthdays in general. “Back when he was alive, he used to hate anybody acknowledging his birthday…That being said, social media is apparently how people express their love and affection these days,” she wrote.
She followed up this message with a clip of her at a show, addressing a crowd. In the video, she told them it was her dad’s birthday and he “put 50 years of blood, sweat, and tears and love, and passion into doing what he did so that I can stand up here onstage in front of you and scream into a microphone….I owe everything to him,” she concluded.
In September 2025, Paris distanced herself from the 2026 biopic Michael, speaking out in a series of videos shared to her Instagram Stories. According to People, she told her followers, “The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it.
“The thing about these biopics is it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasy land—it’s not real,” she continued. “But it’s sold to you as real, and a lot of sugar-coated…the narrative is being controlled. There’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. I don’t really like dishonesty.”
As for her personal life, Paris was engaged to music producer Justin Long from December 2024 to sometime in early 2025. She confirmed their breakup in a July 2025 X post.
Bigi Jackson
Bigi Jackson at the “Michael” biopic Global Fan Premiere in April 2026.
Michael’s third child, Prince Michael Jackson II, formerly known as Blanket, was born via surrogate in 2002. He’s gone by the name Bigi since 2015.
The youngest member of the Jackson family stays out of the spotlight to a greater degree than his siblings. In a rare interview with Good Morning Britain in 2021, he spoke out about the importance of world leaders addressing climate change, noting, “[w]e have some work to do but our generation knows how important it is.”
Bigi Jackson attends the Annual THRILLER NIGHT Halloween Party in October 2022.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In 2024, older brother Prince wished Bigi a happy 22nd birthday on his Instagram Stories, per a People article from the time. Prince shared a photo of Bigi at the Santa Monica Film Festival, where his short film Rochelles won the award for best drama. “Bro is killing it! Chasing his dreams and winning awards 😊😊,” Prince wrote alongside the photo.
Bigi made a rare red carpet appearance at the Michael world premiere in Berlin, alongside brother Prince and cousin Jaafar Jackson, who plays the King of Pop in the film. He and Prince wore armbands with a sentimental tie to their father, who reportedly made the accessory a signature part of his wardrobe during his Dangerous era.
Read the original article on InStyle
