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Blanket speaks out for the first time since his father Michael Jackson's death and tells how growing up on Neverland ranch was like 'living at a zoo'
Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael have all spoken in a new documentary about their father Michael Jackson
Last time Blanket was seen publicly was at his father's 2009 funeral
Now Joe Jackson thinks Blanket will be an even bigger star than Michael- after hearing a premonition from a fortune teller
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 10:02 EST, 16 December 2013 | UPDATED: 12:14 EST, 16 December 2013
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Paris Jackson and her brother Prince Michael have spoken out publicly a number of times since their father died but now their youngest brother Blanket has joined them.
Blanket, who is now 11 years old, took part in a pay-per-view documentary called Remembering Our Michael that their grandmother Katherine Jackson helped create where the children are shown talking about their father.
During his segments, Blanket described his passion for animals which stems from his early life surrounded by exotic creatures at Neverland Ranch.
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His father's legacy: Prince Michael II, known by his nickname Blanket, spoke about how his early introduction to exotic animals prompted his interest in Africa and endangered species
His father's legacy: Prince Michael II, known by his nickname Blanket, spoke about how his early introduction to exotic animals prompted his interest in Africa and endangered species
Blanket speaks for first time since father's death in SNEAK PEEK
'We lived in kind of like a zoo basically- (there were) giraffes, lions,' Blanket said.
'You probably heard of it but yeah we had a chimp named Bubbles,' he said of the singer's famous chimpanzee.
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That exposure to African animals has apparently prompted an interest in their homeland as he apparently wants to help put an end to poaching.
'I just want to help Africa because that's a very poor continent,' Blanket said.
The last time we saw him: Blanket kept his face covered at his father's 2009 funeral
The last time we saw him: Blanket kept his face covered at his father's 2009 funeral
'There's a lot of animals being killed by poachers and stuff so I want to help endangered species of animals.'
Michael's father estranged father Joe Jackson was included in the documentary. Michael had spoken out about how his father abused him as a child and would regularly whip him during rehearsals, though he credited that incessant work ethic as the reason why he was so successful.
Now Joe appears to have his eyes set on another member of the Jackson family as being bound for stardom, saying in the documentary that he was told by a fortune teller that Blanket is bound for greatness.
'They said there would never be another Michael Jackson and I say we already have one. I said he just has to be trained. That kid is the spitting image of Michael when he was smaller,' Joe Jackson said.
Tuning in remotely: Paris Jackson is now living at a therapeutic boarding school in Utah after being hospitalized following a suicide attempt two years after her father's death
The eldest: Prince Michael I, who goes by Prince, is now 16-years-old
Tuning in remotely: Paris Jackson (left) is now living at a therapeutic boarding school in Utah after being hospitalized following a suicide attempt two years after her father's death. Prince (right) is now 16-years-old
The wedding: Michael Jackson married his nurse Debbie Rowe when she was six months pregnant with his son Prince Michael I (seen here at their 1996 wedding), and the couple went on to have daughter Paris a year later
The wedding: Michael Jackson married his nurse Debbie Rowe when she was six months pregnant with his son Prince Michael I (seen here at their 1996 wedding), and the couple went on to have daughter Paris a year later
'(The fortune teller) said that boy there is going to be the biggest entertainer in the world.'
Blanket has expressed an interest in his father's career path, recalling how he had an early interest in his dad's skills.
Bizarre: The promotional poster for the documentary shows Michael serving his children pancakes
Bizarre: The promotional poster for the documentary shows Michael serving his children pancakes
'Sometimes I would go in his room and watch videos of him dancing,' Blanket said.
His older sister Paris acknowledged that their unusual upbringing may have had it's own set of drawbacks.
'We didn't know a lot of kids our age. We were more secluded, we never really left the ranch that often,' she said of their life before Michael's 2009 death.
She defended his decision to keep the children in a world of their own, saying: 'There are a lot of bad people out there ... (but he) always wanted a taste normal life.'
Paris has had the most trouble publicly since her father's death, as she was hospitalized following a suicide attempt when she slit her wrist and took pills.
She has since reunited with her biological mother, Debbie Rowe, who said that Paris was having trouble connecting with her younger brother and her grandmother following Michael's death.
Paris is currently getting treatment at a therapeutic boarding school in Utah, though she was still able to participate in the making of the documentary.
'He promised he would teach me how to moonwalk- never got around to it,' she said of her father's signature dance move.
'I really hope his legacy lives on forever. I will never forget him ever. He was amazing.'
Prince Michael is Jackson's eldest son with Rowe, who he met because she worked as his dermatologist's assistant.
Rowe and Jackson married when she was six months pregnant with Prince, and they went on to have Paris a year later.
The couple split a year later and Jackson was awarded full custody of the children.
Concern: Blanket said that he wants to help stop the damage done by poachers in Africa
Concern: Blanket said that he wants to help stop the damage done by poachers in Africa
Animal lover: Michael made headlines when he bought 'Bubbles' the chimpanzee in 1987
Animal lover: Michael made headlines when he bought 'Bubbles' the chimpanzee in 1987
In 2002, Blanket was born via artificial insemination and his surrogate mother's identity remains a secret.
Prince Michael, who is now 16, spoke the most lovingly about his father, saying that he had no idea who his father really was until he was about six years old because he just knew him as daddy.
'He wanted us to always be what we wanted to be, just be greater at it than anyone else had ever been,' Prince Michael said.
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Remembering dad: Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket share emotional insights into life with Michael Jackson in new documentary
By JASON CHESTER
PUBLISHED: 04:21 EST, 16 December 2013 | UPDATED: 05:42 EST, 16 December 2013
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Michael Jackson’s three children have opened up about the devastating repercussions following his sudden death and their struggle to cope without their father in an intimate new film.
Forthcoming documentary Remembering Michael Jackson will be a candid account of the family’s personal struggle to deal with the void left by the pop legend’s passing at a rented Los Angeles home in June 2009.
The film will see all three children – Prince Michael, Paris and Prince Michael II, commonly referred to as Blanket – open up about life without Michael and share a series of never before heard stories about the reclusive star.
Opening up: (L-R) Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael have shared intimate memories of their father in new documentary film Remembering Michael Jackson
Opening up: (L-R) Blanket, Paris and Prince Michael have shared intimate memories of their father in new documentary film Remembering Michael Jackson
Paris was filmed giving her account just weeks before she attempted to take her own life at the Jackson family estate.
Speaking wistfully of her father, she admits he died before he could fulfill a promise he made to her.
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She said: ‘He promised he would teach me how to moonwalk but never got around to it. I really hope his legacy lives on forever. I will never forget him ever. He was amazing.’
Paris also opened up about their detached lifestyle on Neverland Ranchl, admitting: ‘We didn’t know a lot of kids our own age. We never left the ranch that often.’
Memories: Paris says her father died before he could teach how to moonwalk, while Prince Michael reveals he didn't know his father's name until he was six
Memories: Paris says her father died before he could teach how to moonwalk, while Prince Michael reveals he didn't know his father's name until he was six
Memories: Paris says her father died before he could teach how to moonwalk, while Prince Michael reveals he didn't know his father's name until he was six
Looking back: Blanket recalls the menagerie of pets his father owned, amongst them chimp Bubbles
Looking back: Blanket recalls the menagerie of pets his father owned, amongst them chimp Bubbles
But while they rarely left the ranch, which was sold in 2005, younger brother Blanket has fond memories of his time on the sprawling California estate.
‘He had like a zoo, basically. He had giraffes, lions. He had alligators and snakes,’ he recalled. ‘You probably heard of it, but he had a chimp named Bubbles.’
In one of the film’s more stunning revelations, Prince Michael, 16, admits his father didn’t tell him his real name until he was six.
He said: ‘He never really wanted to tell us who he is as a person. It took me until I was six-years old to learn his name was Michael Jackson – he was always daddy to me and that was it.’
A veil of secrecy: Michael was fiercely protective of his children's privacy
A veil of secrecy: Michael was fiercely protective of his children's privacy
All three children are keen to work in the entertainment industry, with Paris – currently residing in a Utah treatment facility following her suicide attempt – hoping to become an actress.
But while grandfather Joe admits it’s ‘a lot more work than she thinks it is,’ he believes Blanket has the potential to follow in their father’s footsteps.
‘They said there would never be another Michael Jackson and I say that we already have one,’ he said. ‘But I said he just has to be trained. That kid is the spitting image of Michael when he was smaller.’
Funding: Family matriarch Katherine Jackson has funded the film with the aide of crowd sourcing website fundanything.com
Funding: Family matriarch Katherine Jackson has funded the film with the aide of crowd sourcing website fundanything.com
Katherine Jackson funded the new film via crowd sourcing website fundanything.com, a Kickstarter style site that gives users the opportunity to donate money to projects of their choice.
Jackson died on June 25 2009 following an overdose of powerful sedative Propofol, administered by cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray.
Murray was released from prison earlier this year after seeing out a 2-year jail term for involuntary manslaughter, but concert promoter AIG – responsible for organising the shows – were found not liable for his death in October.
Without naming names, Paris added: ‘There are a lot of bad people out there.’
A trailer for the new film will be available to watch from 2pm exclusively at thesun.co.uk.
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