Paris Jackson got candid about reconciling with her mother, Debbie Rowe, after the death of her father, Michael Jackson, in 2009. Michael married Debbie in November 1996 after meeting her at his dermatologist’s office, where she worked as a nurse.
They welcomed kids Prince and Paris together in 1997 and 1998, respectively, before divorcing in 2000. Debbie gave full custody of her kids to Michael, and largely remained out of their lives until Paris was 15.
Meeting Debbie
The 28-year-old shared on the Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday that she started asking questions about her biological mother in her tween years, before finally meeting her long after Michael’s death.
“You know, eventually, I remember kind of asking about it when I was probably around like 10 or 11, and the answers I got were sufficient to me,” Paris recalled.
© Getty Images“Just like, ‘Oh, like, what’s her name?’ And I got told her name, and I’m like, ‘All right, cool.’ I moved on, and we connected when I was about 15, and then really started getting closer towards the end of my teens.” The musician recounted the moment that she met Debbie for the first time, which was a surprisingly laid-back encounter.
“I remember coming downstairs, and she was in the living room with my grandma. I came in. I was just like, ‘Hey, Mom,’ and she was like, ‘Hi.’ I sat down. We talked for a second. Then we went out for the day and just hung out,” she said.
Building a strong bond
Paris shared that their relationship blossomed because there were no expectations about their parent-child dynamic.
“She’s a Sag[ittarius], so she’s got the fire. I’m an Aries, I got the fire… We’re very similar,” the “Breathe Again” singer said.
© Instagram“I think what’s really cool about my process, just in general, in all things, is learning how expectations kind of [expletive] us up, and if I walk into a relationship with expectations, [I’m] probably gonna end up being maybe disappointed or frustrated or irritated or resentment will be born or something, you know.”
“When I walk into something, and I don’t have expectations, it creates this really cool space for something organic to just blossom.”
Paris’ steadfast support for Debbie
© InstagramParis was by Debbie’s side during her breast cancer treatment in 2016, as the nurse shared with Entertainment Tonight.
“She’s my rock, she’s amazing,” Debbie explained. “She’s been with me the whole time. She was there. First phone call, [it] took her 30 seconds [to reach out] when she found out.” She added that Paris was her reason “to get out of bed and start each day with a smile”.
“For her to kiss my bald head, [her love] is pretty unconditional…I can’t tell you how much I love her. We go for sushi, we talk about music, and we text all the time.”
© Dave BenettParis is still close with Debbie, and shared a Mother’s Day tribute to her in May 2026. “Happy Mother’s Day to the lady they used for my template during the cloning process,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a snap of the pair.
Michael passed away in 2009 from a cardiac arrest caused by acute propofol intoxication. Paris was 11 at the time, while Prince was 12, and their younger brother, Bigi, who was born from an unknown surrogate, was seven.
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