The shocking photos that showed Paris Jackson needed help…after fiercely denying a heroin addiction for years
Paris Jackson honestly admitted that she struggled with heroin addiction as she celebrated five years of sobriety through drugs and alcohol in a recent social media post.
The 26-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson revealed in an emotional Instagram video on Tuesday that she once battled an addiction with both alcohol and the infamous drug.
“Hi, I’m pk and I’m an alcoholic and a heroin addict,” she captioned the clip, which included footage of the singer-songwriter breaking down in tears amid her substance abuse.
‘Today marks 5 years clean & sober from all drugs and alcohol. To say I am grateful would be a poor euphemism. Gratitude is barely visible. It’s because I’m sober that I can laugh today,” she continued.
‘I get to make music. I experience the joy of loving my dogs and cats. I feel heartbreak in all its glory. I’m allowed to grieve. I have to laugh. I can dance. I can trust. I feel the sun on my skin and it is warm. I’ve noticed that life goes on regardless of whether I’m sober or not, but today I get to stand up for it.”
Jackson concluded the caption, “Here’s a little snapshot of what’s been possible because of my sobriety, and my god I can’t believe I almost missed it all.”
In the Instagram video, the model – the King of Pop’s eldest daughter – was seen drinking from liquor bottles and smoking weed before starting her sobriety journey.
At one point, an emotional Jackson burst into tears on camera and was shown curled up in a ball, with her hands covering her face. A friend tried to comfort her by gently stroking her hair.
Paris Jackson pictured at a gas station in March 2019, less than a year after deciding to get sober
Jackson, pictured in May 2018, previously explained how several of her tattoos hide signs of drug use and scars from self-harm
The singer-songwriter poses wearing a ‘drug frock’ smock and lights a cigarette in her mouth, the same month she stopped reporting her family was ‘terrified’ about her alleged drug use
The footage then cut to Jackson’s first sobriety coin, followed by several other milestone coins she earned over the past five years and clips of Jackson looking happy and healthy, surrounded by friends.
However, that was not always the case. Over the years, the California native has long denied speculation about her past drug use, despite January 2020 being the first date of her five-year journey to sobriety.
In fact, it seems that some members of her famous family were left completely in the dark when it came to Jackson’s personal struggles with addiction.
An insider close to Janet Jackson, the “Thriller” singer’s younger sister, exclusively told DailyMail.com that the Grammy winner “had no idea her niece Paris was suffering from addiction and was heartbroken when she found out about the rest of the world. ‘
“They haven’t been this close for years, with Paris noticeably absent from some of Janet’s shows, but Janet is hoping to be there for her this year,” she added.
Jackson’s journey to sobriety was only complicated by feelings of depression and anxiety. Speak with Rolling stone in 2017, the singer admitted that she attempted suicide at the age of 15 and was later hospitalized.
She described how several of her tattoos hide traces of drug use and scars from self-harm.
“It was just self-loathing, low self-esteem, the idea that I couldn’t do anything right, the idea that I wasn’t worth living anymore,” she admitted.
Jackson seen with bandages on her finger and thigh, two months after entering rehab for her ’emotional health’
The model admitted that she had attempted suicide ‘several times’ as early as the age of 15
Jackson previously claimed she was sober in a 2017 Rolling Stone interview, despite marking the first date of her five-year sobriety journey in January 2020.
Jackson explained that she was sent to a therapeutic school in Utah her sophomore and junior year, which she said was “great” for her.
“I’m a completely different person,” she said. ‘I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I had a lot of teenage angst. And I was also able to deal with my depression and anxiety without any help.”
Although Jackson told Rolling Stone that she was “now sober and happier than ever before,” with menthol cigarettes her remaining vice, it appears that didn’t last long as reports surfaced that Jackson had relapsed.
In November 2018, she took to social media to shut down a report from Radar Online that claimed her famous family was “terrified” that she would follow in her father’s footsteps due to her alleged drug use.
In response, Jackson tweeted: “The @radar_online article made me sick. Not a single word is true.’
She added: ‘I travel and work constantly and I am very happy. That article was just heartbreaking, I’m tired of this kind of nonsense spreading like wildfire. Not to mention that they did [sic] It seems my father was an addict, which he certainly wasn’t.’
That same year, she denied reports that she was returning to rehab after singer Demi Lovato was hospitalized for a drug overdose in 2018.
‘Uhm no?? I haven’t been to a clinic. It doesn’t take someone almost dying to know if they’re healthy, I’ve had friends who overdosed and died. That’s enough for me,” she tweeted.
Jackson responded to ‘exaggerated’ media reports about her past drug use, calling the claims ‘heartbreaking’
An emotional Jackson broke down in tears on camera and was shown curled up in a ball, with her hands covering her face
Jackson marked her five-year sober anniversary by sharing clips of herself crying amid her battle with addiction
However, just two months later, Jackson reportedly checked into rehabilitation for emotional health.
In January 2019, a year before Jackson decided to get sober, a source told Entertainment Tonight that the then-20-year-old was taking some time to “reboot” and “help with her wellness plan.”
She “decided she needed some time off to reboot, realign and prioritize her physical and emotional health,” the source added.
Jackson later addressed reports that she had checked herself into rehab by assuring fans that everything was fine.
“The media is exaggerating as usual,” she wrote on social media at the time. ‘Yes, I’ve been taking a break from work, social media and my phone because sometimes it can be too much and everyone deserves a break, but I’m happy and healthy and feeling better than ever!’
Since getting sober, Jackson has often opened up about her new lifestyle and shared how she plans to stay happy and healthy.
“When I look in the mirror, I don’t hate what I see anymore,” she said in SPIN magazine’s August 2022 cover story. “I try to treat myself kindly.”
“I have some bad days where I’m not as kind to myself as I want to be,” Jackson explained. “I don’t do anything perfectly, but I try to make progress every day.”
Most recently, Jackson appeared happy and healthy at Jas Mathur and Michael Braun’s Golden Globes party on Jan. 5 in Los Angeles.
Jackson poses with her brothers Prince Jackson, 27, and Bigi ‘Blanket’ Jackson, 22, during a performance of MJ: The Musical in London on March 27, 2024
The musician announced her engagement to Justin Long in a December Instagram post. The couple reportedly started dating in 2022
The singer attributed her sober lifestyle to taking on new hobbies and daily changes, such as rock climbing, going to therapy and not smoking as many cigarettes as before.
Jackson also announced her engagement to bandmate Justin Long in December, sharing a sweet photo of the proposal and a montage of their time together on Instagram. Although she did not specify when or where Long – nicknamed Blue – popped the question, she was spotted wearing the ring in September. The couple reportedly started dating in 2022.
“Happy birthday my sweet blue,” she wrote in a birthday tribute announcing their engagement. “Life with you these past few years has been an indescribable whirlwind and I couldn’t dream of someone more perfect for me to do it all with. Thank you for letting me be yours. I love you. [sic]’