Paris Jackson was branded ‘creepy’ for posting a tribute to her dead dad Michael Jackson – as he’d clearly been photoshopped into a family portrait.
She shared the re-touched snap in the early hours of Tuesday morning, adding no caption to the image. It shows her being hugged by mum Debbie Rowe while Michael, who died in June 2009, placed a tender hand on Paris’ shoulder and grinned into the camera.
The portrait would never have been shot like this, because Debbie and Michael were embroiled in a bitter custody battle over Paris and her brother Prince Michael after their divorce in 1999.
But when one friend said the image was “creepy AF”, Paris gave a heartbreaking response. “No i think it’s nice to dream about what it would be like to have parents, and to have it put into something i can see, even if it’s a fan made edit,” she wrote poignantly.
It’s not clear why Paris hinted that she has no mother, as Debbie is still alive – although their relationship has been strained over the years after Debbie voluntarily gave up her parental rights after the divorce.
She went back to court in 2004 to reverse the agreement after Michael was charged with 10 counts of child abuse – he was later acquitted after a high-profile trial – and was given just eight hours of contact with her children every 45 days.
She texted her mother “I love you”, according to reports at the time, and they planned to reconcile after Debbie’s surgery.
And in early 2017, things were looking up for the duo when Paris shared a snap of a bald Debbie grinning as she held up a sign reading: “Chemo done!”
“My badass mom, kickin butt n takin names. ain’t she f***in fabulous????” Paris captioned the sassy snap.
Debbie returned the love, telling Entertainment Tonight: “She’s my rock, she’s amazing. She’s been with me the whole time.