Paris Jackson explains why dad Michael made his children wear masks in public
Michael Jackson's life was heavily documented when he was alive, and just as much in death – but his efforts to protect his children have been revealed now that his daughter, Paris Jackson, has spoken out about his use of face coverings.
Jackson's penchant for facemasks isn't anything new, and he was regularly seen with some sort of accessory covering his mouth and nose.
According to his former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes, the singer, used them to court attention from the media.
He explained in an interview with Lee Matthews on an episode of his Elite podcast that it was all planned.
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"He knew how to play the media and keep relevant," Fiddes said. "The sticky tape and the tape on his nose and the makeup and the fedora and the mask and the sunglasses..."
"It was all staged," he said. "He wanted people to think his nose was falling off. It was allergy tape."
As for his use of face coverings on his children, Prince, 29, Paris, 28, and Bigi, 24, that was a big deal in the media at the time.
Everyone wanted to know who his kids were, what they looked like, and get a look into their personal lives.
But Paris says her dad wasn't having it and instead chose to conceal their faces to try to make sure they could live as normal a life as they could under the circumstances.
Paris revealed all to Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy's latest episode which aired yesterday (12 August).
Cooper asked her about her childhood and how she understood her father's motivations to cover her face.
She said: "Something so many people were obsessed with was how your dad would have you and your brothers wear masks and cover your faces when you'd go out in public...How did you make sense of that as a kid?"
Paris explained that it was easy for her to see where he was coming from with it, telling the host: "It just made sense because it was like if you do this now then you can go to Chuck E. Cheese and be normal this weekend because no one will know who you are."
"But it really p***** the press off," responded Cooper, to which Paris quipped: "What doesn't?"
Noting there may have been a sense of 'entitlement' to them as children, Paris said she 'always felt protected' as the family had 'security'.
When things would get 'crazy' with crowds trying to see their faces, she said she knew there was 'an adult you could grab onto'.
As for Jackson, Fiddes told Metro his own use of coverings and even face tape was to create a sense of 'mystery' instead of hiding his identity.
"He knew how to manipulate the media. He knew exactly how to get the front pages. He used to have a meeting as soon as he got to a [city]," he said.
"90 percent of the time it worked, by putting a mask on his face, or sticky tape on his hands – or tape on his nose was a favourite one. He would say he wanted his life to be the greatest mystery on Earth."
Topics: Michael Jackson, Celebrity
Britt Jones