On February 1, Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson were front and center at the opening night of MJ The Musical, where they showed support for the Broadway production celebrating their late father, Michael Jackson.
Now a source tells OK! the sibling are committed to keeping the King of Pop’s memory alive — even if it means speaking out against the allegations of child molestation waged against him. (In 2005, Michael was found not guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old.)
“They will defend their dad until the end,” says the source. “They believe Michael when he said he was innocent.”
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“They had happy childhoods living at Neverland Ranch,” a source says of the singer’s children living at the estate, where several of the alleged sexual assaults took place. “They loved their dad, and they became very protective of him.”
After years of staying silent, the trio has been opening up more about the singer, who died from cardiac arrest in 2009. “Paris says she still has the pajamas her dad wore around the house,” shares the source of the singer, 23. “It makes her happy to look at them.”
Meanwhile, college grad Prince, 25, has followed in his father’s charitable footsteps.
“He’s told friends he knows his dad would be proud,” notes the source. And although Blanket, 20, stays out of the spotlight, he gave a rare interview last year while touring a room containing items from Michael’s career, musing, “That’s what he was all about.”
While the sibs lead drastically different lifestyles, their shared memories of their dad have helped them carry on through the dark days. “Michael gave them so much insight and taught them the importance of family,” explains the source
His words made a lasting impression. “When we were growing up, my father would say, ‘We could have nothing, but your brother, your sister and me, that’s all you’ll ever have,’” recalled Prince. “And that always stuck with my siblings and I, and we have such a close relationship.”