Today marks 17 years since Michael Jackson passed away, and his legacy remains as complicated, magnetic, and impossible to ignore as ever. With Michael now the highest-grossing biopic of all time, the King of Pop has been on people's minds and stereos, but on the anniversary of his death, nobody is thinking about him more than his family.
© Getty ImagesOn Thursday, Michael’s eldest son, Prince Jackson, marked the anniversary by sharing a touching photo on his Instagram story, offering fans a rare glimpse into the bond he still carries with his dad.
In the photo, Michael is seen cradling a newborn Prince in a tender moment. Dressed casually in a simple white T-shirt, Michael gazes down at his son with a soft expression as he carefully supports his head in his hand.
© picture alliancePrince has spent much of his life away from the public. But over the last few years, he's begun building his following on social media and has made public appearances with his siblings.
Now 29, he focuses on philanthropy through the Heal Los Angeles Foundation, the nonprofit he co-founded to support underserved communities in Los Angeles.
© GABRIEL BOUYSHe also stepped into a more public role this year as an executive producer on Michael, starring his cousin Jaafar Jackson.
Prince has been vocal about supporting the film, describing it as an opportunity for audiences to see the humanity behind one of pop culture’s most scrutinized figures. “I think that my father is probably one of the most misunderstood people out there,” Prince told Good Morning America earlier this year. “And I hope that you get a glimpse into the life and the cause and effect that made him who he was.”
© Bettmann ArchiveFor Prince, conversations about his father have always been positive. “He taught me what it is to be a man; he showed me what it is to be a father,” Prince told People in 2016
It’s a sentiment that echoes what Michael himself often said about parenthood. In the 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson, he said, “I’m crazy about them. I look in their eyes, and I say I love you every day.”
© Getty ImagesPrince has also shared one of the lessons his father drilled into him most. “My dad used to say, ‘I don’t care what you want to be when you grow up, you just have to be the best at it,’” he recalled in 2024.
While helping shepherd Michael to the screen, Prince admitted watching Jaafar portray Michael was overwhelming. “It was really emotional because I hadn’t seen my dad in a long time,” Prince said. “My gut reaction was I really just wanted a hug from him.”
© Variety via Getty ImagesWhat's interesting is that his sister has an opposite relationship with the film. While many members of the Jackson family, including her siblings Prince and Bigi, attended the premiere, Paris has completely distanced herself from the movie.
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyShe revealed in September 2025 that she had nothing to do with the biopic and said that she sent notes with what she felt was "dishonest" after reading an early draft of the film, but they were ignored.
“They’re gonna make whatever they’re gonna make,” she said. "The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in a fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it."
