EXCLUSIVE: Jackson Kids' Private Hell Revisited — Tyrant Dad Joe Terrified His Children and 'Pummeled' Young Michael… 'He Won't Be Missed'
Joe Jackson served as his children's talent manager.
May 1 2026, Published 3:23 p.m. ET
Joe Jackson was said to have been a tyrant and a menace to his children throughout their formative years.
On June 27, 2018, Joe passed away at 89 after a battle with pancreatic cancer – and according to a source, he won't be truly missed by his kids, Breaking Celebrity News can exclusively reveal.
Allegations of Joe Jackson's Brutal Abuse
Several of Joe Jackson's children have claimed he was physically abusive.
Joe was accused of severely emotionally and physically abusing his kids throughout their childhood.
"None of us can remember him holding us or cuddling us or telling us ‘I love you’," Jermaine Jackson, 71, penned in his 2011 memoir You Are Not Alone: Michael Through A Brother's Eyes.
In another shocking accusation, Marlon Jackson, 69, claimed he remembered his father of holding a young Michael upside down by one of his legs when he was a small child as he "pummeled him over and over ... hitting him on his back and buttocks."
The Jackson family patriarch was reportedly so brutal with Michael in particular that just the sight of him would make him "throw up" when he was a kid.
LaToya Jackson accused her father of molesting her.
LaToya Jackson, 69, also made the bombshell allegation that her father had sexually abused her.
"I am a victim myself and I know what it feels like," she alleged at a 1993 press conference. "I’ve been hurt by it too. My father molested me sexually and I don’t like it, I don’t like the way it feels."
While reflecting on the many accusations against the talent manager after his death, a source declared, "Let him burn!"
"Joe may be gone, but in this family, he won’t be missed!" added the source.
Joe Jackson's Regrets After Michael's Death
Michael Jackson passed away in June 2009.
As Radar previously reported, Joe regretted at least some of his failures as a father in his final days, particularly when it came to Michael.
"(He) realizes what he’s done and how difficult he’s been," an insider said at the time.
Just before his passing, Joe confessed that Michael had asked him to "come live with him" prior to his own death in June 2009.
"I told him I would be there and he was excited to have me," Joe said, according to a source. "He was afraid of something or someone but he called on me to be there and I didn't get there. I didn't get there."
The ailing 89-year-old added, "I know I should have been there for Michael...He wanted me there and I failed him."
Tensions Surrounding Joe Jackson's Funeral
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Joe Jackson was buried in July 2018.
Prior to his funeral service, a source spilled there was tension in the family over who would pay for it. The Thriller singer's daughter, Paris, wanted to shell out the cash, but her aunt, Janet, 59, thought it would "look bad for the family."
"Paris believes her grandfather is a legend and his funeral should reflect that, but Janet and her brothers know the truth," an insider said at the time.
As for the day itself, another source claimed, "There was no crying or breaking down — except for one of the younger grandchildren who only knew that someone had died."
