Prince Jackson revealed his late father, Michael Jackson, spoke about the importance of putting family first while detailing the “close” bond he now has with siblings Paris Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Jackson II in a rare interview.
Prince, 24, who will be throwing an annual “Thriller Night” party at the iconic Hayvenhurst Estate in Los Angeles, California, shared new details about how he and his brother and sister formed a stronger relationship over the years during a Thursday, October 28, appearance on Good Morning Britain.
“When we were growing up, my father would say, ‘We could have nothing, but you look around in this room, your brother, your sister, and me, that’s all you’ll ever have,'” Prince shared about his upbringing on the daytime talk show, noting he adjusted quickly to fame. “That’s kind of all I knew.”
Prince was the first child born to Michael and his then-wife, Debbie Rowe, in February 1997, and the following year, Paris was born in April 1998. The former Jackson 5 performer welcomed a third child, Prince (a.k.a. Blanket), via surrogate in February 2002.
“Because I’m the oldest, my father would always tell me [that] I have to make sure that the group is taken care of and that I have to be the leader and lead by example,” Prince continued. “But, after his passing, and, kind of, us being thrown into the ‘real world,’ my siblings honestly — they picked up the slack that I unfortunately left behind.”
The “Billie Jean” hitmaker died back in June 2009 at the age of 50, and his kids have remained committed to doing all they can to honor his legacy going forward.
Now that all of them are getting older, they are each starting to appreciate the unique characteristics they have individually, Prince further explained.
“At this point in our lives, it doesn’t really feel like there’s that hierarchy of ‘I’m the older brother,'” Prince went on about Paris, 23, and Blanket, 19. “We’re all siblings and we’re kind of all on that same level where my sister has her strengths, and my brother has his strengths where I’m not as strong in certain areas. They complement me in that way.”
“Any moment I get to spend with my siblings now, especially as we’re getting older and our own lives are starting to kind of blossom and grow,” he concluded, revealing they try to reunite whenever possible. “Every moment that I get with them — any little family dinner, any little family outing — is really a special moment for me.”