Joh’Vonnie Jackson is speaking about her experiences growing up as the daughter of Joe Jackson. Her mother, Cheryle Ann Terrell, was Joe’s mistress for 25 years while he was married to Katherine Jackson. Joh’Vonnie is the youngest half-sibling of Michael, Janet, Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon and Randy Jackson. She’s now 52.
RELATED: Clip Of La Toya Cheffing It Up For Jermaine & The Jackson Family Has Social Media Users Cuttin’ UP (WATCH)
Joh’Vonnie Says Joe Jackson Kept It Real About Who Her Siblings Were
As mentioned, Joh’Vonnie recently appeared on the talk show, ‘Portia.’ In response to the interviewer’s question, she explained that Joe Jackson always told her who her siblings were and that she knew them by name. “And he always made sure that I knew you are a Jackson,” Joh’Vonnie said. Adding, “You’re tough, you’re strong, you’re a Jackson.”
When Vonnie got older, her mother, Cheryle, let her know the mistress situation between her and Joe Jackson. She was a young teen, around 11, when that conversation happened, she says. In 2018, she published the memoir ‘Bastard Child: The Story of the 11th Jackson.’
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“I was very angry, very upset. I was feeling like ‘How can I ever get advice from her when she’s out here doing this?’ And it was really abnormal because I saw my father every day if my dad wasn’t out the country, he was at home with us.”
Despite being angry with her mother, Joh’Vonnie Jackson admits that she didn’t feel the same way towards Joe. She confirmed that her dad attended her graduations, dinners and that they even had a backyard garden that he farmed. Still, Joe Jackson was strict with Vonnie and her mother and their whereabouts.
“He was extremely strict…very controlling. Myself I wasn’t allowed to go hang out with the kids, I wasn’t allowed to go to anyone’s house nor have anyone come over,” Joh’Vonnie said. “It wasn’t good. My mother and I we couldn’t even shop at the corner store because there might be a run in with some of the family.”
Her parents, she later said, met at her mother’s work Christmas party. Cheryle, Joh’Vonnie said, worked as a secretary for a few police officers. “They met and my dad pursued and he didn’t stop…cause she wasn’t interested,” Vonnie said. Though she watched her Jackson siblings take off in front of the world, Joh’Vonnie admits it was a given that she wouldn’t get to be around them.
“It made me feel horrible because when you’re young and you see these people that are your siblings on television, you’re like oh my God, you have these expectations…”
What Else To Know About Joh’Vonnie & Her Mother
In the same way Joh’Vonnie Jackson knew about her Jackson siblings, they knew about her. Later in life, at about 15, Joh’Vonnie said she met Rebbie Jackson, and they developed a deep, close relationship. Rebbie is who reportedly introduced Vonnie to their other sister, Janet. She was also the only one who called Vonnie after her mother Cheryle’s death in 2014, per the Defender Network. Meeting Michael Jackson in 2003, Joh’Vonnie said, was a painful experience she revealed in 2018 because he hardly acknowledged her as his sibling. Overall, Joh’Vonnie described feeling rejected in majority by her siblings, but feeling some comfort around Jermaine as she did with Rebbie.
Social Media Weighs In On Joh’Vonnie Spilling The Beans
On The Shade Room’s Instagram account, over 10,000 reactions from the roommates flooded the repost of Joh’Vonnie’s interview on ‘Portia.’ Plenty commented on how much Vonnie resembles Joe Jackson, while others lamented how the other Jackson kids must’ve felt about the contrast in their upbringings. A few spoke on Joe Jackson’s ability to balance two households.
@dessdasavage_ commented, “Ion blame them for not fw her😭😭 she was reaping all the benefits of THEIR hard work while they was getting beat.”
@tee1ama said, “Funny cus she looks just like him.”
“Chile, I don’t know how these men be at two homes at once! In her garden and happy, but got Michael and ’em singing all day 😮 Dang,” @imjustleevon added.
“It’s so cringing every time she says dad. He made the other kids call him Joe,” @x._queenj_ commented.
@beau_tiful_gowns added, “I know janet and them, looking at this like huh?? Farm?? Home?? Dinner?? Yo nephew? 😭”
“At this point just keep living your life and keep us out of it…. She’s calling him Dad and the ones we know and love call him Joseph,” @donya_is_love said.
“Wonder why she was more angry with her MOM vs her DAD? He was the one married with 10 famous kids and a WIFE! They both were wrong but him more than her! 💁🏽♂️,” @therealcecehendriks commented.
@audraamichelle wrote, “Fascinating it’s too bad she had to pay for the poor decisions the adults around her made… not having siblings to bond with sucks.”
@coolie.vibe commented, “Them outside babies always be the daddy twin.”
