Michael Jackson's eldest son, Prince Jackson, has described his late father as 'childlike' and an 'awesome' dad. The 29-year-old, who serves as a producer on the new Michael biopic about the Billie Jean hitmaker, shared intimate details of his upbringing with the eccentric superstar during an appearance on Channel Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.
A Magical Childhood at Neverland
'As I've gotten older, I've learned that a lot of what I think is normal life is not normal life,' the philanthropist admitted. 'Growing up at Neverland with my siblings and my father, for us, it was hanging out together as a family, but with the backdrop of elephants and giraffes walking in the background.' He added, 'We spent a lot of time playing board games together, reading books, watching movies. It truly was, and is, magical. It felt like your own personal Disneyland.'
Michael's Parenting Style
Describing Michael's parenting as 'awesome', Prince gushed that his notoriously reclusive dad was 'really fun to just spend time with'. 'I would love to have kids and, you know, take notes on what he did as a father, but he was always on our level in a way,' he said. Prince revealed that Michael encouraged others to speak to his children as 'adults' and enjoyed playing practical jokes. 'But when he played with us, he played with us. You know, he got down, and he was playing with the toys and making up stories... He just had a very childlike nature that was so much fun, always playing pranks on people and stuff.'
The Thriller Prank
Michael's pranks often involved his children. Prince recalled being shown the notoriously graphic 'Thriller' music video, known for its elaborate makeup effects. '[We were] terrified,' Prince said, adding, 'He told us that it was real, like it wasn't special effects or anything like that.'
Privacy and Isolation
Prince also addressed his father's passion for privacy. He said he never felt 'isolated' by the heavy security because Michael explained why it was necessary. 'I understand why we had to live the way that we did. And I also see a lot of effort that was put to kind of mitigate that isolation,' he explained. 'I grew up in a big family, and so I have 40 plus cousins, and I see them as my siblings and my friends. And so I never felt lonely. But definitely a unique way to grow up.'
Family Background
Michael Jackson died in 2009. He fathered two children with his second wife, Debbie Rowe, an American nurse whom he married in Sydney in 1996. After Prince was born in 1997, named after his father Michael Joseph Jackson, the couple welcomed a daughter, Paris Jackson, the following year. After Rowe divorced Michael in 2000, the megastar assumed custody of both children.
The New Biopic
The new Michael Jackson movie has won favour at the world box office, earning over AU$300 million in its first weekend. Featuring Prince's cousin, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role, the film is a rags-to-riches story tracing the bestselling performer's journey from humble beginnings to the world's biggest star. Endorsed by the Jackson estate, the film does not address Michael's headline-making child sexual abuse allegations. After being taken to court in 2005 by Gavin Arvizo, who accused him of molesting him, the star was acquitted.
