Prince Jackson attends a preview performance of the new Michael Jackson musical “MJ” on Broadway at The Neil Simon Theater on December 11, 2021 in New York City. The highly anticipated Michael Jackson musical has played to sold out houses in its first week and has its opening night on February 1, 2022.© Getty Images

Prince Jackson makes rare comment about 'pretty crazy' home life with dad Michael Jackson

The late King of Pop was also a dad to daughter Paris and son Prince II aka Blanket

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
September 19, 2023

The late Michael Jackson's three children, Paris, Prince, and Prince II (aka Blanket), rarely feature in the spotlight or talk about their childhood.

However, middle child Prince, 25, appeared on the latest episode of the Mike Tyson podcast Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson, and spoke about life as the son of the King of Pop.

Mike posited that Prince "must've had a pretty interesting life as a kid," to which he responded: "Very, very interesting. And as I've gotten older, I've grown to appreciate how unique and interesting it was."

VIDEO: A tribute to Michael Jackson

At the very top of the conversation, they discussed his life on the famed Neverland Ranch, growing up around the many animals that Michael provided a home to.

Prince was asked about the variety of wildlife in the Neverland zoo, recalling: "That's pretty crazy," mentioning that he remembered there being "elephants, tigers, lions, a lot of primates like monkeys, gorillas, orangutans."

He explained: "[My dad] loved animals when he was a kid. I think his first pets were two rats… As he was making more money and more music, he was able to buy more animals."

© Getty Images

Michael was a dad to Paris, Prince, and Prince II aka Blanket Jackson

The King of Pop was famously known for his love of animals, most notably his pet chimpanzee Bubbles, who notoriously accompanied the singer on his world tour.

Prince also spoke about his father's struggle with vitiligo and his insecurity about his appearance, candidly saying: "When I was younger, he was always explaining to me, speaking about that.

MORE: Paris Jackson reveals mental health battle that almost ended her life

"I think it was even in the autopsy report. I think the cause of it is up for speculation, but it's either vitiligo or some form of lupus contributed to the vitiligo."

© Getty Images

Prince discussed the King of Pop's life on the Neverland ranch

The chronic disorder was notable for causing the late star's signature change to his appearance, leaving patches of his skin a pale white due to a change in genetics or the immune system.

"He had a lot of insecurity around, kind of looking blotchy in his appearance," he added of his father's feelings on the matter. "So he wanted to see if he could smooth out his appearance, to help with his security on his physical appearance."

MORE: Paris Jackson posts heartfelt tribute to late dad Michael on Father's Day

Michael famously addressed the talk about his changing skin tone in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993, saying it was "something I cannot help. When people make up stories that I don't want to be who I am, it hurts me."

© Getty Images

He also expressed his support for his late father amid his struggle with vitiligo

On August 29, what would've been his 65th birthday, his daughter Paris, 26, took to Instagram to call out fans for sending negative comments if she didn't acknowledge his birthday, citing his own desire to not celebrate.

MORE: Paris Jackson and brother Prince open up about father Michael Jackson during rare tribute at the Tony Awards

"He actually didn’t want us to even know when his birthday was because he didn’t want us to throw a party," she said.

"Please don’t use a man you've never met as an excuse to abuse and harass his daughter, whom you've also never met," the musician stated sternly before using her video to direct attention to causes her father would've cared about.

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