Paris Jackson has always been open about her fragility, but lately she’s begun talking more candidly about her struggles with heroin, emotional breakdowns, and years of family upheaval. According to people close to the Jacksons, many aspects of her descent echo the path her father once walked.
Though she announced her fifth anniversary of sobriety last summer, the 27‑year‑old has now launched a new wave of legal challenges against the multimillion‑dollar Michael Jackson estate. These aggressive filings have raised concerns among insiders that she might once again slide into the darkness that she’s been working hard to leave behind, potentially adding another tragic chapter to the Jackson narrative.
A family witness told Page Six that the lawsuit seemed “more emotional than strategic.” When Paris becomes overwhelmed, the family feels the tension. “She’s gone through hell, and sometimes the old trauma speaks louder than reason,” the source added.
Paris’s public profile has evolved since she began celebrating her sobriety – she’s appeared at high‑profile events like the 2025 GQ Men of the Year show in Los Angeles, her red‑carpet presence a stark contrast to the shadows that once lurked behind her.
The Jackson household had already weathered Paris’s darkest moments well before she turned teens. They watched her spiral into self‑harm, overdosing on drugs, and dealing with the grief of watching her father succumb to a doctor‑administered drug overdose in 2009.
After her initial lawsuit against the estate was dismissed by the Los Angeles Superior Court, Paris and her attorneys re‑filed with more specific claims. The family now worries that she may be receiving poor counsel and undue external influence—factors that once led to Michael’s own downfall.
Michael Jackson’s last intervention attempt occurred in a New York hotel in 2001. Rumors of his deteriorating health had begun to surface after his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at the Waldorf Astoria earlier that year. By September, during his 30th‑anniversary concerts at Madison Square Garden, the concern deepened. An after‑party conversation between Michael and a brother revealed he felt he might not survive the next performance—a show that took place the night before 9/11.
“He didn’t look right,” a family member recalled. “They whispered he was drinking Jack Daniel’s like water, mixing that with the painkillers he’d been taking for years. That scared everyone.” In 2002, the family tried intensive group therapy in Malibu, but Michael refused to attend. Old grievances resurfaced, including Joe Jackson’s harsh treatment of his children as they grew up.
“It became impossible,” a source shared. “The hurt was too deep. And every time the van pulled up to drive the family to therapy, the only two eager to go were Janet and Randy.” These patterns—withdrawal, emotional crashes, secrecy, defiance, and disappearances—would echo in Paris’s later life.
A separate insider told The Post that much of Paris’s struggle stems from watching her father’s ordeal firsthand. “Women are always more intuitive,” the source noted. “She said Daddy was constantly telling her that people were trying to kill him, trying to take the family away.” She added that her father’s paranoia and emotional toll were firsthand experiences for Paris.
After Michael’s death, Paris was seen crying alongside brothers Prince (now 28) and Bigi (now 23) at the Los Angeles Staples Center. “Daddy was the best father you could ever imagine,” she whispered through tears.
But the three siblings soon returned home to a chaotic family environment at their Encino compound. At 11, Paris shut herself away, developing a “cold stare,” spending days locked in her bedroom before simply vanishing. “She’d disappear,” a family member recounted. “And we panicked every time. She’s Michael Jackson’s daughter—there were real security fears.”
In June 2013, just before the fourth anniversary of Michael’s passing, emergency responders attended to a reported overdose at Paris’s home. Initial reports mentioned an attempted wrist‑cut, and Paris later confirmed a suicide attempt. “This was a trainwreck,” a source said.
“She wasn’t showing motivation, locked herself in her room, disappearing.” By then, Katherine, the family matriarch, was already 83. “She wasn’t equipped for any of this,” the source added. Another insider noted that if Paris received warnings to be careful, she would likely dismiss them, ending in a dismissive “f–k off.”
During her drug‑laden years, Paris posted erratic online content while intoxicated. She admitted to a history of drug use—including heroin—and self‑harm. The damage manifested in a permanently perforated septum, producing a distressing whistling sound.
“The drugs ruined my life,” she once remarked. Her emotional collapse was intense: she slept through some nights, stayed awake for days, and hid track marks and self‑harm scars under oversized clothing. “Growing up in that environment—being the daughter of the biggest star ever—made her turn to drugs to cope with the physical and emotional pain,” an insider said.
Her brother Prince repeatedly begged for intervention. Debbie Rowe, Paris’s mother, was summoned multiple times—“at least half a dozen” according to an insider—often arriving late at night to talk Paris down. Once Paris began receiving money from the estate, her instability manifested in other ways. Insiders claim she bought as many as seven homes in rapid succession.
“She now believes she has a problem with how the estate is handling money?” a family source questioned. “Imagine if she had full control. She would buy a house, find she doesn’t like it, then buy another. Is that rational?” Another source jabbed, “Seven friggin houses? Who is she, Jeff Bezos?” referencing the billionaire Amazon founder known for his multiple properties.
This week, Paris intensified her accusations against the estate’s executors. In a fresh filing, she accused John Branca and John McClain of purposely delaying the probate process that governs her father’s assets until a court decides who manages them. Paris contends that while she and her brothers await their inheritance, the estate sits on over $460 million in cash that barely earns returns. Meanwhile, the executors have pocketed large compensation packages and funneled tens of millions into personal ventures.
Pointing to 2021 account records, she alleges Branca and McClain collected $8 million in executor fees and an additional $2 million that went to Branca’s law firm. Paris argues the non‑stop probate simply enriches the executors. Some fear a third‑party manipulation behind these moves. “Clearly, there are family members who have opposed this estate from the start, and some haven’t given up trying to upset the apple cart,” a close source told the Post.
The estate’s response was swift and forceful. “All beneficiaries are well taken care of … This is another misguided attempt by Paris’s attorneys to protect themselves,” a source close to the estate said. Paris also slammed the upcoming biopic “Michael,” accusing Branca of using estate money to produce a film—despite the executor’s lack of filmmaking experience—and of casting Miles Teller, an A‑list actor, to portray his father.
Though the trailer suggests the movie could become the highest‑grossing biopic ever, Paris’s lawyers maintain that the executives have earned more than $148 million in compensation through 2021 and are managing the estate—worth around $3 billion—like a private entertainment investment fund.
A long‑time associate reiterated, “Michael died with more than five hundred million dollars in debt. The estate cleared it and built a fortune. For Paris to turn on them now is shocking.” Another insider cautioned, “She’s stubborn, and she’s getting disastrous advice.” “Everyone wants her to stay in the light,” a longstanding family source said. “What they most fear is her slipping back into the shadows that nearly killed her.”
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