Paris Jackson Fumes Over Worsening Family Crisis

Defiant, outspoken and defending her dad's legacy, the 14-year-old takes center stage

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Photo: Jeff Bottari/Getty

After the vicious Jackson family feud, Katherine Jackson stepped out with grandchildren, Prince, Paris and Blanket to attend the Jackson Brothers “Unity” tour in Saratoga, Calif.

While on stage last Friday, Marlon, Tito, Jackie and Jermaine took the opportunity to comment on the family drama.

“The Jackson family is one and we’re one family. And we will heal,” Jermaine said during the concert.

The past few weeks have been filled with struggle over Michael Jackson‘s estate, with TJ Jackson – Tito Jackson’s son – named temporary guardian of Michael’s three children.

Once hidden behind masks, the children are now taking center stage in this ugly family feud, Tweeting strong opinions and stepping out – most recently at the concert – they’ve also made clear their deep love for their grandmother, who seems to be pulled in different directions.

Dramatically entering the spotlight is Michael’s 14-year-old daughter Paris, who has relied on Twitter to express her mounting concerns.

“grandma’s here! #thankyougod,” Paris Tweeted early on the morning of July 26, thrilled that her grandmother, Katherine Jackson, 82, had finally returned to the family home in Calabasas, Calif. (She was later located in Arizona.)

But it was a single Tweet and a screenshot posted by Paris’s older brother, Prince, 15, that has caused an uproar. Before posting a screenshot of a text message with “Auntie Rebbie,” Austin and Janet Jackson, Prince wrote on July 26: “I have not been backing up my sister and her tweets avidly because I was waiting for the time to reveal my side. As long as I can remember my dad had repeatedly warned me of certain people and their ways.”

“Although I am happy my grandma was returned, after speaking with her I realized how misguided and how badly she was lied to. I m really angry and hurt. The following image is of a group chat I had started to several family members. This group text message I had initially sent was replied to but they didn t know that I could see the responses. For this whole time, we were denied contact to our grandmother. ‘If you continue with your lies I will continue with the truth’,” he wrote.

The screenshot of a text message between Prince and Janet reveals a strange exchange. “This is enough so I am texting you for the simple fact that WE DEMAND TO SPEAK TO MY GRANDMA NOW!!!” Prince wrote. A number saved as “Janet Jackson” replied, “Don’t let them pls.”

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey last June, Paris confessed that she didn’t always understand her father’s infamous overprotective nature, which forced the children to hide their faces in public, often behind masks.

“I was really confused. I didn’t get why I was wearing a mask, but I understand it now, why my dad would want [our faces] to be covered,” she told Winfrey. “Like when we went out without him, we wouldn’t be recognized. We could have a normal childhood.”

Asked if Michael thought his children could ever really have a “normal” childhood, Paris answered, “He had his doubts. He told us that when he was younger, he didn’t really have a childhood. He would always be stuck in a studio singing while other kids were out playing. And he wanted us to have that.”

The latest salvos follows the L.A. Sheriff’s department response to a family disturbance call on July 23 after Janet, Randy and Jermaine Jackson reportedly tried to take Michael Jackson‘s children Prince, Paris and Blanket out of the family compound after Katherine had been reported “missing.”

“They were trying to take Michael’s kids somewhere, but where I don’t know,” Katherine’s lawyer, Sandra L. Riberia, told PEOPLE. “But they were very much being the aggressors in the situation. It was frightening for the kids. These are their aunts and uncles whom they love. But they ambushed the kids. It was just a madhouse.”

Added Riberia: “The kids have made [pleas] to get in touch with [Katherine], but they’ve been given the run around. Katherine Jackson would not abandon those kids, not even for 24 hours. This is a highly irregular situation.”

Paris took to Twitter on July 24 voice her concern over her grandmother’s whereabouts. “9 days and counting so help me god I will make whoever did this pay,” she wrote.

During the family in-fighting, Paris has been virtually alone in defending her dad’s legacy, wearing a Michael Jackson T-shirt in her Twitter photo and blasting anyone who dared to dislike his song “Black or White.”

The previous day, E! News reported that Michael’s brother Tito, 58, was backing away from the Janet, Randy and Jermaine camp, saying he “didn’t want any part” of their claims against the estate (reputedly valued at $1 billion, and growing) and challenges to the validity of Michael’s will.

Katherine ‘Doing Great’

On July 24, Randy Jackson spoke about the recent events to the Rev. Al Sharpton on his MSNBC show PoliticsNation.

“Mother is doing great. She’s relaxing,” said Randy, 56, adding that Katherine’s doctor had advised her to “isolate” herself from the outside world, which lead to her Arizona trip.

Randy also explained his intentions for his July 23 visit to the family compound. Alongside Janet and Jermaine, Randy’s goal was to let Prince and Paris know they could speak with their grandmother at any time, but, he said, Michael’s three siblings were denied access by Katherine’s nephew, Trent, which resulted in a scuffle.

Randy also confirmed that he believes that Michael’s 2002 will is a fake, created by its executors John Branca and John McClain. He also accused Branca and McClain of calling attention to family disagreements and Katherine’s “disappearance” to distract from disputes about the will.

“They know that they’ve been caught, they know that they’ve falsified a document, and they know that there are questions that we want answered,” Randy said. “This family is united to right a wrong.”

Citing court rulings on the will’s validity, on July 17, Branca and McCalin released a statement that said, in part, they were “saddened that false and defamatory accusations grounded in stale Internet conspiracy theories are now being made by certain members of Michael s family whom he chose to leave out of his will.”

Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson appeared on Tuesday’s The Insider, with Marlon, 55, saying: “All I know is, there’s somebody who made the decision that my mother cannot talk to me, and whoever that person is, they’ve got to answer to me.”

Fueled by his emotions, he added: “I’m going to see my mother, and I’m going to bring her home.”

Additional reporting by CHAMP CLARK, JESSICA HERNDON and KEN LEE

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