Blanket Jackson Is All Grown Up Now
The sudden death of Michael Jackson, rightfully known as the King of Pop, on June 25, 2009, was devastating to his fans across the globe. His untimely passing not only brought sadness to those who loved his music, but it was incredibly heartbreaking to his then-three young children — Prince, Paris, and Bigi (formerly known as Blanket) Jackson.
Michael shared his two eldest children, Prince and Paris, with his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, while his youngest son, Bigi, was born via surrogate. Despite this, all three siblings have always been super close. They have all had their fair share of the spotlight since they were born, and to this day, they continue to honor their father's music legacy as young adults.
However, Bigi is famously known for leading a much more normal and secluded life than his two siblings. Prince is active on social media and has his own YouTube channel. Paris is a singer and a model who regularly makes red carpet appearances. Despite living a life away from the spotlight, it's hard for Bigi to escape just how eerie his resemblance to his late father is today. Although M.J. fans may forever remember Bigi as Blanket (we'll dive in on his name change) and the heart-rending small child clutching a doll that resembled his late father during his memorial, Bigi is all grown up now.
Bigi Jackson's introduction to the world caused massive controversy
On February 21, 2002, Michael Jackson welcomed his third son, Prince Michael Jackson II. Born through a surrogate, he joined his older siblings: brother Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince, born in 1997, and sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, born in 1998. However, he would officially go by Blanket Jackson, with M.J. revealing why he chose the unique nickname in an interview: "A blanket is a blessing. It's a way of showing love and caring."
One of the most memorable public moments of Blanket's life is still when he was introduced to the world at 9 months old. The "Thriller" singer was staying at a Berlin hotel when he decided to show fans a glimpse of his new son by dangling him over the railing of his fourth-floor hotel balcony. Although fans below cheered for Michael and Blanket, not everyone thought the moment was exactly the safest because Michael had held the baby with just one arm. As MTV reported, he later apologized via a statement from his lawyer, saying, "I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children."
He and his siblings famously wore masks as children
It was inevitable that paparazzi would do whatever they could to snap photos of the King of Pop's kids, but Michael Jackson wanted his three children to live as much of a normal life as possible. The Jackson children certainly had an unorthodox upbringing, and the singer was famously known for shielding Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson's faces with colorful masks when they were young.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Prince said he was glad his father made them hide their faces. He and his siblings could easily step out publicly because Michael hid their identities so well. "My dad spoke to me like an adult. He told us the reason for the masks was he wanted us to have our own life without him."
Paris would share the same sentiments. In her Facebook series, "Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn," she explained that her father's life would never have been like the average kid's because of his immense popularity as a young boy with the Jackson 5. He wasn't going to allow that to happen to his children. "We wore masks, and I appreciated it. It was nice because we were able to go to Chuck E. Cheese ... And we could be normal."
Blanket Jackson was only 7 when his father died
Michael Jackson was 50 when he died of cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles in 2009. Blanket Jackson was only 7 years old at the time of his father's death, and fans across the world got to see a young version of M.J. in Blanket during the legendary singer's memorial service that July.
The memorial, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was filled with celebrities, and nearly 20,000 people were in attendance. Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and Lionel Richie sang tributes to Michael. Other celebrities, including Brooke Shields and Berry Gordy, gave eulogies. Several of the Jackson family members took the stage at the end of service, including Prince, Paris, and Blanket, who was holding a Michael Jackson doll.
According to a close friend of the Jacksons who spoke to People in 2017, Blanket was the most affected by the death of his father. Blanket "has had the most problems adjusting after Michael died," the source shared, adding that he "acted very lost and extremely upset."
He shares a sense of humility with his late father
After Michael Jackson's death, Blanket Jackson and his two siblings lived with their grandmother, Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, who was granted custody of the children. Blanket lived away from the spotlight until he showed how much he'd grown in a 2012 interview for the documentary "Jacksonology: Our Story." At only 10 years old, Blanket was asked several questions about his dad, but his humbleness and staggering appearance to the late legendary singer stood out the most.
When the interviewer asked Blanket his favorite memory with Michael, Blanket replied, "I have a lot of memories ... I liked having pillow fights and stuff. Those were fun." In addition, Blanket shared that his favorite of his father's songs is "Beat It." Asked what people should remember most about his father, Blanket said, "He helped a lot of people, and his music changed a lot of people. He did a lot of great things that helped the world."
Timid and down-to-earth, it's safe to say that he's definitely Michael's son.
From Blanket to Bigi
Blanket Jackson may constantly hear that he strongly resembles his father, Michael Jackson, but he shed a small part of his iconic dad to be his own man when he decided to ditch his famous nickname. At 15, Blanket changed his famous moniker after getting bullied because of it in school. The world now knows Blanket as Bigi Jackson.
In 2020, Bigi turned 18 and received special birthday shout-outs from his two siblings, Paris and Prince Jackson. In a since-deleted Instagram post, his sister, Paris, shared a series of childhood photos with a touching caption that read (via "Today"), "My little brother is a legal adult today. what the f***. I used to change his diapers. This is such a trip ... proud of the handsome, intelligent, insightful, funny, and kind young man he has become." Paris also included a tidbit about the fact that her brother is notoriously private, adding, "He likes his privacy so that's all I gotta say. hbd lil bro."
Prince also shared a birthday message on his Instagram Stories, which showed the siblings celebrating Bigi's birthday at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles. "Thank you @yamashirola and @chefvallerie for helping us celebrate Bigi's 18th bday!!" His post read.
He had a short stint as a movie reviewer
In May 2019, Prince Jackson announced on his Instagram that he was launching a new YouTube channel where he would review the latest movies. Joining him for his first video to review the Marvel box office hit "Avengers: Endgame" were Bigi Jackson, their cousin Taj Jackson, and friend James Sutherland.
Seeing Bigi in a public setting had become rare, but having him on Prince's latest venture proved that he enjoyed films and would gladly discuss his opinions on them. In the series debut, he appeared extremely comfortable in front of the camera, even chowing down on a piece of pizza. Bigi admitted to watching the Marvel movie three times to appreciate it. "Watching it the third time, I really realized, like, it's one of the few movies I could probably call perfect," he shared.
On their Film Family YouTube channel, fans can watch several videos of both men reviewing movies and even sharing their top 10 movies of 2019. However, their movie reviews appeared to end around the start of 2020.
Bigi Jackson is a huge movie buff
Watching Bigi Jackson review movies was just a tiny sample of what appeared to be a bigger passion for film. His brother Prince Jackson would attest to this in 2019 when he spoke with Entertainment Tonight about just how big a movie buff Bigi is. "My brother has a really unique talent to be able to tell you, even a movie he hasn't seen, he'll tell you what year it came out. He knows the director, the staff, the crew, everybody behind it that you wouldn't know," Prince said. He added, "He really thinks and studies about film in a different way that you would notice, and that comes with his upbringing with my dad encouraging him to study film."
In fact, Prince shared that he and his siblings had a film teacher when they were younger, and those teachings definitely stuck with Bigi. It was also Bigi who suggested he and his brother start a movie review series. As Prince told ET, "[I]t was really his idea, and he was championing behind it."
At 18, he purchased a $2 million home in California
When Bigi Jackson turned 18, he moved out of his grandmother's home in Calabasas, California, and purchased his first mansion. Situated in the same neighborhood so he's not too far from Katherine Jackson, Bigi bought a sprawling $2.6 million home.
The 6,382-square-foot home is in a gated community, with security monitoring the neighborhood 24/7. Of course, this makes plenty of sense, as Bigi's neighbors are Dr. Dre and John Travolta. The city of Calabasas is also home to the Kardashian/Jenner family. The mansion features six bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, and three fireplaces. In addition, Bigi can hang out with his family and friends in the backyard by his large swimming pool.
Thankfully, Bigi's siblings don't live too far from his new pad. In 2017, Prince Jackson purchased a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, for $2.2 million. That same year, Paris Jackson also moved out of their grandmother's house and purchased a $2 million home in Topanga, California. In 2022, she sold her first home and bought a Hollywood Hills cabin-like retreat for $3.8 million.
Bigi Jackson looked just like his famous father while giving a tour of an MJ memorabilia display
As Bigi Jackson grew older, he appeared more comfortable in front of a camera. In 2021, he gave a rare interview for "Good Morning Britain," which was definitely out of the ordinary for Michael Jackson's youngest son.
As Entertainment Tonight reported, Bigi took the interviewer to a roomful of his late father's memorabilia. The iconic singer's son shared that he and his siblings were carrying on their father's musical legacy. Standing next to items like his late father's awards and the red jacket worn in the "Thriller" music video, he shared, "There's a lot of really cool stuff here. I think there's a lot of history in this house and studio here. And that's what he was all about, and that's just kind of what each of us want to do ... make things that people hopefully enjoy, but also can benefit their lives."
Bigi also shared his passion for climate change, giving fans just another tidbit about the ever-so-private Jackson. In the same interview, he said, "I do think it's important that we all know about it, and I think we have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is."
He's making more public appearances as an adult
Now in his 20s, Bigi Jackson is undoubtedly making himself known. Like his siblings Prince and Paris Jackson, who have honored their father since his death, Bigi seems to be doing the same. In August 2023, he accompanied Prince and several family members to Las Vegas to pay tribute on what would have been their father's 65th birthday. Sharing the entire experience in a YouTube video for Prince's channel, the brothers took in the famous Cirque du Soleil show "Michael Jackson ONE," and even met and took photos with fans of Michael's.
In March 2024, Bigi publicly showcased his love for his dad by joining Prince and Paris in London for the preview night of "MJ: The Musical." All three siblings looked dapper, and Prince and Bigi wore black suits. The youngest sibling opted not to wear a tie, while Paris wore a beautiful rust-colored dress. That same month, paparazzi were able to snag photos of a now 22-year-old Bigi in Los Angeles. Keeping it casual, he wore a "Star Wars" graphic T-shirt and athletic shorts.
A movie director in the making
A 10-year-old Bigi Jackson already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up, and no, it wasn't to follow in his father's footsteps. During his interview for the documentary "Jacksonology: Our Story," he shared, "When I grow up, I want to be a director." His father even gave him his approval and told him to follow his dreams.
Bigi has maintained a love for film, evident from his movie reviews on YouTube. He took that passion to the next level when he wrote and directed his first film, "Rochelles." An Instagram post about the short film's plot reads that the movie "revolves around two friends who find themselves at odds when a prestigious restaurant forces them into competition for a coveted position in the kitchen."
The film debuted at the 2024 Santa Monica Film Festival and won the best drama award. Prince Jackson attended the film festival to support Bigi. In his Instagram Stories (via E! News), Prince proudly shared, "Bro is killing it!" Adding, "Chasing dreams and winning awards."
Bigi Jackson is in a legal dispute with his grandmother
The Jackson family is extremely close, but it appears that money can tear any family apart, especially when it involves hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to TMZ, Bigi Jackson and his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, were trying to stop the executors of Michael Jackson's estate from making an unknown business deal, which the news outlet believed to be the sale of half of the King of Pop's music catalog to Sony for a whopping $600 million. However, a judge sided with the executors, and the case appeared to be settled.
Katherine decided to appeal the judge's ruling, but Bigi and his siblings wanted nothing to do with it, accepting the judge's decision. Instead, M.J.'s youngest son planned to stop his grandmother from using the estate's money to pay her legal bills, which would fund the appeal. Billboard reported that the executors estimated it could be over half a million dollars. Bigi doesn't see his grandmother winning the appeal, with his lawyer stating, "It is readily apparent that a reversal on appeal would be an extreme longshot."
Hopefully, the family can come to a resolution.