The Jackson family name has long carried both glamour and heartbreak. This week, the family was once again thrust into the spotlight as two generations of Jackson women made headlines for very different reasons.
On Thursday, family matriarch Katherine Jackson, 95, was seen in Los Angeles during a rare public outing. The widow of Joe Jackson and mother of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, looked noticeably frail as she was wheeled around Thousand Oaks by an aide. Dressed in a patterned green dress with a matching cardigan, simple black shoes, and a black Chanel purse resting gently in her lap, Katherine cut a fragile yet dignified figure. She wore hoop earrings and a long necklace, her presence a quiet reminder of the woman who stood behind one of music’s most iconic families.
The sighting comes at a time when the Jackson legacy is under renewed scrutiny. Just days earlier, her granddaughter Paris Jackson, 27, openly distanced herself from the much-anticipated Michael Jackson biopic — a project already shrouded in controversy.
Paris Challenges Hollywood’s Version of Her Father
The upcoming two-part film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and backed by Michael’s estate, is set to hit theaters in April 2026. With a reported budget of $155 million, the project is expected to be one of the biggest music biopics in years. Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will step into his uncle’s shoes for the role of a lifetime.
But not everyone in the family is standing behind the production. Paris, the only daughter of the late pop superstar, stunned fans this week when she pushed back against claims that she supported the film.
It started when actor Colman Domingo, who portrays patriarch Joe Jackson in the movie, told People magazine that Paris and her brother Prince, 28, had shown enthusiasm for the project after chatting briefly with him at a gala in Venice. “They’re very much in support of our film,” Domingo gushed.
Paris wasted no time setting the record straight. Taking to Instagram, she told her 5.4 million followers that she had no involvement in the film whatsoever.
“Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in,” she wrote sharply. She explained that she had once read an early draft of the script and shared her concerns about inaccuracies, but when her feedback was ignored, she walked away. “Not my monkeys, not my circus,” she added with finality.
“Hollywood Is Fantasy Land”
In a series of candid posts, Paris made it clear she had no interest in attaching her name to what she considers a distorted portrayal of her father’s life. “The thing about these biopics is — it’s Hollywood. So it’s fantasy land. It’s not real, but it’s sold to you as real,” she wrote.
She accused the filmmakers of sugarcoating Michael’s story and shaping a narrative designed to please a specific section of his fan base. “At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. I don’t really like dishonesty. I spoke up. I wasn’t heard. I left it alone. Y’all are gonna like the movie, so just go enjoy it. Leave me out of it.”
Her words were blunt, filled with frustration, and they struck a chord with fans who have long debated how Michael Jackson’s story should be told.
A Family Divided
The Jackson family has never been free from internal rifts, and the latest drama has reopened old wounds. Some fans sympathized with Paris, praising her for standing up for her father’s truth. Others argued she was being unfair to a project intended to honor Michael’s legacy.
On social media, the reaction was fierce. Supporters applauded her honesty, with one user writing, “Paris is the only one brave enough to call out Hollywood for rewriting history.” Critics, however, accused her of being disrespectful toward the hard work of her cousin Jaafar, who has poured himself into preparing for the role.
The divide reflects a broader question: who really has the right to tell Michael Jackson’s story? His estate? His family? Or Hollywood producers with an eye on box office success?
Katherine’s Quiet Struggle
As the drama unfolded, Katherine’s rare public appearance reminded fans of the toll the years have taken on her. At 95, she has survived both the controversies surrounding her children and the devastating loss of her son Michael in 2009. Her husband Joe passed away in 2018, leaving her to navigate old age largely out of the spotlight.
For many fans, seeing Katherine in such a frail state was emotional. The matriarch who once fiercely defended her son now appears fragile, a silent witness to the battles raging around her family name.
“She looks so small now, like she’s carrying the weight of everything that’s happened,” one fan commented online. Another wrote, “It breaks my heart to see her this way. She gave the world Michael, and all she deserves now is peace.”
Paris Carves Her Own Path
Despite distancing herself from the biopic, Paris has been forging her own identity in music. Earlier this year, she joined rock bands Incubus and Manchester Orchestra on tour, performing stripped-back sets with just her guitar and sound engineer by her side.
Not all fans were happy when one of her scheduled shows fell on June 25 — the anniversary of her father’s death. Critics accused her of being insensitive, but Paris hit back. “When you’re not headlining, you don’t pick the date,” she explained, adding that she was simply an opening act traveling modestly in a van, not living a rock-star life.
Her honesty about the realities of being a working musician resonated with many. But just weeks later, Paris confirmed another personal shift: she had split from her fiancé, Justin Long. The breakup added another layer of turbulence to an already dramatic year.
