Paris Jackson, the daughter of the late pop star Michael Jackson, has revealed, upon announcing she has reached five years of sobriety, that she is in recovery from heroin and alcohol addiction.
She made a frank post on Instagram with a video and described herself as an alcoholic and a drug addict, while expressing her gratitude at emerging from those dependencies, People magazine reported.
“Today marks five years clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol, to say that I’m thankful would be a poor euphemism,” she said.
Paris Jackson, a singer-songwriter, 26, added in the post, on Tuesday: “Gratitude hardly scratches the surface. It’s because I’m sober that I get to smile today. I get to make music. I get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. I get to feel heartbreak in all its glory. I get to grieve. I get to laugh. I get to dance. I get to trust.”
Jackson’s video clip begins with images of her drinking alcohol, partying and weeping, progressing to more joyous scenes, such as dancing with friends, and then adds a message of thanks.
“I feel the sun on my skin and it’s warm. I’ve found that life keeps happening regardless of whether I’m sober or not, but today I get to show up for it,” she added.
Her aunt, La Toya Jackson, an older sister of Michael Jackson, posted, saying: “Congratulations, Paris. I’m so, so proud of you and your growth, strength and accomplishments.”
She praised her niece’s efforts at “helping others that are going through this” and sent Paris love.
Other celebrities also chimed in on Jackson’s post, with the American socialite and media figure Paris Hilton writing: “So proud of you sis.” The American actor Lucy Hale wrote: “You’re amazing amazing amazing.”
Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles in 2009. Following his death, the Los Angeles county coroner ruled it a homicide and stated that Jackson died of “acute propofol intoxication”. Propofol is an anesthetic and sedative commonly administered intravenously during medical procedures in a clinical setting, but Jackson was using it at home to help him sleep. A variety of other potent prescription drugs were found in his system when he died.
At the time of her father’s death, Paris Jackson was 11, while her brothers Prince Jackson and Bigi (formerly known as Blanket) Jackson were 12 and seven years old, respectively.
In a 2021 interview with British model Naomi Campbell, Jackson opened up about her father’s influence on her life, saying: “My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated, and not just showing us, like, the glitz and glam – like hotel hopping, five-star places.”
Jackson, who released her debut studio album Wilted in 2020, called herself a “fan of his music”, adding: “I feel like every part of my childhood will always influence how I am today, whether it’s experiences or all of the music we listened to … He loved classical music, jazz and hip-hop and R&B and, obviously, the Motown stuff, but also radio’s Top 40. He loved rock music, soft rock, the Beatles.”
The late pop star’s personal doctor, the former cardiologist Conrad Murray, served two years in jail after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death.
Source: theguardian.com
