Michael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, has explained why she identifies as a Black woman.

Paris Jackson, now 26, is a model and musician and the middle child of the legendary singer Michael Jackson – with an older brother, Prince, and a younger brother, Bigi.

Growing up as the daughter of the ‘King of Pop,’ Paris has been in the public eye from a very young age, and she’s faced many struggles openly over the years.

Paris has shared that the relentless attention from paparazzi during her childhood led her to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Paris Jackson has opened up about her mental health struggles.Red Table Talk via Facebook

PTSD is a mental health disorder triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In a candid conversation on Red Table Talk, Paris revealed: “I experience audio hallucinations, sometimes, with camera clicks and severe paranoia and have been going to therapy for a lot of things, but that included.”

She mentioned that she’s been doing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to manage her PTSD, which she described as ‘very effective.’

Paris has also spoken openly about her journey with her sexuality, explaining that she doesn’t put a label on it.

“I wouldn’t consider myself bisexual because I’ve dated more than just men and women,” she shared.

While she’s been open with the public about her sexuality, she says it’s a difficult topic to discuss with her ‘religious’ family, though her brothers have been supportive of her.

Paris Jackson says it has been difficult to talk about her sexuality to family.Alamy

“My family is very religious and a lot of, like homosexuality, is very taboo, so we don’t talk about it, and it’s not really accepted,” she told Willow Smith on Red Table Talk.

“I’ve gotten to a point where I respect them and I have love for them. I respect their beliefs. I respect their religion. I’m at a point where to expect them to put aside their culture and their religion… expectations lead to resentment. What people think about me isn’t my business.”

Following in her father’s footsteps, Paris has also pursued a career in music, releasing her debut album ‘Wilted’ in 2020.

Like her father, Paris Jackson has a passion for music.@parisjackson/Instagram

She told L’Officiel Italia: “Music is like the air I breathe – it is awareness, it is being able to create something bigger than me and it is a way to express myself and externalise what I feel inside.”

Her father, Michael Jackson, first found fame with The Jackson 5, performing with his siblings before becoming one of the biggest solo music artists of all time.

Although his skin tone lightened later in his life, Michael was African-American and had a darker complexion when he first rose to fame.

It’s believed that Jackson had vitiligo, a chronic condition that causes white patches to appear on the skin, as explained by the NHS. This condition was reportedly responsible for his skin lightening as he aged.

Before he passed away, Jackson spoke about his skin condition during a rare interview with Oprah Winfrey, where he emphasized his pride in his African-American heritage.

“I’m a Black American. I am proud to be a Black American. I am proud of my race, and I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity in who I am,” he said.

It has been reported that Michael Jackson suffered from vitiligo.Alamy

“This is the situation, I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of the skin. It is something I cannot help, OK?”

“But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be who I am, it hurts me. It’s a problem for me that I can’t control.”

Considering her father’s heritage, Paris has now opened up about why she identifies as a Black woman.

Paris Jackson has revealed why she identifies as a Black woman.Alamy

“[Michael] would look me in the eyes and he’d point his finger at me and he’d be like, ‘You’re Black. Be proud of your roots’,” she recalled to Rolling Stone.

“And I’d be like, ‘OK, he’s my dad, why would he lie to me?’. So I just believe what he told me. Cause’, to my knowledge, he’s never lied to me.”

Addressing her fair complexion, Paris shared that many people assume she is white and think she might be “from Finland or something.”

Paris Jackson says her father, Michael Jackson, said: “You’re Black. Be proud of your roots.”Alamy

She pointed out that other mixed-race people, like ‘Prison Break’ actor Wentworth Miller, share her features. Miller, like Paris, was born to a Black father and a white mother.

Following these statements, Paris has faced some backlash. Talk show host Wendy Williams even described Paris’s self-identification as ‘cute.’

“I get that she considers herself Black and everything, but I’m just talking about the visual because you know… Black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike,” Williams remarked.

“It’s what they see. But that’s cute and good for her.”