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Paris Jackson says she has PTSD from paparazzi hounding her since she was a kid

Jun 17, 2021, 00:38 IST
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Paris Jackson appeared on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk" on Facebook Watch.Red Table Talk/Facebook
  • Paris Jackson opened up about her PTSD and social anxiety on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk."
  • "I experience audio hallucinations with camera clicks and severe paranoia," she said.
  • Jackson said that she's been using a type of psychotherapy known as EMDR to cope.
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Paris Jackson said that she regularly experiences social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder due to years of paparazzi hounding her and her famous family.

"It's always been pretty gnarly, my social anxiety," Jackson told Willow Smith during a special one-on-one episode of "Red Table Talk" on Facebook Watch, released on Wednesday. "I experience audio hallucinations with camera clicks and severe paranoia."

Jackson also said that she has been going to therapy for "a lot of things," including the false perception of sounds.

"I'll hear a trash bag rustling and I flinch and panic," Jackson said of living in fear that she's being followed by paparazzi. "It's just standard PTSD."

Jackson, the 23-year-old daughter of the late musician Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, has been the subject of media attention since she was a child.

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Jackson and her two brothers, Prince Michael Jackson and Bigi Jackson (formerly known as Prince Michael Jackson II), often wore face masks that partly or completely concealed their faces in public.

Willow Smith and Paris Jackson on the latest episode of "Red Table Talk."Red Table Talk/Facebook
Years later, Jackson told Oprah Winfrey that she understood that her father did that because "when we went out without him, we wouldn't be recognized and we could have a normal childhood."

Since her father's death in 2009, Jackson has continued to be pursued by paparazzi, some of whom have relentlessly chased her at airports.

"I have nightmares," Jackson told Smith, adding that she avoids going out during the day to evade paparazzi.

"I do catch it affecting my personal relationships, especially romantic relationships," the singer added. "PTSD can affect pretty much every aspect of your life."

Jackson said that a type of psychotherapy known as EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, has helped her cope with PTSD.

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"I love EMDR. It's very intense," she said of the therapy, which was designed to help patients work through traumatic memories. "It puts you in a fragile and vulnerable state, but it is a very effective kind of therapy."

Jackson said that her life in the spotlight has also resulted in distrust around other people. Everyone who steps into her house is required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Janet Jackson and Paris Jackson at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on July 7, 2009.Mark Terrill-Pool/Getty Images
"It does a lot to your nervous system, because you're constantly in fight, flight, freeze, collapse," Jackson said. "You're constantly walking on eggshells, constantly looking over your shoulder. You have to sit up straight and act right because if you don't, it not only reflects on your reputation but your family's reputation."

"It does some serious shock," she added. "I feel like there's gotta be kind of permanent damage."

Jackson isn't the only star who has been followed by paparazzi or has spoken out about the negative effects of photographers following you.

Miley Cyrus, who rose to fame as a child star on Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana," previously called paparazzi "creepy" for following her around. Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan were often chased by photographers, too. Other celebrities, like Alex Baldwin, have gotten into physical altercations with paparazzi.

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Halle Berry has spoken about how her family's life became "unbearable" due to the constant harassment. Her experience prompted her (and stars like Jennifer Garner) to support an anti-paparazzi bill to protect the children of celebrities that was signed into law in California in 2013.

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