It turns out Paris Jackson is one of the most guarded celebrities in the world

CHOOSING an international guest for the Melbourne Cup isn’t easy. But you have to wonder: was Paris Jackson the right choice?

FOOTAGE of Paris Jackson entering the Myer marquee at the Melbourne Cup today makes for uncomfortable viewing.

Guests turn around and blatantly stare as the 19-year-old walks through the crowd to a cordoned off area up the back:

Earlier, upon arriving at Flemington flanked by minders, a shivering and visibly uncomfortable Jackson told waiting media it was “great” but “cold” to be in Australia for the Cup.

Paris Jackson arrives at the Myer marquee. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Don’t lean on the glass, please. Picture: Splash

Jackson had been flown to Melbourne by Myer — for a rumoured price of $100,000 — as their international VIP guest for the Melbourne Cup.

It must be tough deciding which celeb to fly in for the race that stops the nation. They need to be a big enough name to grab headlines, look great in the latest fashion and be able to chat to a slew of journalists for an entire day without growing fatigued.

And so it must be said: Paris Jackson was an interesting choice.

Jackson was rumoured to have been paid $100,000 for her appearance. Picture: Media Mode

Firstly, Jackson is incredibly guarded. It’s rare for her to do face-to-face interviews — the majority of her interviews are conducted via text message or email.

While she is prolific on Instagram, she has deactivated comments on her account and doesn’t welcome interaction with her fans.

And as we discovered when we were offered the opportunity to interview her at the Cup, the restrictions on what you can and can’t ask her are extreme.

Paris Jackson ... if you are an international guest at the Melbourne Cup, make sure you have your photo taken with a horse. Picture: Jason Edwards

News.com.au was offered five minutes with Jackson, and were instructed that questions must be submitted for approval before the interview.

We were told we must agree not to mention Michael Jackson or any member of the Jackson family, “or events of her personal history or journey prior to 2017”.

A further email from Jackson’s LA publicist on the morning of the interview stipulated there was to be “no mention of Paris Jackson’s past adolescent struggles”.

It also stated that “the article will not include commentary on Paris’ physical or emotional state while at the venue”.

Last but not least, there was to be “no mention, directly or indirectly, of these terms for the interview”.

It was at this point we decided to pull the pin on the interview altogether, despite Myer contacting us to say that they were trying to loosen the restrictions outlined by the LA publicist.

Paris Jackson arrives into the Myer marquee. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Paris Jackson has clearly had a tumultuous adolescence and has a right to not talk about it publicly. But it’s also hard to avoid the frank truth that her lineage is a large part of why she is interesting to the general public. And her journey before 2017 is a huge part of why she is where she is today — albeit pursuing a career as a model and actor.

Paris Jackson arrives at the Myer marquee. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Throughout the day, the teenager looked like a fish out of water. The Age reported there were issues between Myer and Jackson over her outfit.

Jackson was due to wear an Alex Perry dress but according to sources she didn’t like the dress and instead opted for a Morrison-designed dress.

Sources also told Fairfax that Jackson wanted to wear cowboy boots, but was told she had to wear something a little more dressy, so desert boots were a compromise.

Paris Jackson. Photo credit: MEGA

It would be interesting to know how both parties feel about the collaboration — whether Myer feels that they got bang for their buck, and whether Jackson thinks it was worth flying half way across the world.

We would have asked Jackson herself, but there’s a good chance the question would have been struck.