Paris Jackson candidly admitted to struggling with heroin addiction as she celebrated five years of sobriety from drugs and alcohol in a recent social media post.
The 26-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson revealed in an emotional Instagram video on Tuesday that she once battled addiction with alcohol as well as the notorious drug.
‘Hi, I’m pk and I’m an alcoholic and a heroin addict,’ she captioned the clip, which included footage of the singer-songwriter breaking down in tears in the midst of her substance abuse.
‘Today marks 5 years clean & sober from all drugs and alcohol. To say that I’m thankful would be a poor euphemism. Gratitude hardly scratches the surface. It’s because I’m sober that I get to smile today,’ she continued.
‘I get to make music. I get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. I get to feel heartbreak in all it’s glory. I get to grieve. I get to laugh. I get to dance. I get to trust. I feel the sun on my skin and it’s warm. I’ve found that life keeps happening regardless of whether I’m sober or not, but today I get to show up for it.’
Jackson concluded the caption: ‘Here’s a little snapshot of what has been possible because of my sobriety, and my god I can’t believe I almost missed it all.’
In the Instagram video, the model – who is the oldest daughter of the King of Pop – was seen drinking from liquor bottles and smoking weed before she embarked on her sobriety journey.
At one point, an emotional Jackson broke down in tears on camera and was shown curled up in a ball, her hands covering her face. A friend attempted to comfort her by gently stroking her hair.
Paris Jackson pictured at a gas station in March 2019, less than one year after deciding to become sober

Jackson, pictured in May 2018, previously explained how several of her tattoos conceal both track marks from drug use and self-harm scars

The singer-songwriter poses wearing a ‘drug rug’ smock and lit cigarette in her mouth, the same month she shut down reports her family was ‘terrified’ about her alleged drug use
The footage then cut to Jackson’s first sobriety coin, followed by several other milestone coins she earned over the last five years and clips of Jackson appearing happy and healthy surrounded by friends.
However, that wasn’t always the case. Over the years, the California native has long denied speculation surrounding her past drug usage, despite marking the first date of her five-year sobriety journey as January 2020.
In fact, it seems that some members of her famous family were left completely in the dark when it came to Jackson’s private struggles with addiction.
An insider close to Janet Jackson, the younger sister of the ‘Thriller’ singer, exclusively told DailyMail.com the Grammy winner ‘had no idea that her niece Paris was battling addiction and was heartbroken when she found out with the rest of the world.’
‘They haven’t been particularly close in years, with Paris notably absent from some of Janet’s shows, but Janet hopes to be there for her this year,’ they added.
Jackson’s journey to sobriety was only complicated by feelings of depression and anxiety. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2017, the singer admitted she had attempted suicide at age 15 and was later hospitalized.
She described how several of her tattoos conceal both track marks from drug use and self-harm scars.
‘It was just self-hatred, low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore,’ she confessed.

Jackson seen with band-aids on her finger and thigh, two months after she entered rehab for her ’emotional health’

The model admitted she had attempted suicide ‘multiple times’ as young as age 15

Jackson previously claimed she was sober in a 2017 Rolling Stone interview, despite marking the first date of her five-year sobriety journey as January 2020
Jackson explained that she was sent to a therapeutic school in Utah her sophomore year and half of her junior year, which she said was ‘great’ for her.
‘I’m a completely different person,’ she said. ‘I was crazy. I was actually crazy. I was going through a lot of, like, teen angst. And I was also dealing with my depression and my anxiety without any help.’
Although Jackson told Rolling Stone she was ‘now sober and happier than she’s ever been,’ with menthol cigarettes as her remaining vice, it seems that didn’t last long as reports surfaced that Jackson had relapsed.
In November 2018, she took to social media to shut down a Radar Online report that claimed her famous family was ‘terrified’ that her alleged drug use would see her follow in her father’s footsteps.
In response, Jackson tweeted: ‘The @radar_online article made me nauseous. Not one word in it is true.’
She added: ‘I’m traveling and working constantly and I’m very happy. That article was just heartbreaking, I’m sick of bull — like this spreading like wildfire. Not to mention they made is [sic] seem like my father was an addict, which he most certainly WAS NOT.’
That same year, she denied reports she was returning to rehab after singer Demi Lovato was hospitalized in 2018 for a drug overdose.
‘Ummm no?? I haven’t gone to a clinic.. someone doesn’t have to almost die for me to know to be healthy, I’ve already had friends OD and die. That’s enough for me,’ she tweeted.

Jackson hit out at ‘exaggerating’ media reports about her past drug usage, calling the claims ‘heartbreaking’

An emotional Jackson broke down in tears on camera and was shown curled up in a ball, her hands covering her face

Jackson marked her five-year sober anniversary by sharing clips of herself crying amid her battle with addiction
Just two months later, however, Jackson reportedly checked herself into rehabilitation for emotional health.
In January 2019, one year before Jackson decided to become sober, a source told Entertainment Tonight the then 20-year-old was taking some time out to ‘reboot’ and ‘aid in her wellness plan’.
She ‘decided that she needed to take some time off to reboot, realign and prioritize her physical and emotional health,’ the source added.
Jackson later addressed reports she had checked herself into rehab by assuring fans everything was OK.
‘The media is exaggerating per usual,’ she wrote on social media at the time. ‘Yes I’ve taken a break from work and social media and my phone because it can be too much sometimes, and everyone deserves a break, but I am happy and healthy and feeling better than ever!’
Since becoming sober, Jackson has often opened up about her newfound lifestyle and shared how she intends to remain happy and healthy.
‘When I look in the mirror, I don’t hate what I see anymore,’ she said in SPIN magazine’s August 2022 cover story. ‘I try to treat myself kindly.’
‘I have some bad days where I’m not as kind to myself as I would like to be,’ Jackson explained. ‘I don’t do anything perfectly, but I try to progress daily.’

Most recently, Jackson appeared happy and healthy attending Jas Mathur and Michael Braun’s Golden Globes party on January 5 in Los Angeles

Jackson poses with her brothers Prince Jackson, 27, and Bigi ‘Blanket’ Jackson, 22, at a performance of MJ: The Musical in London on March 27, 2024

The musician announced her engagement to Justin Long in a December Instagram post. The couple are believed to have started dating in 2022
The singer attributed her sober lifestyle to taking up new hobbies and daily changes, such as rock climbing, going to therapy, and not smoking as many cigarettes as she was before.
Jackson also announced her engagement to bandmate Justin Long in December, sharing a sweet snap of the proposal and a montage of their time together on Instagram. While she did not specify when or where Long – nicknamed Blue – popped the question, she has been spotted wearing the ring back in September. The couple are believed to have started dating in 2022.
‘Happy birthday my sweet blue,’ she wrote in a birthday tribute announcing their engagement. ‘Doing life with you these last years has been an indescribable whirlwind and I couldn’t dream of anyone more perfect for me to do it all with. Thank you for letting me be yours. I love you. [sic]’
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