Michael Jackson’s three children have been in the spotlight since birth. The late Thriller hitmaker shared son Prince and daughter Paris with his former wife, Debbie Rowe, and later a son, Bigi, born via surrogate.
The singer, who had sole custody over his three kids, made no secret of his desire to be a father – decades on, here’s what the King of Pop’s children are getting up to today, and what they’ve made of growing up in the limelight.
MJ on fatherhood
© Getty ImagesMichael’s wife of two years, Lisa Marie Presley, revealed to Oprah that the singer wanted to be a father from the get-go; the pair’s clashing views were reportedly a big factor in their 1996 divorce, coupled with intense media scrutiny during their relationship.
Michael married nurse Debbie Rowe in 1996, and the were married for three years, and welcomed son Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson, Jr. in 1997, followed by daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson in 1998.
The singer was awarded sole custody of his children in 2001, and they were joined by a baby brother, Prince Michael “Blanket”/”Bibi” Jackson II, in 2002, born to a surrogate mother. The Billie Jean singer’s mother, Katherine, became the children’s permanent guardian upon Michael’s death in 2009.
Prince Jackson
© Bruce Glikas/WireImageDespite being the King of Pop’s son, Prince confessed that there wasn’t one single moment where he realised just how famous his father was.
"It's really more like there were little seeds, ”he told FOX Soul in 2021, recalling watching his father perform. “There’s people fainting in the audience…I asked my dad, ‘Why were they fainting? I see you every day and I don’t faint.’”
Prince was 12 years old when his father passed away, but has continued to honour Michael’s legacy. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2019 with a business degree, founding the youth charity Heal LA along the way – a passion for giving back he told People was passed down from his father. “That is something that my dad always did, and he instilled that in me and my siblings to keep doing it.”
© Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty IWedding bells are on the horizon for Michael’s eldest son as well. Prince took to Instagram in April 2025 to announce his engagement to his girlfriend of eight years, Molly Schirmang. “’I’m excited for this next chapter in our lives as we continue to grow and make great memories,” he captioned the heartfelt post.
Paris Jackson
© AFP via Getty ImagesMichael’s only daughter Paris was notoriously close with her superstar father; the then-11-year-old called him “the best father you could ever imagine” during his public memorial service in 2009.
Paris has remained firmly in the spotlight as a model and musician, signing with IMG Models in 2017 and releasing her debut indie-folk album wilted in 2020; Paris confessed to The Standard she thinks Michael will “always influence everything I do in some way”, as she was “around all that creativity all the time”.
© Getty Images for Friendly HouseThe star has spoken candidly about her struggles with substance abuse and mental health. “Recently, I’ve learned how to cope with it all by practicing self-love and affirmations and diving deeper into my spiritual life,” she told PopSugar in 2022. Paris recently celebrated six years of sobriety on January 7, marking the milestone with a poignant Instagram reel.
She wrote: “You’re not alone. hang in there and if no one’s told you they love you today, i love you”. [sic]
Bigi Jackson
© WireImageMichael’s youngest son now goes by “Bigi”, though was originally nicknamed “Blanket" – a nickname widely reported to have come from Michael wrapping him in a blanket to protect his privacy.
Bigi was just 7 years old when Michael passed away, and has favoured a quieter life as he’s grown up. In a rare interview to Good Morning Britain in 2021, Bigi talked about his father’s enduring impact on people’s lives.
“That’s what each of us want to do,” he said of his siblings. “Make things that people enjoy but also benefit their lives.” He also uses his platform to advocate for climate change awareness, adding that “we have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is”.
© Getty ImagesMichael’s youngest son may be destined for stardom, too – Bigi previously won an award for his short film directorial debut, Rochelles (2024). The 23-year-old was recently snapped enjoying a lunch in LA, accompanied by his rumoured girlfriend.
