To millions of people, Michael Jackson was the King of Pop.
He filled stadiums, created some of the most famous music videos ever made and lived a life that seemed completely removed from anything ordinary.
But when Paris Jackson was asked what her father was really like at home, she remembered something much simpler.
Michael cooked breakfast for his children himself.
And according to Paris, he was surprisingly good at it.
Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in November 2010, Paris described a side of Michael that most of the public had rarely seen.
She said she felt people did not understand what kind of father he had been.
Then she revealed something that even Oprah found surprising.
Michael Jackson loved to cook.
Paris Jackson Remembers Michael as a Father
When Oprah asked what Michael could make, Paris immediately mentioned one dish.
French toast.
She said her father made the “best French toast in the world” and remembered him making wonderful breakfasts for the family. When Oprah asked whether Michael cooked for the children often, Paris answered yes.
It was a remarkably ordinary memory involving one of the most famous people who had ever lived.
There were no screaming crowds.
No flashing cameras.
No stage costumes or rehearsals.
Just a father in the kitchen preparing breakfast for his children.
Paris even described Michael simply as a “normal dad.”
That ordinary family life appears to have been important to him.
Paris said Michael tried to raise Prince, Paris and Blanket without allowing his celebrity identity to dominate their childhood. She joked that keeping them unaware of exactly how famous he was did not work particularly well.
The children remembered other simple moments too.
Prince spoke about waking early while the family was in Bahrain and walking along the beach.
Paris remembered sitting on the roof of the Luxor in Las Vegas, looking at the city lights while eating candy and drinking soda.
Those memories offer a very different picture from Michael Jackson’s public life.
Fans knew the moonwalk.
They knew Thriller, Billie Jean and the enormous concerts.
His children remembered breakfasts, walks and quiet evenings together.
And when Oprah finally asked Paris what she missed most about her father, she did not choose one particular memory.
Her answer was simply:
“Everything.”
That may be why the French toast story continues to resonate.
For the rest of the world, Michael Jackson was an entertainer whose performances became part of music history.
For Paris, Prince and Bigi, some of the memories that mattered most happened when there was no audience at all.
Sometimes Michael Jackson was simply Dad, standing in the kitchen and making breakfast for his children.