Bigi Jackson Made a Rare Appearance With Brother Prince

Who Is Prince Michael Jackson II?

Prince Michael “Blanket” Jackson is the third and youngest child of the late Michael Jackson. In 2015, he changed his name to Bigi Jackson. The identity of Prince’s biological mother—a surrogate—is unknown. Jackson was seven years old when his father died on June 25, 2009.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Prince Michael Jackson II
BORN: February 21, 2002
BIRTHPLACE: La Mesa, California
FATHER: Michael Jackson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Early Life and Mother

Prince Michael Jackson II was born February 21, 2002. Known as “Blanket” in his childhood, he is the third child of pop legend Michael Jackson and allegedly the only biological child of the star, but no confirmation has ever been made. The identity of his biological mother, a surrogate, is unknown.

Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael’s other two children—Paris Michael Katherine and Michael Joseph “Prince” Jackson—publicly denied being Bigi’s biological mother, following his birth and subsequent media speculation regarding his conception.

A famous photograph of Blanket was taken in 2002 when, at only 9 months old, his father dangled him over a balcony in Berlin.

Father’s Death

On June 25, 2009, Bigi’s father, Michael, suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles and died shortly thereafter. The pop star was 50 years old at the time of his death; Prince Michael Jackson II was 7.

Bigi’s grandmother, Katherine Jackson, became his legal guardian, as well as the guardian of his siblings, Michael and Paris.

The three kids spoke to their father’s fans during his funeral in 2009 and again in January 2010 when they accepted a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award for Michael Jackson at the Grammy Awards.

In February 2010, an official coroner’s report on Michael’s death was released, revealing that the singer had died from acute propofol intoxication. Aided by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael had used the drug, among others, to help him sleep.

A police investigation revealed later that Murray hadn’t been licensed to prescribe most controlled medications in California, and the doctor’s actions as Michael’s caretaker were subsequently further scrutinized. Murray was found guilty of homicide on November 7, 2011, receiving a four-year prison sentence.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Believing that A.E.G. Live—the entertainment company that promoted Michael Jackson’s planned comeback concert, This Is It, in 2009—had failed to effectively protect the singer while he was under Murray’s care, the Jackson family decided to take legal action against the company. Katherine along with Michael’s three children officially filed a wrongful death lawsuit against A.E.G.

The trial began in April 2013. Lawyers sought up to $1.5 billion, an estimation of what Michael could have earned over the months since his death if he were still alive, in the case.

In October 2013, a jury determined that A.E.G. wasn’t responsible for Michael’s death. “Although Michael Jackson’s death was a terrible tragedy, it was not a tragedy of A.E.G. Live’s making,” A.E.G.’s lawyer Marvin S. Putnam said.

Name Change to Bigi

In 2015, several reports surfaced that Jackson no longer wished to be called by his nickname, “Blanket.” Radar Online claimed that the young teen now wanted to be addressed as “Bigi.” He took the name after being bullied for years for his “Blanket” moniker.

Bigi Jackson Today

Jackson lives in Calabasas, California. He attended the Buckley School, a private school in Sherman Oaks, California. Due to his grandmother’s advanced age, along with siblings Michael and Paris leaving the nest as young adults, Jackson was under the supervision of older cousin T.J. Jackson in his later teen years.

While sources told People magazine that he had the hardest time of his siblings adjusting after his father’s death, he is now doing well, having focused on grades and sports while in school and spending time with his more than 30 cousins.

Among Michael’s kids, Bigi has generally stayed out of the spotlight. However, he made a rare appearance at older brother Prince’s graduation from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in May 2019. He and Prince also attended the Michael Jackson ONE show at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in August 2023, on what would have been their father’s 65^th birthday.

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