When Paris emerged from treatment, she began to build a career on her own terms.
Modeling: She signed with IMG Models in 2017 and has appeared in campaigns for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and other major publications. She’s known for her tattoos, her bohemian style, and her refusal to conform to conventional beauty standards.
Acting: She made her acting debut in the 2018 film Gringo alongside David Oyelowo and Charlize Theron. She has also appeared in the TV series Star and the horror film The Turning.
Music: She formed the band The Soundflowers with her then-boyfriend, Gabriel Glenn. Their self-titled EP was released in 2020. She has described her music as “folk rock with a hint of sadness.”
She doesn’t try to sound like her father. She doesn’t want to. “I’m not trying to fill his shoes,” she said. “I’m trying to fill my own.”
Honoring Her Father (On Her Own Terms)
Paris has been careful and deliberate in how she honors Michael Jackson’s memory.
She has a tattoo of his Dangerous album cover on her forearm. She has another tattoo of his signature. She keeps a photo of him on her nightstand.
But she’s also critical of the way her father was treated by the media and by the people around him. She has spoken out about his death, about the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland (which she has called a “lie”), and about the toll that fame took on him.
“I’m not here to defend him,” she said. “I’m here to love him. He was my father. He was a person. He was complicated. And I miss him every single day.”
