Paris Jackson Details Her 'Ugly Behavior' During Addiction Battle: 'I Became a Very Vindictive Person'

Paris Jackson is opening up about the dark chapter of her life before getting sober.

On Tuesday, May 26, Michael Jackson’s daughter appeared on Jack Osbourne’s “Trying Not to Die” podcast, where she spoke candidly about how addiction changed her behavior and mindset before she began her sobriety journey nearly six years ago.

“The behavior is really ugly. It’s really ugly behavior in a moral way, because I was raised to be kind — and not nice,” Paris shared. “I could give a s--- about being nice — but being kind and looking people in the eye and asking the waiter their name so you can write it down on the receipt later, just little things of, just like, how do you treat people?”

The singer explained that she spent “years and years and years of self-hatred” before finally turning her life around.

“Oh, I may be a liar, a cheater, a piece of s---, a thief, whatever, but I do have a good moral compass, like, I was raised right in that way. What happens when I drink is that goes away,” she admitted. “That goes right out the window and I become a very vindictive person.”

Paris also reflected on the emotional challenges she faced long before drugs and alcohol entered the picture.

“I struggled with self-harm for a really long time before I ever had my first drink or drug. I had weird relationships with overeating and food as a young kid,” she revealed. “There was this overall reachy, graspy energy that I only ever see in other addicts. Reaching for something outside of yourself.”

The 28-year-old shared that she attended treatment “several times” both before and after officially beginning her sobriety journey.

Her latest comments come after she previously opened up about the reality of staying sober and how difficult the process has been at times.

“Getting sober ain’t always the indication that life is perfect,” Paris wrote via Instagram on Saturday, January 3, alongside a montage highlighting moments from the past year. “A few years in, it all got very very hard for what felt like an eternity.”

“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 said.

Paris also got honest about the mental health battles she continues to face while navigating recovery.

“Treatment resistant major depressive disorder is a b-----, so is [PTSD] and OCD,” she wrote. “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.”

Last year, the musician proudly celebrated a major sobriety milestone.

“Hi, I’m pk, and I’m an alcoholic and a heroin addict,” she shared on Instagram in January 2025. “Today marks 5 years clean and sober from all drugs and alcohol. To say that I’m thankful would be a poor euphemism. Gratitude hardly scratches the surface.”

Months later, Paris revealed just how much her life has changed since leaving substances behind.

“I didn’t just get my life back. I got a better one,” she said during the Friendly House Awards Luncheon in October 2025, according to People. “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.”

“Along with those things that flew forward, I support any and all programs and foundations and organizations that work towards helping other women do the same,” Paris concluded.