“Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much.” These words from 11-year-old Paris Jackson at Michael Jackson’s funeral showed the heartbreak of losing a father too soon.

For Paris, Prince, and Blanket, Michael wasn’t just the King of Pop—he was their loving dad. His death pushed them into the spotlight at a time when most children crave privacy. Suddenly, magazines and cameras chased them everywhere, searching for pieces of Michael in his kids.

This attention was the opposite of what Michael had worked for. He had shielded them carefully, often covering their faces in public to protect their anonymity. With his passing, that shield disappeared, leaving them exposed to a world’s fascination.

Paris stood out as a figure of sympathy and curiosity. Her emotional words at the funeral showed both her grief and her bond with her father.

In the years after, the Jackson children faced the hard task of coping with loss while dealing with fame they never asked for—a reminder that behind the spotlight, grief remains deeply personal.