Fans and critics alike often talk about the complicated legacy of Michael Jackson. On one hand, he was a world-famous figure who changed the face of music forever. On the other hand, allegations of pedophilia and child molestation continue to haunt his legacy long after the singer’s death in 2009.
One of the most tangible aspects of Jackson’s legacy is his three children: Prince Michael, Paris, and Prince Michael II, better known as Blanket. For better or for worse, Blanket is best known for the incident where Jackson dangled him over a balcony as a baby.
However, Blanket has been busy working on a legacy of his own, and he’s grown up quite a bit since you’ve last seen him. The youngest of Michael’s children, born on February 21, 2002, Blanket is now 20 years old. Keep reading to learn the surprising truth about Michael Jackson’s most infamous child!
Blanket’s unknown mother
Blanket’s famous father is well known (assuming Jackson is the father… more on that in a bit). But one of the most interesting things about the young man is that, to this day, his mother is unknown.
When he was alive, Jackson said he used a surrogate mother with his own sperm cells to father Blanket. The mother allegedly had no idea who Jackson was in order to further safeguard her secrecy. Nonetheless, the internet has spent years speculating who this woman is.
It seems this is a secret Jackson took to his grave. According to the San Diego Union Tribune, there is not even a mother’s name listed on Blanket’s birth certificate!
It’s rumored Michael may not be his biological father
An unknown surrogate mother is one thing. However, one of the more bizarre aspects of Blanket’s life is the rampant speculation that Michael Jackson was not his biological father!
Of course, “speculation” is the keyword here. The Telegraph reports that The Sun ran a now-deleted article that Home Alone star and godfather to Michael’s other children (Prince and Paris), Macaulay Culkin, was the sperm donor. Culkin did not see fit to dignify the bizarre claim with an official response.
Furthermore, TMZ reports that Jackson’s former bodyguard Matt Fiddes claims he donated sperm to Jackson back in 2001. He also claims if anything should happen to Blanket’s legal guardians, he’d be happy to take a paternity test to see if he’s the father!
Of course, this isn’t the only controversy surrounding Blanket.
The strange story behind a strange name
Many people over the years have commented on what a strange name for a son “Blanket” is. But would you believe that is not actually the child’s name?
Blanket’s actual legal name is Prince Michael Jackson II. However, he soon acquired the nickname “Blanket,” possibly as a way of distinguishing him from his brother, Prince Michael Jackson I.
Why the nickname “Blanket?” Many mistakenly think it is because of the incident where Jackson dangled the baby, covered in a blanket, over a balcony. Or the simple fact that Jackson often covered the child’s face with a blanket to help give him anonymity.
But the truth is that the nickname was a term of endearment: as Jackson once put it, “A blanket is a blessing, a way of showing loving and caring.”
At any rate, Blanket doesn’t go by Blanket or Prince Michael Jackson II anymore. Instead, he prefers a new nickname: Bigi.
A chip off the old block? Probably not
Michael Jackson was a singular talent. There will probably be no performer quite like him ever again. But this hasn’t kept people from projecting that Blanket would follow in his famous father’s footsteps. And the prime example of this is Michael Jackson’s father Joe Jackson!
“They also said there will never be another Michael Jackson, and I say ‘We already have one.’ But he just has to be trained,” Joe claimed in footage from Katherine Jackson’s 2013 canceled crowdfunded Remembering Michael documentary. And it sounds crazy, but some who saw Blanket dance backstage at the 2011 Michael Forever Tribute Concert claim he had moves that looked exactly like Michael Jackson’s moves.
However, Blanket is the first person to dismiss these rumors. Mirror reports that only one year after busting out those moves backstage, Blanket admitted in an interview that he “can’t sing or dance”. At the time, he wanted to be a director. While that hasn’t happened yet, he has found other ways to distinguish himself from his father, including earning a black belt in karate!
A young activist
Being the son of a famous father is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it comes with a number of expectations. On the other hand, it provides some unprecedented opportunities. For example, fans tend to listen when someone famous pushes a major message.
Sensing that, Blanket recently spoke out about the need to fight against climate change. According to Page Six, he spoke out on Good Morning Britain ahead of the United Nations’ COP26 summit in late 2021. Regarding climate change, he said, “I do think it’s important that we all know about it. And I think we have some work to do, but our generation knows how important it is.”
Only time will tell if this is a major cause that Blanket has taken up or if he simply felt the need to speak out on this issue at that exact moment.
Blanket’s thoughts on his famous father
During his appearance on Good Morning Britain, Blanket didn’t limit himself to talking about the climate. He also took the opportunity to speak up about his father and the legacy he and his siblings hope to leave hind. As Page Six reports, he said, “There’s a lot of history in this house and the studio here.” Here, Blanket referred to the Jackson family home he was calling in from. “That’s what he was all about. That’s what each of us want to do: make things that people can enjoy and hopefully benefit their lives.”
Blanket has quite the legacy to live up to. Fortunately, he has plenty of time to figure out how to bring joy to the lives of others. In the meantime, he stays busy doing what most 20-year-olds are doing: trying to figure out who he really is and what he has to offer to the world.