‘Very negative’: Michael Jackson’s daughter shuts down judgment, makes it clear she’s nobody’s punching bag

Paris Jackson has spoken out about the negative reactions she received for booking a performance on the 16-year anniversary of her father Michael Jackson’s death.

She is scheduled to perform on June 25, the same date her father passed away in 2009. Michael Jackson was 50 years old when he died from a heart attack caused by a drug overdose. Some people criticized her for performing on this particular day, which led Jackson to explain her side of the situation.

Jackson made it clear that she has no say in the tour’s schedule as an opening act, specifically the first of three performers. She explained that the headlining act decides when and where the shows happen, meaning she doesn’t get to pick or avoid certain dates, even if they hold personal meaning. Since she is a supporting artist, these kinds of decisions are completely out of her control and are instead up to the main act, whom she referred to as the “big boss.”

She posted on an Instagram story, “So, people are mad again, one of the tour dates I’m supposed to be going out on tour with Incubus and Manchester Orchestra happens to be June 25, which is a very negative anniversary for me in my life and my family.”

Paris Jackson has less control over tour dates than people think

Additionally, Jackson talked about the realities of her role on the tour, pointing out that being a supporting act doesn’t come with special privileges or fancy arrangements. Unlike the main performers, she won’t have a tour bus. Instead, she’ll be traveling in a sprinter van, or as she put it, a “soccer mom van.” She also mentioned that her touring group will be very small, just herself, her acoustic guitar, and her sound engineer, music producer Justin Long, who is also her fiancé. This shows the less glamorous side of being an opening act and highlights her little control over the tour’s logistics.

Jackson also shared that she got the spot on the tour by reaching out herself. She asked to be added as an extra opening act for the Incubus tour, suggesting that she sees this as a favor from the band. This helps explain why she wouldn’t turn down any performance date, since doing so would go against how she earned the opportunity in the first place. Her response made it clear that refusing to perform on a certain day would not make sense, given how she got the gig.

“So, what I guess I have to explain to these people is that when you’re first of three, and you’re not headlining these shows, you don’t pick what date you perform or what time you go on stage to perform, or what city you perform in… This feels like [Incubus is] doing me a favor by bringing me out on tour… F*** you.” Jackson said.

Paris Jackson, who is now 27, described her past touring experiences as tough. Her current role as the first of three acts on the Incubus tour is just as demanding, proving that this isn’t a luxurious situation for her. She decided to address the criticism publicly to help people understand how big music tours work, especially for supporting artists. She wanted to make it clear that performing on June 25 wasn’t a choice she made without thinking about her father’s memory but rather something she had to accept because of the tour’s set schedule and her place in it.