Daughter of the late Michael Jackson, Paris Jackson opened up about her battle with addiction and celebrated five years of being sober in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday.
The video came along with a heartfelt message, as Jackson shared her journey of overcoming alcoholism and heroin addiction.
“Hi, I’m PK, and I’m an alcoholic and a heroin addict,” she wrote. “Today marks 5 years clean & sober from all drugs and alcohol. To say that I’m thankful would be a poor euphemism. Gratitude hardly scratches the surface.”
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Jackson reflected on how sobriety has transformed her life: “It’s because I’m sober that I get to smile today. I get to make music. I get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. I get to feel heartbreak in all its glory. I get to grieve. I get to laugh. I get to dance. I get to trust.”
“I feel the sun on my skin and it’s warm. I’ve found that life keeps happening regardless of whether I’m sober or not, but today I get to show up for it,” she added.
She then introduced the accompanying video and wrote: “Here’s a little snapshot of what has been possible because of my sobriety, and my god I can’t believe I almost missed it all.”
The start of the video shows clips of Jackson during her struggles, and she can be seen drinking heavily, smoking, partying, and also crying.
It then transitions to happier moments, and shows her dancing with friends, performing on stage, and walking the red carpet at a Christian Louboutin event during Paris Fashion Week in 2023.
In other clips, she is seen rock climbing, meeting a baby bat, and spending time with her fiancé, music producer Justin Long.
Jackson also highlighted her collection of sobriety chips in the video, commemorating milestones such as one day, six months, one year, and five years of sobriety.
She revealed that her struggles with addiction came with mental health challenges, including several suicide attempts before she attended a therapeutic school in Utah.
“It was just self-hatred, low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore,” she said.
Jackson took a step back from work and social media for her well-being but reassured fans that she is in a good place.
“Yes, I’ve taken a break from work and social media and my phone because it can be too much sometimes, and everyone deserves a break,” she wrote. “But I am happy and healthy and feeling better than ever!”
