Michael Jackson's daughter Paris talks fame and family in rare interview
Calabasas, California - Paris Jackson sat down with Willow Smith for a candid interview about loss, identity, and music.
On Wednesday, Paris chatted with the youngest of the Smith family for a rare interview.
Willow is one of the three hosts on Red Table Talk.
Normally, the I Am Legend actor is joined by her mother, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and her grandmother, aka "Gammy" Adrienne Banfield-Norris.
During their one-on-one conversation, Paris and Willow revealed they have quite a lot in common, which led to their years-long friendship, and they also touched on how hard it was being the children of famous parents.
Paris, in particular, has struggled with scrutiny of fame and the paparazzi following the sudden death of her father, Michael Jackson, when she was just 11 years old.
The traumatic experiences led the daughter of the late pop star to deal with depression on various levels. Paris shared that music saved her life and that she believed her father would proud of her.
However, she still feels the heavy burden of her father's star status.
Willow & Paris' Jam Session
"I feel like it's still there, probably there somewhere in the back of my head," Paris said of the pressure.
"But the louder thing that competes is I feel like my dad would be proud," she continued.
Paris also clarified that she is still very close with her father's family. For years, it was rumored the budding artist didn't speak to her extended family. However, she did express that coming out to them was "very tough" because of their religious background.
"My family is very religious and homosexuality is just very taboo and they don’t like to talk about it. It’s not really accepted," she revealed. "I’ve gotten to a point where I respect them and I have a love for them… I respect their beliefs. I respect their religion."
The friends ended the interview with a recording session, as Willow is a musician herself.
Speaking of which, the host just teamed up with Avril Lavigne for a new song, for which the two were spotted shooting a music video.
Music runs in Willow's family: her mother has her own rock band, Wicked Wisdom, and was best friends with the late Tupac Shakur.
Cover photo: screenshot/instagra/parisjackson & willowsmith