Paris Jackson: Love, Loss, & Listening to Your Intuition

Early Life and Neverland Ranch [00:00:00]

• Paris Jackson discusses her upbringing, clarifying misconceptions about Neverland Ranch.
• She explains that the ranch's attractions were for underprivileged children, not for the family's personal use.

• "all of the attractions there were not for us that did not belong to us that was for you know underprivileged children and children that were terminally ill that couldn't go to like disneyland"

Astrology and Personal Identity [00:02:00]

• Jackson and Alex Cooper discuss astrology, with Jackson identifying as a double Leo (Sun and Rising).
• She explains that matching Sun and Rising signs means "what you see is what you get."

• "so i am an aries rising and an aries sun i well i have a stellium i think i have like five or six aries placements"

Full Moons and Rituals [00:04:00]

• The conversation touches on practices related to full moons, including past experiences with naked dancing and fire ceremonies.
• Jackson mentions trying various spiritual practices but not adhering to a strict monthly routine.

• "i had a photo taken off of instagram from like a full moon circle"

Saturn Returns and Life Shifts [00:05:00]

• Jackson is currently experiencing her Saturn return, which began around age 28.
• She notes that her Saturn return might be less dramatic due to significant life events that occurred earlier.

• "my saturn return might be one of the unremarkable ones just because of all of the calamity that happens earlier on"

Musical Roots and Michael Jackson [00:07:00]

• Music has been a constant in Jackson's life, influenced by The Beatles, classical music, and her father, Michael Jackson.
• She describes her earliest memories of music as being around her constantly, like asking a fish about water.

• "it's kind of like asking a dolphin or a any kind of fish like what was it like when you entered the water"

Childhood at Neverland [00:08:00]

• Jackson clarifies she only lived at Neverland for the first few years of her life and was homeschooled.
• The rules emphasized that attractions were for charity, not for the children living there.

• "it was made very very clear that all of the attractions there were not for us that did not belong to us"

Father-Daughter Bond [00:13:00]

• Jackson describes her father as a funny guy and her best friend.
• She acknowledges a special bond as the only daughter but notes her father made efforts to treat all his children equally.

• "i definitely was daddy's little princess"

Relationship with Mother [00:15:00]

• Jackson discusses her relationship with her mother, whom she met around age 15.
• She approached the reunion without expectations, which helped foster a natural connection.

• "when i walk into something and i don't have expectations it creates this really cool space for something organic to just be blossom"

Realizing Father's Fame [00:17:00]

• Jackson admits she didn't fully grasp her father's fame initially, not even knowing his name was Michael.
• She realized the extent of his fame through public reactions and security measures.

• "i just didn't understand the lengths"

Masks and Public Appearances [00:18:00]

• She explains the masks worn by her family were a form of protection to allow for "normal" activities.
• The press's reaction to the masks is discussed, with Jackson suggesting entitlement played a role.

• "it just made sense because it was like oh yeah if you do this now then you can go to chuck e cheese and be normal this weekend"

Dealing with Loss and Grief [00:21:00]

• Jackson reflects on her father's death at age 11 and speaking at his memorial.
• She describes using a "zoomed-out lens" to reframe difficult experiences as initiation points.

• "looking at like maybe these scary things that happened or these hardships that happened or whatever and looking for what were points of initiation"

Victim vs. Creator Mentality [00:22:00]

• The conversation explores the concept of victimhood versus being a creator, influenced by Ram Dass.
• Jackson emphasizes choosing not to live in victim mentality to maintain autonomy over one's life.

• "anytime we are identifying with kind of just like our human selves this is what i like this is what i don't like this is what how i spend my time this is you know my hobby this is a label that a family member or a friend or maybe some asshole online gave me we are in victim"

Speaking at the Memorial [00:25:00]

• Jackson recounts how she spontaneously spoke at her father's memorial when no one else stepped forward.
• She views this moment as an "energetic initiation."

• "it happened on stage where it was like uh they looked and they're like are one of the kids gonna say something and no one moved so i was like okay it we ball"

Gaining Social Skills and Growing Up Fast [00:26:00]

• After her father's death, Jackson moved in with her grandmother and had to quickly learn social skills.
• She acknowledges wanting to grow up fast, which may have contributed to poor choices in young adulthood.

• "i didn't have social skills i've i'd been hanging out with like cousins and my brothers and like adults so i didn't know how to interact with peers very well"

Addiction and Recovery Journey [00:28:00]

• Jackson discusses her addictive personality, which led to consuming relationships with various substances and activities.
• She has been in recovery for six years, focusing on building a healthy relationship with herself.

• "i will turn pilates into an addiction i will turn rock climbing into an addiction like i i am just constantly historically reached outside of myself to find things to change or manage how i'm feeling and thinking"

Early Substance Use and Secrecy [00:30:00]

• Her relationship with drugs and alcohol began around 8th or 9th grade, but a "reachiness" started much younger.
• She learned to hide her struggles, a common trait among those who cope through secrecy.

• "i think i think people that navigate through life managing that way tend to learn secrecy pretty well pretty quickly"

Realizing the Need for Help [00:32:00]

• Jackson realized she needed help after hearing progressively worse stories about her blackouts.
• She got sober in early 2020, finding a supportive community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• "i basically scared myself into getting help"

Impact of Sobriety on Relationships [00:35:00]

• Sobriety led Jackson to re-evaluate relationships, cutting ties with those who were not conducive to her recovery.
• She notes that adjusting her relationship with herself has positively impacted her friendships and family connections.

• "the people i was getting high with i probably shouldn't keep hanging out with them like my fucking drug dealer"

Songwriting Evolution [00:38:00]

• Jackson's songwriting has shifted from focusing on boys and heartbreak to exploring deeper themes like friendship and personal growth.
• She now prioritizes honest, specific lyrics over vagueness, believing her experiences can resonate more deeply.

• "i'm writing i wrote a song about a friendship breakup recently and i'm being more descriptive i'm i'm shying away from the vagueness that i used to"

"Zombies in Love" and Relationship Lessons [00:40:00]

• Her single "Zombies in Love" explores relationships built on shared pain and escapism.
• Getting sober was the primary focus after that relationship, teaching her about healing on her own.

• "we're trying on heroin so i don't think it's ever sustainable"

Post-Breakup Reset [00:41:00]

• After her last relationship, Jackson took a break from dating to focus on herself, avoiding casual flings.
• This period of intense self-focus was uncomfortable but ultimately led to a "full-blown reset."

• "i'm not even gonna go on a date i'm not gonna flirt i'm not gonna do prolonged eye contact for like x amount of months"

Ending an Engagement [00:43:00]

• Jackson called off her second engagement, emphasizing the courage it takes to end a relationship for personal happiness.
• She explains the "sunken cost fallacy" and the importance of not staying in a situation solely due to invested time.

• "just because someone is a good person doesn't mean they're my person"

Navigating Breakup Conversations [00:47:00]

• Jackson advises against tapering off relationships, finding no-contact to be more effective for healing.
• She suggests incorporating spiritual practices like prayer or meditation before difficult conversations.

• "honesty without causing harm which is it's very much a case by case"

Codependency and "Stitched" [00:49:00]

• Her song "Stitched" explores codependency, a theme Jackson has experienced deeply.
• She compares codependency to addiction and emphasizes the need for boundaries and self-focus.

• "it it it can be aligned in many ways with addiction"

Future Engagements and Happiness [00:51:00]

• When asked about future engagements, Jackson prefers to live day by day, focusing on her current happiness.
• She states, "I'm happy, that's all that's all I'm gonna say."

• "i realize that if i spend so much time thinking about what the next 10 15 20 30 years is going to look like i'll get there and i'll look back and be like damn i didn't enjoy where i was when i was there"

Self-Love and Intimacy [00:52:00]

• Jackson defines intimacy as safety, trust, and spiritual connection, moving beyond just physical attraction.
• She emphasizes the need for creativity, laughter, and genuine connection in relationships.

• "i need a laugh with someone that has all of the letters like my diagnoses that i do as well as like my addiction my cptsd and i just i need a laugh life's too serious"

Friendship as a Foundation [00:54:00]

• Jackson believes a strong foundation of friendship is crucial in romantic relationships.
• She has learned to set boundaries and understands that not all friendships should transition into romance.

• "there's got to be a best friendship there's got to be you know we got to enjoy just hanging out"

Handling Parental Legacy Pressure [00:56:00]

• She addresses the pressure of being Michael Jackson's daughter in the music industry, viewing comparisons as the "thief of joy."
• Jackson focuses on her own artistic choices and what feels authentic to her, rather than conforming to external expectations.

• "i'm doing what sounds good to me and feels right to me and if other people have expectations of well you should go this route or you should do this genre you should do this"

New Album Inspiration [00:58:00]

• The new album, releasing on her birthday, August 21st, is not a concept record but features diverse storytelling.
• It's inspired by her "freshman year" self, influenced by 90s grunge and alternative bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins.

• "this is for freshman year old p it is like freshman year moody love nirvana and like smashing pumpkins and pixies and marcy playground"

The Song "Sirens" [01:00:00]

• "Sirens" is the most emotional song on the album, written after a friend overdosed on drugs she provided.
• She reflects on the fight-or-flight response and the luck involved in the situation.

• "that was scary because in a situation like that you know even though i had experience with you know being a trained first responder when you go into fight or flight there's no it's a gamble of how your brain's gonna react"

Interventions and Personal Readiness [01:02:00]

• Jackson shares that interventions did not work for her but acknowledges they can plant seeds for future readiness.
• She emphasizes that personal readiness is key to overcoming addiction.

• "interventions suck dude interventions suck no one likes them"

Current Phase of Life: D Major [01:04:00]

• Jackson describes her current phase of life as being in "D major," symbolizing happiness.
• She is most proud of her relentlessness and willingness to keep going through hardships.

• "relentlessness keep on trucking man just keep on trucking just keep going"

Artistic and Personal Fullness [01:05:00]

• She discusses her shift from singing in her head register to her chest register, embracing a more abrasive and authentic sound.
• This evolution in her music mirrors her life philosophy of living in her "fullness."

• "i don't even consider myself a singer so i'm like just get it out do the thing be full yeah in my fullness"