By now, most fans of the Jackson family have heard all about Joe Jackson’s secret daughter, Joh’Vonnie Jackson. Since she didn’t grow up with her half-siblings, she’s never really had the opportunity to speak publicly about her life as a Jackson – until recent years. In recent years, Joh’Vonnie appeared on “The Talk” daytime talk show, where she had the opportunity to promote her then new book, “Bastard Child.” You can probably guess what the book is about, but it also includes a few details about her few interactions with her half-siblings. She openly discussed one incident with Janet Jackson that didn’t go very well.
The Talk:
Video of Joh’Vonnie’s interview on “The Talk” has since been deleted online. However, quotes from that interview are still visible and we have them here for you ILOSM family. During the “The Talk” discussion, Joh’Vonnie, now 46, recalled the first time she met Janet Jackson. Although Joh’Vonnie is biologically related to the famed singer, that didn’t mean she wasn’t a starstruck fan like everyone else. So, of course, she was ecstatic about meeting her sister, but unfortunately, the first meeting went all the way left. But, why did things go awry so quickly? Well, Joh’Vonnie has revealed one word she said made things completely awkward. She referred to Joe Jackson as “daddy.” For those who don’t know, Janet and her siblings were never allowed to call their father “Daddy.” All of the Jackson children referred to their father simply as “Joseph.”
Joh’Vonnie said, we met up at Rebbie’s house and we were having a pretty good conversation until I said, ‘Daddy’ and she got upset. But the reason she got upset is because he did not allow them to call him Daddy.”
A 25-Year Affair:
For the Jackson children, learning about Joh’Vonnie definitely wasn’t easy. Then to make matters worse, it was revealed that Joh’Vonnie’s mother, Cheryle, wasn’t exactly a one-night-stand for Joe. The two reportedly had a 25-year affair and Joe wasn’t exactly an absentee father. Based on Joh’Vonnie’s claims, it appears Joe lived a double life because she has a completely different view of Joe, filled with fond memories and family vacations. With she and her mother, he wasn’t the so-called ‘slave-driving perfectionist’ he was often depicted as with his other children.
“He would come round most days sometimes without warning, he was very much a presence in my life, I was a daddy’s girl, sai Joh’Vonnie. “I would be so excited, he would bring me presents, my favorite black walnut ice cream. I was spoiled rotten.”
For Joh’Vonnie, family life was great until she learned the truth about her father. At age 11, she learned that he was a married man. She revealed she met Katherine Jackson during a chance encounter at a nail salon. She admitted it was all so confusing:
“We walk in [the salon] and there’s Katherine Jackson sitting right there. I got so upset, so nervous – I was confused. And she said, ‘She looks just like him’ – she said that to my best friend. So, I left out and shouted, ‘I’m gonna call my daddy.’
She continued:
The reason I was so upset was because we couldn’t even shop at the corner grocery store. We had to go to a different grocery store. And now she’s in the neighborhood getting her nails done, I’m thinking I might possibly get in trouble. It was such a confusing time.”
Moved On:
Despite the past-estrangement, Joh’Vonnie has admitted that things eventually changed for the better over the years. During previous interviews, she admitted Katherine Jackson once referred to her as the “bastard child,” but she’s admitted the Jackson family matriarch’s pain was understandable:
“I think she was very hurt at the time of the affair. That’s totally understandable. No woman likes for her husband to go cheating on her and produce a child. It was probably heart-breaking,” Joh’Vonnie said. “But she had come out of that, she let me live in her home, me and my daughter, and I took care of her home when she was not there. We’ve cooked together and have had good conversations.”
It’s unclear of 90 years young Katherine Jackson still has any type of relationship with Joh’Vonnie, but it’s good to see the Jackson matriarch still going strong to this day.
As you know, Joe Jackson passed away in June 2018 at age 89 –just one month prior to his 90th birthday– but his legacy will live on forever.