Michael Jackson

[justTripn]

So Michael Jacksons kids are not his biological children. Now, why didn't I see that one coming? I have no idea why I am worried about this stuff, when as you say, there are other things to worry about.

[JadziaKathryn]

I say, if you're going to care about screwed-up celebrities' situations, it might as well be on behalf of the kids who had no say in the matter. I do hope the poor boys can have a reasonably normal life through some miracle.

[Distracted]

So Michael Jacksons kids are not his biological children.

Where did you see that?

[Aquarius]

Really? I was at work today so I didn't get a chance to see the news. Wow.

[panyasan]

So Michael Jacksons kids are not his biological children.

Really? They problably spilled that news, because other members of his family want a piece of his heritage. Always a sad ending of a talented life: your family fighting over the money.

[panyasan]

Sorry, double post.

[Linda]

Well aren't they his kids legally? For inheritance purposes? Didn't he have a will? I haven't been watching the news lately. Inheritance fights can make family members become really nasty to each other. I hate that. I hope it doesn't get that way with the Jackson family.

[justTripn]

No, they are obviously "his kids" in the sense that matters, he raised them since infants. But I wonder how he could think so little of himself that he couldn't use his own DNA to create them. The guy is one of the most talented people ever to come along and it seems he didn't want children with his genetic heritage. It kind of blows my mind. And makes me sad. But as you say, there are other things to worry about. Yes, Jadziakathryn, I hope by some miracle they all survive the strangeness. I think Michael was definately screwed up by the abuse suffered at the hands of Joe Jackson, (I reference "The Jacksons: An American Dream," a made for TV miniseries.)

[Linda]

I didn't know about the abuse that Michael suffered in the family. That is sad. Maybe learning about that would help me understand him better. Is that miniseries a decent one or do you think it distorts and sensationalizes for effect? If you think it is a good one, I will try to locate a copy of it.

[Alelou]

I didn't see any miniseries, but it's hard to look at Michael Jackson and not assume that some significant trauma occurred when he was a boy.

[justTripn]

Well the movie was produced by Jermaine Jackson and based on an autobiography by Kathrine Jackson, and no one in the family disputed the basic story presented, although La Toya was terribly upset objecting that her childhood wasn't an American Dream. Basically Joe Jackson beat his kids for any little thing, including messing up a dance move onstage. The general public was shocked, but no one in family seemed not to anticipate how shocking the story would be to the general public since they told their own story and called it "An American Dream." Michael in his interviews said it was all basically true, and that he would run and hide when his father would come after him to beat him, and that he might have gotten it the worst because his father thought he was "special". He said, his father probably thought he was doing the right thing, so he doesn't hold a grudge, and that he wouldn't change the past since it brought him to where he is today, but that even today, his father scares him. That he has "scary eyes." He said this as an adult in that quiet weirdly gentle voice. I almost took a swipe at Joe Jackson in the author notes to my Malcolm story, "PTSD." It was that kind of thing.

So to answer the question, Linda, the miniseries is quite disturbing but well done. I don't know if that is a recommendation.

[Alelou]

Well, that sure fits.

The "special" son in my husband's family is the one who regularly requires hospitalization. The others are just chronically depressed and generally a mess, depending on how much therapy they've had.

Child abuse is not pretty.

[Aquarius]

Weren't there allegations that Joe sexually molested Rebbie, too?

[justTripn]

I hadn't heard that.

As for Michael's kids, I have hopes that they will be OK. They sure have been out of the public eye up till now. My husband is friends with one of Bob Dylan's nonfamous sons. He's so nonfamous, his first name escapes me now, but he's so rich he doesn't have to work, but otherwise lives a completely normal life. Just blends in. I finally got introduced to him like a month ago when we were all happened to be eating like in the sit-down deli section of a grocery store. If these kids can continue to fly under the radar of the paparazzi, they may be fine. *crosses fingers*

[Aquarius]

I think it came out in some minor interview, sometime after that mini-series/special thingy aired...kind of one of those "She's been awfully quiet for years, where is she now?" things. I can't speak to its accuracy because it's so long ago; I don't remember where exactly I'd read it, but even if I could, I couldn't necessarily vouch for their credibility, either. Mostly I was just wondering if anyone here knew anything about that, if it was true or false, etc.