Paris Jackson opens up about the 'chronic loneliness' she experienced after losing her dad

1 September 2026, 14:49

It's a pain like no other.

For anybody who's lost a father, they'll know that their presence, protection, and unwavering love will never be replaced.

That's a sentiment that Paris Jackson experienced after the death of her father, Michael Jackson.

After news of Michael Jackson's death became public knowledge on 25th June 2009, the entire world wept.

Whether or not people were fans of his music, the fact that such a vital cultural figure lost his life so early was a genuine shock.

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Whilst it may have been a tragedy for his loyal fans, there was a real-world impact to Michael's death.

He left his children behind – his two sons Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson Jr. (born 1997) and Prince Michael "Bigi" Jackson (formerly known as Blanket, born 2002), as well as his daughter Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (born 1998).

Having struggled for many years, Paris has opened up in a recent interview about the "chronic loneliness" she felt after the death of her dad.

A singer-songwriter in her own right, Paris Jackson has revealed the extent of her mental health issues and battle with addiction.

Talking to mental health advocate Jay Shetty on his podcast show, Paris recalled feeling like her life got “heavier” around the time she lost her father.

“I remember being surrounded by love and playing Hot Wheels with my brother, and then going into my room and being alone for a second and having that sinking, empty feeling,” she said.

“It’s hard to explain… but that has kind of been this sort of… through-line throughout my life, this kind of almost chronic loneliness that I think definitely plays a part in alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, anxiety, things like that.”

During the incredibly frank discussion about the impact depression has had on her life, she admitted that substance abuse became a "Band-Aid".

She added that using drugs and alcohol was a welcome distraction from her “unmanageable thoughts and feelings.”

“I feel very deeply, so I think [substances] just brought me to a more moderated… I could still cry, I could still laugh," she admitted.

"It just made me feel normal, it made me feel more managed. I think part of it was I simply loved the effect produced by these things and it just made me feel different than how I was used to feeling, which sucked.”

She experienced some dark times, notably an attempt to take her own life at the age of just 15.

“I’m a completely different person,” she said. “I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help.”

Paris Jackson performs 'Happiest Day of My Life' on 'GMA'

Paris Jackson has just released her second album, Happiest Day Of My Life.

Throughout the album, co-produced with 4 Non Blondes' Linda Perry, Paris confronts the emotions she felt throughout her time with addiction and therapy.

There's certainly cause to celebrate, however, as she reached six years of sobriety in January and has remained sober ever since.

“I by no means want to be a spokesperson for sobriety, but sharing my story is something that has helped me,” she said.

“Hearing other people’s stories has helped me, so if I can pay that forward, [I] absolutely [will].”