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Paris Jackson had already received much backlash for saying a few years ago that she identified as a Black woman. The claims have resurfaced on the internet now, inviting a fresh wave of reactions from fans.
Jackson first talked about her identity during a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, where she allegedly referred to herself as "biracial." To support her argument, she mentioned how Debbie Rowe, an American actress, is a white person but the African-American heritage from her father's (Michael Jackson's) side makes her biracial.
Paris is the second child of Debbie Rowe and the only daughter of late megastar Michael Jackson, who was African-American by birth and had darker skin in his early years. However, in 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, he talked about how his skin turned a shade of pale white because of a condition called Vitiligo. This condition made his appearance like that of a white man.
Paris Jackson elaborated on why she identified as a Black woman in a Rolling Stone interview
Paris Jackson's ethnicity has been questioned a lot over the years. She has followed her father's footsteps to become a singer and has made a name for herself as an actress in movies like Gringo and Habit.
In the aforementioned interview with Rolling Stone, Paris revealed what her late father taught her about her heritage and her reasoning behind calling herself a Black woman. Talking about Michael Jackson, she said:
"He would look me in the eyes and he’d point his finger at me and he’d be like, 'You’re black. Be proud of your roots.'"
She continued:
"And I’d be like, ‘OK, he’s my dad, why would he lie to me?' So I just believe what he told me. ‘Cause, to my knowledge, he’s never lied to me."
However, Paris Jackson did agree that she had lighter skin, and people often assumed she was white or that she was probably "from Finland or something." She then went on to point out that some other celebrities who are also biracial do look predominately white, like Wentworth Miller, who played Michael Scofield in Prison Break.
As per UNILAD, Miller's father is Black while his mother is white, making him biracial.
According to Ethnic Celebs, Paris's biological father was Michael's dermatologist Arnold Klein, who was Ashkenazi Jewish. However, there is no evidence yet for this claim.
On the other hand, Paris Jackson's mother, Debbie Rowe, has English ancestry despite being an American. In the book Bad: An Unprecedented Investigation Into the Michael Jackson Cover-Up by Dylan Howard, it was revealed that Paris took a DNA test that showed she was predominately of White European descent.
Netizens react to Paris calling herself a Black woman, some claim she is "fake woke"
There were varying reactions from fans when they came across articles about Paris Jackson claiming to be Black. Although a few agreed with her claims, others said she could be biracial only if Michael Jackson was her actual father. Meanwhile, some found the claims offensive and disagreed with Paris's statements and called her completely white.
Following the controversy, Wendy Williams, a media personality and talk show host, criticized Paris's comments. Going in depth of what it means to be a Black person, she said:
"I get that she considers herself Black and everything, but I’m just talking about the visual because you know… black is not what you call yourself, it’s what the cops see you when they got steel to your neck on the turnpike. It’s what they see. But that’s cute and good for her."
Paris Jackson also received much backlash and death threats for not wishing her late father on social media on his birthday (August 29, 2023). However, she clapped back in an Instagram story by showing a video of her at her concert wishing her father and also expressing gratitude to him for helping her achieve her dreams.
