Paris Jackson is speaking out against the disturbing trend of online trolls attacking her for not posting about her late father Michael Jackson on his birthday. The 25-year-old entertainer has faced cruel comments and even suggestions that she should take her own life for not acknowledging her father on social media.
Paris candidly revealed the hurtful messages she received and explained her father’s stance on birthday celebrations:
“When he was alive, he used to hate anybody acknowledging his birthday, wishing him a happy birthday, celebrating it, nothing like that. He actually didn’t want us to even know when his birthday was because he didn’t want us to throw a party.”
However, in today’s world, social media has become a way for people to express affection, which Paris acknowledged:
“Social media is apparently how people express their love and affection these days. If you don’t wish someone a happy birthday via social media, it apparently means that you don’t love them, you don’t care about them. There have been times where I don’t post anything for my dad’s birthday, and people lose their f-cking minds.”
Paris shared the disturbing extent of the online attacks:
“They tell me to kill myself. And they’re basically measuring my love for my own father based off of what I post on Instagram.”
To counter this narrative, she posted a video of herself performing on her father’s birthday. In the video, she expressed gratitude for the sacrifices he made for her:
“He put 50 years of blood, sweat and tears and love and passion into doing what he did, so that I could stand up here onstage in front of you and scream into a microphone, so I owe everything to him.”
The video was accompanied by a poignant caption:
“Please don’t use a man you have never met as an excuse to abuse, manipulate, and harass his daughter (who you also have never met).”
Paris’s candid revelations shed light on the toxic behavior that can be fueled by the anonymity of the online world. Her experience serves as a reminder that the digital realm should not be a platform for harassment or unwarranted judgments, especially in sensitive matters involving personal relationships and grief. It also emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding when engaging with others on social media.
