Michael Jackson’s Son Prince Shares Pressure of ‘Big Shoes to Fill’

Michael Jackson’s son Prince Jackson got candid about the legacy of his dad in a rare interview.

“I come from a very rich family history, and those are some big shoes to fill,” Prince, 27, told Associated Press on Thursday, December 19. “I don’t know if I ever could. But I wear it with … it’s like a badge of honor.”

Prince noted that he and his siblings — sister Paris Jackson, 26, and brother Bigi Jackson, 22 — have held onto a piece of their late father in various ways.

“My siblings and I, we each kind of got a piece of him in different ways,” Prince said. “For me, it’s that philanthropic kind of giving back, and that’s where I’m really passionate about. I just hope the work that we do makes him proud.”

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Prince honored his father through cofounding the nonprofit Heal Los Angeles in 2016 while a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Ahead of the holidays, Prince hosted an event at a Mattel toy store on Tuesday allowing kids to load up on toys to take home.

“It warms my heart when we see the kids smile at the end of the day,” he said. “So, it’s really fun.”

Michael welcomed Prince and Paris with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, whom he was married to from 1996 to 1999. Son Bibi arrived via surrogate in 2002.

While reflecting on Michael’s legacy following the 15th anniversary of his death, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the “King of Pop” would be proud of where his kids are today. (Michael died at the age of 50 in 2009.)

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“Some people could let nepotism get to their heads, but they are the complete opposite of that,” the insider said, while a separate source noted that Prince “loves riding motorcycles and his charity work.”

While Prince has been dating college sweetheart Molly Schirmang for over seven years, he doesn’t have plans to tie the knot anytime soon.

“Molly doesn’t care about Prince’s fame or who his family is,” a third insider said in April, noting that Schirmang gets along well with Paris and Bigi. “They want the same things out of life and are taking each day as it comes.”

While balancing his relationship with Schirmang, Prince also has a close bond with his younger siblings.

“They are each other’s best friends and all stick together,” the second source said. “Michael would be so happy.”