Blanket Jackson, whose real name is Prince Michael Jackson II, was born February 21,
2002.
And ever since his precarious world debut nine months later, fans have been borderline
obsessed with details about the King of Pop's youngest child.
Secret mother
In 2003's documentary, Living With Michael Jackson, the pop legend opened up about Blanket's
mother.
"I used a surrogate mother with my own sperm cells…I had my own sperm cells with my other
two children, they're all my children, but I used a surrogate mother.
And, uh, she doesn't know me, I don't know her."
Michael says Blanket's mom was chosen based on her health, her good vision, as well as
her intellect.
He also claims Blanket's mother is black.
Although there are no public records about Blanket's mom, that hasn't stopped the internet
from theorizing on who she really is.
The prevailing theory comes from a dubious 2009 Mirror article, reporting that "a pretty
Latino nurse"-surrogate — but not egg donor — named Helena was paid $20,000 and "lavished"
with "gifts, generous expenses and staff to see to her needs."
Still, it's pretty much pure speculation.
Behind the name
For years, Michael covered his children's faces in public, in order for them to have
"their own life without [their father]," according to eldest son Prince.
Blanket's head covering was usually, yes, a blanket, leading many to think this was
the reason for the child's odd nickname.
But it actually goes a little deeper than that.
Michael said he gave his son the nickname because it was an expression he used for his
family: "a blanket is a blessing," and that calling someone "Blanket" is a way of showing
you care.
But for Blanket, the nickname has since lost its luster.
He allegedly changed his nickname to "Bigi" as of June 2015, according to Radar Online.
The next MJ
In a preview for the film Remembering Michael, Blanket's grandfather, Joe Jackson, talks
about the striking similarities between his son and grandson.
"They also said there will never be another Michael Jackson, and I say 'We already have
one.'
But he just has to be trained."
In response to backlash over the possibility of Joe grooming Blanket — or any of Michael's
kids — for potential music careers, a rep for the Jackson family told TMZ that producer-grandma
Katherine Jackson "Hopes fans don't think anyone like Joe or the family is pushing the
kids."
Dance moves
During the few times Blanket has appeared in public, he's certainly made a splash — such
as the Michael Forever Tribute Concert in October 2011.
But according to People, then-9 year old Blanket's real performance took place backstage, where
he was caught "dancing and spinning – and it was like an exact Michael Jackson dance.”
Custody battles
Though Katherine, Michael Jackson's mother, and Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of
Prince Michael and Paris, reached a custody agreement relatively quickly after Michael's
death in 2009, controversy over custody of the famous brood didn't stop there.
In 2012, following a bizarre incident involving Katherine's alleged kidnapping, cousin TJ
Jackson, Tito Jackson's son, stepped in and took over temporary custody of all three of
Michael's kids.
A joint custody agreement between TJ and Katherine was eventually arranged, but the drama continued.
In 2014, sources supposedly close to Rowe told TMZ that she had changed her mind and
decided Katherine was "way too old to serve as guardian" and TJ was "on tour and away
from the kids for long stretches," leading to the possibility that she may petition for
custody of all three kids at some point, even though Blanket is not her biological child.
While Prince Michael and sister Paris no longer require legal guardianship, Blanket, who turned
15 in 2017, is reportedly still under the joint custody of Katherine and TJ.
Living alone
In 2017 sources supposedly close to Paris told TMZ she was "deeply concerned her little
brother, Blanket, is essentially living alone."
The accusations sound similar to Rowe's alleged concerns from three years earlier, with sources
claiming that Katherine and TJ's long absences from the Calabasas, California residence result
in Blanket sometimes "living without real family."
Page Six also painted Blanket's current living situation as solitary, reporting that his
days consist of school, followed by martial arts practice, then evenings playing video
games in a mansion that boasts "a part-time chef, three housekeepers, and a five-person
security team who rotate shifts."
What's next
Though he has no official social media presence, the Instagram account, bigijacksondaily purports
to be a tracker of the youngest son of Michael Jackson, and indicates that he's living a
relatively normal teenage life.
Whether Blanket — or Bigi — becomes the pop royalty that his grandfather and uncle
are predicting remains to be seen.
For now, it's just nice to see he hasn't succumbed to the problems of other celebrity offspring.
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