Paris Jackson Reveals Why She Views Recovery as Her ‘Superpower’: ‘My Experience Can Benefit Other People’

Jack IrvinTue, August 18, 2026 at 5:45 PM UTC

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Paris Jackson in Los Angeles in January 2023Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty -

Paris Jackson spoke on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast about sobriety and said she credits hearing others’ recovery stories as a key influence

She described recovery as her “superpower” and hopes sharing her journey can inspire and help others

Jackson’s new album HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE releases August 21, featuring singles like “teenage drama” and “zombies in love”

Paris Jackson hopes her experience with addiction can help others.

In a new interview on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter opened up about getting sober more than six years ago and why she now views recovery as her “superpower.”

“I do believe that it’s through hearing other people’s stories of recovery that I was able to open my ears and find recovery myself,” said Jackson, who’s been open about using various drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. “It’s almost like a word of mouth and giving of experience, strength and hope to each other that helps us stay sober. This beautiful community that can exist, and I think for people outside of that, it’s not really for them.”

“It’s interesting,” she continued. “I’ve definitely spent several years where the sobriety has been celebrated, and it’s been this amazing piece of connection for me and these people that I love so deeply, and then I’ll see maybe someone’s reaction that doesn’t understand and maybe someone’s reaction that’s on the outside of it.”

Jackson spoke about how “judgment,” especially from drug addicts, can be “startling” to experience in the recovery process. “Once I actually went from seeking recovery to being in recovery, I’ve started seeing it as, this is my superpower,” she explained. “I now see that my experience can benefit other people.”

“My deepest moments of suffering, once I transform them and alchemize them, they can become very potent pieces of medicine for other people. What a gift,” added the daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe. “And so that’s been my perspective, and then when I hear the exact opposite from someone else, it’s like, ‘Whoa,’ you know? It’s very startling.”

Looking back on her life in active addiction, Jackson recalled feeling a sense of “terminal uniqueness” and noted that many other sober people she’s met felt the same way. “And that is what separates us.”

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“We look for the differences as opposed to the similarities, and it is through hearing other people’s stories,” said Jackson. “I’ve been in situations where I’m talking to someone that has never had a drink or a drug, and they’ve never even smoked a cigarette, and they’re trying to tell me about my heroin addiction. I’m not going to listen to them. Like, respectfully, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“But then I hear someone whose story is so much worst than mine, or they’ve just seen more and been through more and done more. ‘If they can get it, I can get it’ kind of thing,” continued Jackson. “It’s a tricky line to kind of tread as far as talking about these things on podcasts or interviews and things like that because I by no means want to be a spokesperson for sobriety, but sharing my story is something that has helped me. Hearing other people’s stories has helped me. So if I can pay that forward, absolutely.”

Paris Jackson in March 2026Credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty

Jackson celebrated six years sober from alcohol and heroin in January. At the time, she wrote in an Instagram post that getting sober isn’t “always the indication that life is perfect.”

“If you’ve got this s---, or anything of the sort, you’re not alone,” she wrote. “Hang in there and if no one’s told you they love you today, I love you.”

The artist’s new album, HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE, comes out on Friday, Aug. 21. Prior to the release, she dropped the singles “teenage drama,” “zombies in love” and “stitched (on & on).”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”