Paris Jackson Shares Her 6-Year Journey to Sobriety: Learning to Embrace Life as It Comes

Paris Jackson in Paris in March 2025.
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Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

Key Information

• Paris Jackson provides insight into her sobriety in a recent Instagram Reel.
• In her caption, she wrote, “a few years in it all got very very hard. for what felt like an eternity. and i didn’t have the same survival skills i was used to having to cope.”
• She will mark six years of sobriety on January 7.

Paris Jackson is opening up about her experience with sobriety.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter, and the only daughter of Michael Jackson, shared her journey through sobriety in an Instagram Reel on January 4. In her post, she extended support to those battling addiction and mental health challenges. Jackson, who will celebrate six years of sobriety from alcohol and heroin on January 7, has been transparent about the difficulties of her path.

Throughout the Reel, Jackson displayed clips from her everyday life—moments spent with friends, nature hikes, and serene drives with the windows down.

“getting sober ain’t always the indication that life is perfect,” Jackson noted in her caption. “a few years in it all got very very hard. for what felt like an eternity. and i didn’t have the same survival skills i was used to having to cope. i had to learn to live life on life’s terms.”

She added, “treatment resistant major depressive disorder is a bitch. so is CPSTD. and OCD. if you’ve got this s—, or anything of the sort, you’re not alone. hang in there and if no one’s told you they love you today, i love you.”

Paris Jackson.

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Jackson has frequently addressed the harsh realities associated with drug use and the commitment to sobriety. During the Friendly House Awards Luncheon on October 11, 2025, she compared her choice to embrace sobriety to “getting into a car accident.”

“I say it’s funny, I feel like getting sober was kind of like getting into a car accident because everything I shoved in the back seat moved forward on impact and today I’m learning to navigate life on life’s terms,” she explained. This event supports women healing from trauma and addiction by providing community and sober living environments.

She further emphasized, “I didn’t just get my life back. I got a better one.”

Paris Jackson in Los Angeles in November 2025.

Phillip Faraone/Getty

On January 7, 2025, Jackson celebrated her fifth year of sobriety, sharing clips of her journey in an Instagram Reel. This video began with scenes of her past drug and alcohol use, then transitioned to a collection of the AA chips she’s earned over the years, culminating in joyful moments of dancing and laughter with friends.

“gratitude hardly scratches the surface,” she reflected in her caption. “it’s because i’m sober that i get to smile today. i get to make music. i get to experience the joy of loving my dogs and cat. i get to feel heartbreak in all its glory. i get to grieve. i get to laugh. i get to dance. i get to trust. i feel the sun on my skin and it’s warm. i’ve found that life keeps happening regardless of whether i’m sober or not, but today i get to show up for it.”