Michael Jackson Update: Son Blanket Changes Name

Blanket Jackson, the youngest son of the late Michael Jackson, has changed his name. Although not an official name change, the 13-year-old now goes by “Bigi Jackson” at school.

Blanket, or Bigi, 13, is now a 7th grader at the exclusive Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California. Although his official name is Prince Michael Jackson II, he was affectionately given the nickname Blanket by his father, who said in the Living with Michael Jackson documentary that the name simply means an expression of love.

While the name may be a term of endearment, it seems that Michael Jackson’s youngest son didn’t want to keep his nickname around his classmates.

In a recent yearbook photo, the 13-year-old is listed as “Bigi Jackson.” Wearing a red Polo shirt, he happily smiled for his yearbook picture, with his trademark long, black hair draping down his back.

An undisclosed source close to the Jackson family indicates that Bigi is the complete opposite of his two older siblings, Prince Jackson, 18, and Paris Jackson, 17. While his older brother and sister enjoy sharing things with friends and fans online, Bigi, it seems, is more like his father when it comes to his personal life. He’s described as being shy and quiet.

Yet, the insider also states that Bigi has a humorous side, and that he’s a friendly kid who does extremely well in school.

“Michael would be proud of Blanket. He is really sweet, funny and helpful.”

Bigi was homeschooled prior to attending The Buckley School. While family members were worried that he wouldn’t fit in, it seems that the opposite is true. According to an insider, the teen not only fits in at his new school, but also helps other children in his spare time.

“He volunteers to help the younger kids and he is really good with them. He probably got that from his dad.”

Meanwhile, Bigi’s brother Prince, who also attend The Buckley School, recently graduated high school with honors. The 18-year-old was surrounded by friends and family as he walked the stage to receive his diploma. Prince now has plans to attend Los Angeles’ Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in the fall.

In addition, Paris has made a strong recovery and now seems to be doing well after her 2013 attempted suicide incident. She’s currently dating Chester Castellaw, a soccer player for the Real So Cal soccer team.

Michael Jackson would certainly be proud of all three of his children, regardless of what name they choose to go by. The King of Pop, who died in 2009, seems to have instilled excellent values in Prince, Paris, and “Bigi.”

[Photo Courtesy of Valerie Macon/Getty Images & Ethan Miller/Getty Images]