Michael Jacksons beaming son 'Blanket' is spitting image of late dad in rare new pictures
Michael Jackson's youngest son Biji, known as Blanket, is now 22 and looking more like his beloved late father every day.
Biji was pictured in Calabasas where he was charging his Tesla Model Y, and spotted reusing a plastic bag as he headed into a Trader Joe's, showcasing his eco-friendly habits.
With a big smile on his face, the young man looked carefree and happy, worlds away from the tragically sad seven-year-old boy many will remember from the days after Michael's death in 2009.
Biji now stands at a towering height, and was seen in NBA shorts and a black Star Wars graphic tee paired with black sneakers for his errands run in the 100 degree heat in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.
He appears to be growing his hair out again, after having cut it earlier this year, a nod to his father's famous locks.
Bigi is rarely seen in public unlike his siblings, Paris, 25, a model and musician, and Prince, 27.
Prince's given name is Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, and is Michael's first child with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, while Paris, also Michael's child with Debbie.
Paris, 25, has been very public about her multiple suicide attempts during her teenage years, and her journey toward healing. Prince graduated from Loyola Marymount University in 2019 with a degree in Business Administration.
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Bigi, 21, the youngest of Michael's children, has maintained the lowest profile. Born via surrogate in 2002, he was known as Blanket for many years before changing his name to Bigi in 2015. Bigi is particularly close to his brother Prince, with whom he shares a deep bond.
Biji, however, was born via surrogate, and remains very close to his siblings; when Biji turned 22 on February 21, older brother Prince shared a tribute to him on social media, reposting a portrait of Biki as a baby that was originally shared by a fan account.
"Bro is killing it! Chasing his dreams and winning awards," Prince also wrote, alongside pictures of Biji with friends; Biji won the Best Drama award at the Santa Monica Film Festival for his work on the short film , a movie which he directed and wrote.
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Biji changed his name legally in 2017 from Prince Michael Jackson II.
"We have such a close relationship," Prince once said of his friendship and connection with his siblings, sharing that his father had drilled it into him that it was his responsibility to "lead by example".
However, he acknowledged that with all three of Michael's children now grown, there was no longer a "hierarchy," adding: "It's more [that] we're all siblings and we're kind of all on that same level where my sister has her strengths, and my brother has his strengths, and where I'm not as strong in certain areas, they compliment me in that way."
Bigi has, however, recently been involved in a legal dispute with his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, over the use of his father's estate funds.
The estate has been in a long-running battle over an IRS audit, which issued a "note of deficiency" claiming it had undervalued assets and owed $700 million in penalties and taxes. In 2021, the estate won that battle after disputing the assessments but have since filed a reconsideration - taking into account the court's value of Michael's music catalog, known as Mijac (owned by Sony music) - which is still pending.
The value of the estate has therefore not been finalized for tax purposes and the estate and IRS cannot agree on the value of the deduction until then.
In the meantime, Katherine has been using estate money to cover legal fees, but the 22-year-old has objected, arguing that it wouldn't benefit the estate.
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