Blanket Jackson Is All Grown Up Now

The sudden death of Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop, on June 25, 2009, was devastating to his fans across the globe. His untimely passing not only brought sadness to those who loved his music, but it was incredibly heartbreaking to his children: Prince, Paris, and Bigi (formerly known as Blanket) Jackson.

Michael shared his two eldest children, Prince and Paris, with his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, while his youngest son, Bigi, was born via surrogate. And not unlike his older siblings, Bigi has gone on to pursue a career of his very own in the entertainment industry.

Although MJ fans may forever remember him as Blanket (we'll dive into his name change), the small child clutching a doll that resembled his late father during his memorial, but Bigi Jackson is all grown up now.  

On February 21, 2002, Michael Jackson welcomed his third child, Prince Michael Jackson II. Born via surrogate, he joined his older siblings: brother Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince, born in 1997, and sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, born in 1998. The youngest of Michael Jackson's three kids initially went by Blanket, a nickname that certainly took the world by storm. When asked about the unique moniker in an interview, MJ stated, "A blanket is a blessing. It's a way of showing love and caring."

One of the most memorable public moments of Blanket's life is still when he was introduced to the world at 9 months old. The "Thriller" singer was staying at a Berlin hotel when he decided to show fans a glimpse of his new son by dangling him over the railing of his fourth-floor hotel balcony. Although fans below cheered for Michael and Blanket, not everyone thought the moment was exactly the safest because Michael had held the baby with just one arm. As MTV reported, he later apologized via a statement from his lawyer, saying, "I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children." 

It was inevitable that paparazzi would do whatever they could to snap photos of the King of Pop's kids, but Michael Jackson wanted his three children to live as much of a normal life as possible. The Jackson children certainly had an unorthodox upbringing, and the singer was famously known for shielding Prince, Paris, and Blanket Jackson's faces with colorful masks when they were young. 

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2016, eldest child Prince said he was glad his father made them hide their faces. He and his siblings could easily step out publicly because Michael hid their identities so well. "My dad spoke to me like an adult," Prince shared. "He told us the reason for the masks was he wanted us to have our own life without him."

Paris would express the same sentiments. In her Facebook series, "Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn," she explained that her father, who became a star when he was a young boy, never had a normal childhood, and he didn't want that for his own kids. "We wore masks, and I appreciated it. It was nice because we were able to go to Chuck E. Cheese ... And we could be normal," she said.

Michael Jackson was 50 when he died of cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles in 2009. Blanket Jackson was only 7 years old at the time of his father's death, and he attended the legendary singer's memorial service that July with his siblings.

The memorial, which took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, was filled with celebrities, and nearly 20,000 people were in attendance. Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, and Lionel Richie sang tributes to Michael. Other celebrities, including Brooke Shields and Berry Gordy, gave eulogies. Several of the Jackson family members took the stage at the end of service, including Prince, Paris, and Blanket, the latter of whom was holding a Michael Jackson doll. 

According to a close friend of the Jacksons who spoke to People in 2017, Blanket "had the most problems adjusting after Michael died." The source continued, "He acted very lost and extremely upset."

After Michael Jackson's death, Blanket Jackson and his two siblings lived with their paternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson, who was granted custody of the children. Blanket lived away from the spotlight until he showed how much he'd grown in a 2012 interview for the documentary "Jacksonology: Our Story." At only 10 years old, Blanket was asked several questions about his dad and he offered a glimpse into what their dynamic was like.

When the interviewer asked Blanket his favorite memory with Michael, Blanket replied, "I have a lot of memories ... I liked having pillow fights and stuff. Those were fun." In addition, Blanket shared that his favorite of his father's songs is "Beat It." Asked what people should remember most about his father, Blanket said, "He helped a lot of people, and his music changed a lot of people. He did a lot of great things that helped the world." He also shared that his dad rarely played his music or movies for the family. "He was shy. And I'm kind of shy too," Blanket said before acknowledging that he's been told he resembles his late father.

Blanket Jackson may hear that he resembles his father, Michael Jackson, but he shed a small part of his iconic dad to be his own man when he decided to ditch his famous nickname. In 2015, Blanket changed his moniker after getting bullied because of it in school. The world now knows Blanket as Bigi Jackson.

In 2020, Bigi turned 18 and received special birthday shout-outs from his two siblings, Paris and Prince Jackson. In a since-deleted Instagram post, his sister, Paris, shared a series of childhood photos with a touching caption that read (via "Today"), "My little brother is a legal adult today. what the f***. I used to change his diapers. This is such a trip ... proud of the handsome, intelligent, insightful, funny, and kind young man he has become." Paris also included a tidbit about the fact that her brother is notoriously private, adding, "He likes his privacy so that's all I gotta say. hbd lil bro."

Prince also shared a birthday message on his Instagram Stories, which showed the siblings celebrating Bigi's birthday at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles. "Thank you @yamashirola and @chefvallerie for helping us celebrate Bigi's 18th bday!!" his post read.

In May 2019, Prince Jackson announced on his Instagram that he was launching a new YouTube channel where he would review the latest movies. Joining him for his first video to review the Marvel box office hit "Avengers: Endgame" were Bigi Jackson, their cousin Taj Jackson, and friend James Sutherland.

Up until this point, Bigi's public appearances were few and far between, but his involvement with Prince's podcast gave him a chance to show his personality to the world. If there's one thing that's clear, it's that he enjoys films and will gladly discuss his opinions on them. In the series debut, he appeared extremely comfortable in front of the camera, even chowing down on a piece of pizza. Bigi admitted to watching the Marvel movie three times to appreciate it. "Watching it the third time, I really realized, like, it's one of the few movies I could probably call perfect," he shared. 

On their Film Family YouTube channel, fans can watch several videos of both of MJ's sons reviewing movies and even sharing their top 10 movies of 2019. However, their movie reviews seemed to have stopped around the start of 2020.

Watching Bigi Jackson review movies was just a tiny sample of what appeared to be a bigger passion for film. His brother, Prince Jackson, would attest to this in 2019 when he spoke with Entertainment Tonight about just how big a movie buff Bigi is. "My brother has a really unique talent to be able to tell you, even a movie he hasn't seen, he'll tell you what year it came out. He knows the director, the staff, the crew, everybody behind it that you wouldn't know," Prince said. "He really thinks and studies about film in a different way that you would notice, and that comes with his upbringing with my dad encouraging him to study film."

In fact, Prince shared that he and his siblings had a film teacher when they were younger, and those teachings definitely stuck with Bigi. It was also Bigi who suggested he and his brother start a movie review series. As Prince told ET, "[I]t was really his idea, and he was championing behind it."

When Bigi Jackson turned 18, he moved out of his grandmother's home in Calabasas, California, and purchased a mansion in the same area. Bigi shelled out a whopping $2.6 million for the home. The 6,382-square-foot home is in a gated community, and it boasts six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and three fireplaces. There's also a big backyard and a large swimming pool.

Bigi's siblings have also scooped up some impressive digs in Southern California. In 2017, Prince Jackson purchased a home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, for $2.2 million. That same year, Paris Jackson, who has had a stunning transformation of her own, also moved out of their grandmother's house and purchased a $2 million home in Topanga, California. In 2022, she sold her first home and bought a Hollywood Hills cabin-like retreat for $3.8 million. 

In June 2026, Bigi reportedly put his Calabasas abode on the market. The property was listed just shy of $4 million. 

With each passing year, Bigi Jackson seems to be more comfortable in front of a camera. In 2021, he gave a rare interview for "Good Morning Britain," which was definitely out of the ordinary for Michael Jackson's youngest son. 

As Entertainment Tonight reported, Bigi took the interviewer to a room full of his late father's memorabilia. The iconic singer's son shared that he and his siblings were carrying on their father's musical legacy. Standing next to items like his late father's awards and the red jacket worn in the "Thriller" music video, he shared, "There's a lot of really cool stuff here. I think there's a lot of history in this house and studio here. And that's what he was all about, and that's just kind of what each of us want to do ... make things that people hopefully enjoy, but also can benefit their lives."

Bigi also touched on his passion regarding the subject of climate change, giving fans just another tidbit about the ever-so-private Jackson kid. In the same interview, he said, "I do think it's important that we all know about it, and I think we have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is."

Bigi Jackson has attended some pretty major events honoring Michael Jackson. In August 2023, he accompanied Prince Jackson and several other family members to Las Vegas to pay tribute on what would have been their father's 65th birthday. Sharing the entire experience in a YouTube video for Prince's channel, the brothers took in the Cirque du Soleil show "Michael Jackson ONE," and even met and took photos with fans of the King of Pop.

The following March, Bigi joined Prince and Paris Jackson in London for the preview night of "MJ: The Musical." All three siblings looked dapper, and Prince and Bigi wore black suits. The youngest sibling opted not to wear a tie, while Paris wore a beautiful rust-colored dress. That same month, paparazzi snapped photos of a 22-year-old Bigi in Los Angeles. Keeping it casual, he wore a "Star Wars" graphic T-shirt and athletic shorts.

A 10-year-old Bigi Jackson already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up, and no, it wasn't to follow in his father's footsteps. In his aforementioned interview for the documentary "Jacksonology: Our Story," he shared, "When I grow up, I want to be a director." He said his father even gave him his approval and told him to follow his dreams.  

Bigi has maintained a love for film, evident from his movie reviews on YouTube. He took that passion to the next level when he wrote and directed his first film, "Rochelles." An Instagram post about the short film's plot reads that the movie "revolves around two friends who find themselves at odds when a prestigious restaurant forces them into competition for a coveted position in the kitchen."

The film debuted at the 2024 Santa Monica Film Festival and won the best drama award. Prince Jackson attended the film festival to support Bigi. In his Instagram Stories (via E! News), Prince proudly shared, "Bro is killing it! ... Chasing dreams and winning awards."

Even though Bigi Jackson is not necessarily the most public-facing of Michael Jackson's three kids, the paparazzi have been known to try to keep tabs on him. In January 2026, Bigi simply went out to breakfast with a mystery brunette — who Hola! and the Daily Mail both described as his girlfriend. For the meal, both parties were dressed casually. She sported black leggings, a matching black tank, and a pair of Ugg boots, while he wore a Darth Vader T-shirt and a pair of white shorts. Seems safe to say he's a "Star Wars" fan.

As of this writing, Bigi has yet to publicly address the photos or provide any insight into who this mysterious woman may be. However, we can clearly see that Bigi is not lacking companionship. As reported by Time, nepo babies can have a difficult time making true friends, as many of their relationships can become transactional. As former People editor Landon Jones told the outlet, "Being the friend of a famous person buys you access." In this complicated climate, Bigi's ability to hang out in a casual environment — while keeping his companion's name out of the paper — is a major flex. 

In April 2026, Blanket Jackson traveled to Berlin to attend the local premiere of the biopic "Michael." Also present was Prince Jackson, Michael Jackson's oldest son. The brothers seemed really happy to spend time together at the red carpet event. They were photographed standing side-by-side, with their shoulders seemingly touching. Every once in a while, they would offer a soft smile.

During the red carpet portion of the event, Bigi and Prince posed for photographs with several original members of the Jackson 5: Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, and Jermaine Jackson. The evening was made all the more meaningful by the fact that Jermaine's son — and Bigi's cousin — Jafaar Jackson actually played Michael in the biopic.

However, what could have served as a full-blown family reunion in honor of Michael turned out to have a missing piece. Bigi's sister, Paris Jackson, decided not to attend in protest of the way Michael was portrayed. As reported by E! News, Paris explained her decision in her Instagram stories, writing, "I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest... they didn't address it." While Paris was uninterested in supporting the project, Bigi attended the premiere regardless.

It's normal for siblings not to agree on everything, but for Blanket Jackson, Paris Jackson, and Prince Jackson, things are really complicated. The handling of Michael Jackson's estate has torn the trio apart on occasion, with Prince fostering an openly positive relationship with the estate team and Paris filing lawsuits against the entity. Some sources have even wondered whether the siblings will ever be able to reach an agreement. In 2026, one insider even told Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice substack, "Michael spent his life protecting those children and keeping them united. Watching them turn on each other over estate issues is the last thing he would have wanted."

In the midst of this heated climate, Bigi has stood out for his solutions-driven approach to the conflict. In March 2026, Bigi and his lawyers reportedly drafted a proposal to help appease all sides. According to documents obtained by TMZ, he actually convinced both Prince and Paris to agree to the deal at one point, but Paris ultimately backed out at the 11th hour. While this was likely disappointing for Bigi and his team, the initial effort seemed to display Bigi's talent for peacemaking.

Moving forward, one can only hope that Bigi, Prince, and Paris find a way to put aside their differences. Per the aforementioned inside in the same report by Rob Shuter, "They're not sitting down and talking things through anymore." Whether that changes remains up to the trio.