Paris Jackson Speaks Out Amid Michael Jackson Child Pornography Reports

Paris Jackson is fed up with rumors surrounding her father, Michael Jackson, who died seven years ago. Amid reports that Santa Barbara, California, police uncovered a trove of child pornography inside the singer’s home, his daughter is expressing her deep disappointment in media outlets choosing to perpetuate what she claims are lies.

On Wednesday, Paris joined cousin Taj Jackson in shaming outlets for reporting about the alleged child pornography discovery. She retweeted a message from Taj that questioned the Huffington Post’s decision to report on Radar Online’s initial claims about the “Billie Jean” singer. Paris, the middle child of the late musician, wrote that she and the entire Jackson family were “very disappointed.”

Taj, the son of Tito Jackson, addressed claims that he and other members of the band 3T appeared in photographs included in the King of Pop’s alleged child pornography collection. Taj revealed that the band is in the process of assessing the legality of those “malicious” statements, adding that those reports were completely false. He added that he was tired of having his family name dragged through the mud, calling for journalists to use “integrity and truth” in their reporting.

Paris first took to Twitter on Tuesday to refute claims that her father had an affinity toward young boys and girls — rumors that circulated long before he died in 2009. She claimed the reports were untrue, adding that “negativity will always sell.” Paris, 18, asked that those who truly admired her father and his body of work “ignore” false stories, which she called “trash.” She also tweeted a photo of her father giving the middle finger after defending his innocence.

Her outrage on Twitter stemmed from stories that surfaced that same day saying authorities had uncovered a collection of nude and nearly nude photos of young people, both boys and girls, at Michael Jackson’s California estate during a 2003 raid. The search was conducted around the same time the Grammy Award winner was accused of molesting a young boy on more than one occasion. Radar Online claimed it had obtained copies of paperwork filled out by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, which detailed a large collection of child pornography found in the bedroom and bathroom of Jackson’s Los Olivos mansion, known to many as Neverland Ranch. The ages of those said to be pictured reportedly ranged from teens to much younger ages. While police allegedly had this evidence in their possession, the singer was acquitted of sexual abuse charges in 2005.

During his lifetime, Jackson was accused of having sexual relations with several underage boys. In August 2014 — several years after Jackson's death — James Safechuck came forward with new allegations against the singer. The Los Angeles native starred alongside Jackson in a Pepsi commercial more than two decades ago before he spoke out about the alleged abuse he suffered. Safechuck claimed he was molested more than 100 times during a four-year period. Agence France-Presse reported that Safechuck said he was “brainwashed” into believing that the abuses were “acts of love.” Howard Weitzman, a lawyer for the Jackson estate, decried Safechuck’s claims, suggesting it was all an attempt to get a portion of Jackson’s money.

Several other men came forward with similar claims. It has also been reported that the musician paid off some 24 boys to remain quiet about the inappropriate relationships they had during his career. According to the U.K.’s Sunday People, Jackson is thought to have spent more than $35 million to ensure that information never got out.

Santa Barbara Police have yet to confirm or deny the legitimacy of Radar Online’s claims.