Paris Jackson, the renowned singer and daughter of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, took to Instagram on Tuesday to commemorate what would have been her father’s 65th birthday. However, what should have been a heartfelt tribute quickly turned into a social media controversy as some viewers fixated on her unshaven armpits.
In a video shared from what seemed to be a dressing room following a performance, the 25-year-old explained that her father had always preferred not to acknowledge his own birthday during his lifetime. As she spoke, she raised her arms, inadvertently drawing attention to her armpit hair.
This unintentional gesture led to a flurry of comments about her appearance, with some users on social media platforms taking issue with her choice not to shave. In response to the criticism, Paris took to Twitter, where she delivered a powerful message to her detractors.
“i wasn’t tying my hair up to show off my armpit hair,” she asserted in a tweet posted on Wednesday. “i’ve not shaved it for years and forget it’s there all the time. get over yourselves.”
She concluded her tweet by emphasizing her intent, stating, “i was pulling my hair up to show my glass cutting jawline.”
In her initial Instagram post, Paris shared her father’s perspective, revealing that Michael Jackson had intentionally concealed the date of his birthday to avoid extravagant celebrations. She expressed her frustration with the pressure she faces on such occasions and the harsh backlash she endures for how she chooses to remember her father.
“There have been times when I don’t post anything on my dad’s birthday,” she lamented, “and people lose their f—ing minds. They told me to kill myself. They’re basically measuring my love for my own father based off of what I post on Instagram.”
The video clip then transitions to footage of Paris addressing an audience during a performance at the Las Colonias Park Amphitheater in Colorado, where she acknowledged her father’s birthday and praised his dedication to his craft.
“He put 50 years of blood, sweat, and tears and love and passion into doing what he did, so I can stand up here on stage in front of you and scream into a microphone,” she passionately conveyed to the audience.
Returning to her dressing room in the Instagram video, Paris urged her followers to engage with issues dear to her father’s heart, such as climate change, environmental conservation, and animal rights. She highlighted these causes as areas of significant interest for Michael Jackson.
Paris’s Instagram post coincided with a rare appearance by her siblings, Bigi Jackson (formerly known as Blanket) and Prince Jackson, in Las Vegas to honor their father on the same day. The two were spotted at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, where Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: ONE show was being performed.
Earlier this year, Paris released her song “bandaid,” describing it as a departure from her previous work with a more intense sound. She drew inspiration from bands like the Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and Interpol, while maintaining her characteristic acoustic folk songwriting style.
In the midst of online criticism, Paris Jackson continues to stand up for herself and her right to express herself authentically, following in her father’s footsteps by using her platform to advocate for causes that matter to her.
