Paris Jackson has said it is "not my role" to publicly defend her father Michael against allegations of abuse. The 20-year-old model spoke out a week after the broadcast of Leaving Neverland, a documentary in which two men accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children.
"There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said in regards to defence," she wrote on Twitter. She added that she supports her family's efforts to clear his name. Paris spoke out after being followed by paparazzi in New Orleans on Thursday.
A fan suggested she was being hounded because people wanted to hear her views on the documentary. In response, she praised her second cousin Taj Jackson, who has led a media campaign against the film and is crowdfunding a rival project. "Taj is doing a perfect job," said Paris. "I support him but that's not my role."
Paris, the second of Michael Jackson's three children, had previously told fans to "chillax", "calm down" and "smoke some weed" instead of getting upset over the allegations. She told one person on Twitter: "Do you really think that it's possible to tear his name down? Do you truly believe they stand a chance?"
Leaving Neverland tells the stories of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who were befriended by Jackson as children and say he subjected them to years of abuse. The Michael Jackson estate has hit back at the allegations, branding both accusers "perjurers" and "admitted liars".
However, many have been swayed by their testimony. Radio stations in Australia and Canada have blacklisted Jackson's songs, The Simpsons creators have pulled an episode featuring the star, and fashion label Louis Vuitton has removed Michael Jackson-themed clothes from a new collection.
