Better get used to seeing more of Paris Jackson.
In a new cover story for the April issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 18-year-old daughter of the late Michael Jackson reveals her plans to own her fame. For her, it's not about being a celebrity; it's about using her platform for a purpose.
"It's a complicated answer," she told writer Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City) of her recent foray into acting, modeling, and songwriting. "It's a feeling of doing something important, that actually matters, that's going to impact people. Plenty of times I've thought of not doing anything in the public eye and having my own private life. Then I started seeing how everything in the world is going. And I feel like each year it's getting worse.
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"I know there are a lot of people who would feel feel very blessed to be in my position, so I want to use it for important things," Jackson, who posed for photographer Jean-Paul Goude in (where else?) Paris for her fashion shoot, added. "I have a couple of ideas. I have a lot of ideas, but I'm still trying to figure out the right way to do it. I mean, I'm 18. I can't have it all together, but I do have a plan."
Fresh off a stint on Star, Jackson has established herself as an advocate for women's rights. She has been vocal in her criticism of President Donald Trump, and told Bushnell she was "shocked" when the death of her father eight years ago left her exposed to the "real world."
"Not just because it was sexist, but misogynist and racist and cruel," she shared. "It was scary as hell. And it still is really scary."
Of course, it's hard to speak your mind without getting some opposition. Though online trolls used to torment her, Jackson said that she's now accepted that celebrity comes with criticism.
"You’re on their mind — how is that a bad thing?" she explained. "Doesn’t matter if they’re saying good or bad things about you. They’re thinking about you enough to write about you. You just can’t care… Not everybody is going to be happy with what you do. If you’re not happy with what you’re doing, that’s a problem. If you’re happy, who gives a fuck?”
Certainly not this gal.