In the ongoing saga of Michael Jackson’s Siblings vs. Michael Jackson’s Other Siblings, we used to have Jermaine, Randy, Janet, Rebbie and Tito on the “challenging the executors” aka “money grab” side, and Marlon and Jackie on the other side. (La Toya remained neutral and urged her family to keep it out of the press.) Around the time that Katherine Jackson was whisked away for an impromptu spa trip without telephone or internet access, Tito switched sides and issued a plea, along with Marlon and Jackie, to have his mother returned home to MJ’s children. Now another Jackson has switched sides. Jermaine, who was one of the three Jacksons who went to MJ’s children’s house to urge the kids to take a little trip to Arizona, has apologized for his part in that well publicized incident. He’s also withdrawing his name from the statement challenging the will and its current executors. Here’s Jermaine’s statement:
In a statement posted to Jermaine’s Twitter account, he says, “After much soul-searching, it is clearly time for us to live by Michael’s words about love not war. In this spirit, I offer this statement by way of extending an olive-branch. Accordingly, I rescind my signature from the letter which was sent to the Estate, and which should never have gone public. I still hold deep reservations about many issues involving the Estate, and I will continue to bring scrutiny and a resolute voice wherever we have cause for concern. But the way to address such matters is through the proper channels and via a private dialogue, not public conflict.”
As previously reported, Randy Jackson was responsible for hatching a family plot to overthrow Michael Jackson’s executors in an attempt to get his hands on part of the late King of Pop’s estimated $1 billion fortune. A letter demanding the executors’ resignation that was leaked to the media, was signed by Randy, Jermaine, Tito, Rebbie and Janet. Tito Jackson publicly said last week he also regretted signing the letter.
Jermaine also admits that Michael’s three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket were unable to talk to their then legal guardian, Katherine Jackson while she was away in Arizona.
“When she was away, and with the children in the responsible care of Tito’s son TJ, there was never a malicious attempt to ‘block’ the kids from talking with her. We simply worried that a call home would first entail, or lead to, conversations with individuals we are in dispute with and that would, therefore, increase pressure on Mother — and pressure was what a doctor said she didn’t need. This was why we went to the house in Calabasas to talk directly with the kids and merely discuss arrangements for them to meet with their grandmother. We were denied that access by security — and it was clear that mutual suspicions had allowed events to spiral out of control. I regret that events were ever allowed to reach such a stage. I regret any distress caused to Prince, Paris and Blanket. That was never, ever the intention of myself, Janet, Rebbie or Randy. Moving forward, the most effective way to best serve Mother’s welfare, and that of Michael’s children, is to start a collective dialogue, in private,” Jermaine revealed.
Jermaine ends the statement by saying, “Mistakes have been made and irrational things have been said on both sides in a highly-charged emotional environment. It is time for us all to draw a line in the sand and move towards peace, co-operation, love and healing. I truly hope that we can find it in our hearts to do so. Because above and beyond anything else, what matters…is family.”
[From Radar]
That was very well written and explains how the situation escalated – both sides didn’t trust the other’s intentions. (Radar has a breakdown on how Jermaine is fudging the truth, but I’m not going to get into that, you can read it there.) I’m still on “team kids,” because it seems like they were just defending themselves against an ambush, one their dad may have even prepared them for. For now they seem to be calling a truce. Paris, Prince and Blanket even went to see their uncles perform in the Unity Tour over the weekend. The Unity Tour consists of Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Jermaine Jackson, who are not-so-coincidentally all on the same side now that Jermaine has withdrawn his support from challenging the will.
Some of you have floated the theory that the executors are paying themselves exorbitant salaries and that’s why MJ’s siblings are so vocally speaking out against it. Even if that’s true, Michael made it clear that he didn’t want his brothers or sisters to get a dime. They’re fighting over money that doesn’t belong to them and probably never will. Radar recently reported that Randy, the ringleader on the money grab side, owes half a million dollars in child support. Jermaine owes child support too, to the same woman, Alejandra, since he married her and had two children with her after Randy broke up with her by marrying another woman without Alejandra’s knowledge. (You can’t make this up, read Wikipedia.) Both brothers have asked MJ’s estate to pay child support to their children from the same woman.
As for Janet’s claims that she isn’t in this for money and is just trying to show solidarity with Randy or something, US Weekly says she’s broke. In their latest issue they have source who claims Janet “has spent far more than she has made, so she needs the money.” Their source also adds that Janet isn’t a doting aunt to MJ’s kids and has “seen them maybe five times since Michael died and has no relationship with them.” Except when it comes to telling them what they should do, right?
Most of these photos are from the Unity Tour on 7-20-12. Credit: WENN.com
I have to say, to me this mostly reads like “Shit, that got a lot of high profile media attention and I look really, REALLY bad”
Exactly. Personal image damage control. Poor children with these relatives!
Exactly!
exactly.
damage control
Same here – I don’t see him rescinding anything but the public parts. He should’ve thought long and hard about possible repercussions before he ever agreed to be shown on tv in the “hostage” video.
Yup.
Is that kid’s name really Blanket? I thought that’s what the press called him??
It’s a nickname just like Tiger Woods. His name is Prince Michael Jackson. Michael’s grandfather was named Prince
Blanket’s real name is Prince Michael Jackson II – I got this from Wikipedia.
Both boys are named Prince?
@NCY gal – yup, Blanket is Prince Michael II. I guess that got a little confusing round the dinner table so they called him ‘Blanket’. Coulda been worse (towel, hankie, pillow case, doona cover, kitchen wipe .._)
They’re self-proclaimed royalty and all, didn’t you know? Gotta keep it royal. I’m glad Michael didn’t name Paris “Princess” though. Very glad.
Jermaine is my least favourite member of the Jackson family & that’s saying a lot because they’re all pretty heinous.
There was a brief shining moment ‘back in the day’ when Jermaine was kinda hot. He had a great song out (Do What You Do) and seemed sexy.
Now he just looks like an always greasy money-grubber with a bad hairdo from the 80s. UGH.
Word. It’s way past time to retire that high top fade. Get a job and a haircut, Jermaine!
I still love that song.
@Blannie – I can’t get that damn song out of my head now. I remember the video too – Iman was in it!
How in the hell is Janet broke?I have never heard about her living extravagant lifestyle in terms of jewelry, multiple cars homes, etc. Her BF is a multimillonaire.
She’s single
Her previous boyfriend allegedly bled her dry, during the years they were together. Just because you don’t hear about someone living lavishly doesn’t mean they aren’t. Also having a rich boyfriend doesn’t change your financial situation, just means you have someone else’s money temporarily to get you by. Besides we don’t know what her arrangement with her boyfriend is when it comes to money. You can’t claim someone else’s money as your own.
She’s not had an album with a significant hit single on it since 2001. And even killer album sales are largely a break even for artists. Her last three tours (where artists really make big dough) didn’t even break the Top 25 in the respective years. For all intents and purposes she’s been unemployed for 10 years, and when you have taxes and lawyers and agents and beauty consultants to pay, you burn up the cash in a hurry.
@Enn no that’s his nickname. His birth name is Prince Michael II, I think.
Anyway I heard that MJs kids get 80K each from the estate per month, not 80K total for all three. If that’s true I can see why those hungry aunts and uncles want a piece of the pie.
but its not THEIR “pie” to get a piece of!
You see executors he apologized; now give him access to the house so this time he can kidnap the kids instead of grandma
This is weak damage control. Some of what he is saying in this letter conflicts with what we already know. For example, security never interfered with the adults seeing the kids. The adults went directly to the kids pretending to hug them, only to try to snatch their phones and film them. This is on video. They were also asking about the kids’ passports. Why would you need passports to fly to granny in Arizona? Where were they going to take the kids? The whole episode is fishy. It took Jermaine and his siblings long enough to realize how horrible they look in this situation.
I never thought Janet was broke but it is a possibility. She’s been spending more than she’s been making for years. She recently did a tour of small venues, released a book, and started doing weight loss commercials. Those activities all seem like things a person would do because they need a quick buck. I used to want Janet to have a baby, but after recent events I’m glad she didn’t because she seems cold and uncaring. It’s sad if she hasn’t seen those kids more than five times since her brother died.
Yes, the executors are making lots of money but they should because they had a lot of work to do to make sense of MJ’s finances after he died. Lawyers always get paid! At this point, I would rather see the executors get money than MJ’s greedy siblings. I hope Katherine isn’t funneling too much down to her children. She should be taken care of, but she shouldn’t be able to bleed the estate dry at the expense of the three kids.
Why in the world would those two petition the estate to pay their nearly $1M in back child support?! What scumbags – this family is disgusting.
I thought this, too. In what universe is asking your dead brother to pay YOUR child support a thing to do?
He supported. Their kids when he was alive their baby mama lived with Katherine for years
It’s ironic as Michael sounds like the only Jackson family member who didn’t sleep with that woman, so why would his ESTATE have to pay her child support at all, whatsoever?
What entitled worms. Guys, you were both man enough to knock her up, now pay up, and stop looking to your dead brother to do it for you. And leave his kids alone, they don’t need a lifetime of dealing with your ridiculous, self created drama either.
“After much soul-searching” = after the story getting out and everyone realizing we’re money grubbing jerks. If all this hadn’t become pubic, they’d still be going after those kids’ money.
Exactly. I’m so proud of Paris Jackson for letting the world know her grandma had been nanny-napped and for resisting a kidnapping. These fools were trying to get Michael’s money by taking advantage of an old woman and children. Shame on them. Paris keep your twitter honey, don’t be bullied.
Some of you have floated the theory that the executors are paying themselves exorbitant salaries and that’s why MJ’s siblings are so vocally speaking out against it. Even if that’s true, Michael made it clear that he didn’t want his brothers or sisters to get a dime.
He dealt with these monsters his entire life — the fact he left them out of the will has always said A LOT to me.
They’re fighting over money that doesn’t belong to them and probably never will.
I hope you’re right. I really hope they never get their hands on his money — I can’t think of more undeserving people.
I don’t know which drama should be nominated for a Emmy, this mess or the Kristen Stewart mess. They could both be Emmy winning soap operas.
How true! and I miss As The World Turns, but we don’t need it with these self-created dramas.
He was afraid his mother would cut him out of her will; therefore, he backtracked on the letter.
Maybe. But when she dies, all that monthly income is reverted back to the estate and Michael’s kids.
Nope. I dont by that mutual distrust. If Michaels family gave a crap about those kids they would have foreseen the need for them to have contact with Katherine. Four grown ass adults, and none of them expected those kids to be worried? I don’t buy it. More like they didn’t give a shit because they’re greedy skeezers. Trying to fight over money that is going to CHILDREN.
excuse my attitude today.
Basically he’ll keep doing whatever the f he wants but ‘privately’ ?
That’s too easy and I’m not buying it. It’s just a fake parade of goodness and ‘family’. That word should be stuck in their throats, since they kept repeating it without grasping the meaning.
Of course ‘team kids’ and I hope they won’t trust those shady uncles/aunts even if they temporally act good.
(Also the marriage and children story is just gross).
Such fools.
What strikes me a lot is HOW STUPID THEY ARE: basically they kdnapped their own mother, tried to do I don’t know what with the kids, in a very gross way. So gross two teenagers were able to fight them back (good job Michael), and stand up for themselves.
Still wrapping my brain around the fact that the kids are cousins and half-siblings. And that their dads were their uncles and step-fathers. I cannot even comprehend this.
On another site, commenters were calling the kids “brousins” and “cousibs.” Funny, but it’s Jermaine and Randy and the woman who had kids with both of them who are really disgusting. How gross for the brousins?
Yes it seems something taken fron The Bold and the Beautiful…
I think Katherine’s mental health is the real concern here-this whole episode smells like elder fraud to me. Katherine is old enough to have issues with dementia. That means she can be easily manipulated and that her children can ask her to write checks and give them cash and she may not even remember it.
But can you imagine the fight for power of attorney? Having TJ as co-guardian was a wise move-he seems to be the hero in this mess, and he can oversee Katherine’s actions with the children involved (and without kidnapping her!)
Jermaine’s statement-total CYA!
wow! and Latoya is the voice of reason in all these shennigans. what a messed up crazy family!
Wasn’t the estate $500 million in debt? And in just three years the executors have wiped the debt out? If that is true, then they have earned their salaries!
Eh, MJ had lots and lots of assets as well as debt… His estate was never net negative. In the worst case scenario MJ’s stake of Sony/ATV would pay off all his debts. That was how he got the loans he was living off in the first place, by using Sony/ATV as collateral.
Even though the tens of thousands Katherine is getting sounds like a lot, it doesn’t touch the $$$$$$$$$$$$ MJ spent during his lifetime, so it’s natural that the estate would be able to quickly pay off the debts, especially with the boost in cashflow that comes from milking MJ’s death for album/movie/concerts………………………………
@Carol – MJ’s estate was in debt but he was never bankrupt. There are stories that he was but it’s ridiculous. The same applies to Janet. She may be low in cash as per celebrity standards but not bankrupt. There’s music royalty they earn and that’s a substantial amount. Moreover, MJ has what no one has in the industry – The Beatles music catalog including music titles by Dylan, Elvis, Eminem, Lady Gaga etc. MJ’s stake in the music catalog is at the centre of all the warring over his estate. His own music is owned by another company but I think that’s now tied to MJ’s estate. He sold half of his rights to Sony/ATV. His estate and Sony/ATV share the ownership of the music catalog. The catalog’s estimated worth is around 2 billion dollars, half of which will go to MJ’s estate. His estate continues to benefit from album sales post his death in 2009. His estate has earned nearly 100 million dollars each year since his death and continues to do so making MJ the richest musician. I don’t think this will be the last battle concerning his estate. The 50 percent ownership in music catalog will continue to be fought over and not just by family. Imagine he once has full ownership of the music catalog! This man has left a HUGE fortune, one that is dynamic. It continues to earn and still counting.
The estate executors are entitled to 10 percent of estate earnings as fee. 10 percent is a lot of money in a estate worth $1 billion. MJ’s siblings get none, which is kind of lame, imo. He could have settled some amount as one time payment to all his siblings and preempted some drama.
I totally agree, Mira. In my experience doing estate work, it’s not really a good idea to stick it to relatives as your last word on the way out of this world. A close relative is going to try to sue for a share. If he’d just conceded nominal amounts they’d have less to get in a wad about. I understand his animosity to his siblings, but with this huge amount of money it would’ve been wiser to just share a little. His 3 kids are not going to need all they are getting, not by a longshot. There was plenty to dole out. His Will was a bit of a joke and not researched; Diana Ross as custodian? She is less than thrilled at the prospect – I don’t think she and MJ even communicated regularly near the end of his life. Leaving 3 small children after you die should have been planned out far, far better with people ready to take on the task, not leave them with his very aged mother and another aging lady as backup. This was just not planned out well at all. it’s like he didn’t even consult anybody before naming custodians.
But, of course, I sort of doubt MJ was living in reality enough to think he might die young.
I so agree with you. Most of his brothers have lived beyond their means, BUT they worked their asses off from a very young age for old Joe. They were work horses for old Joe, but they never recouped the benefits Michael did or Janet. It must be hard watching the executors making a fortune and they got nothing.
People diss Madonna on here for not giving millions to a few of her loser brothers, but if she died and left everything to her children and nothing to siblings, she would be crucified. His siblings shoukd have received something. And it would make everything easier in the long run.
@gg – MJ’s kids will have great grandchildren before all the money can be spent and they’ll still be earning because of the music royalty and his share in music catalog unless his kids sell the 50 percent stake in future. ITA, his choice for guardianship sucks but did he have a better choice?
As for siblings, he should have doled out like $10 million per sibling. After all he started out as a sibling act before going solo. Of course he had celestial talent none of which his siblings share, yet, he should have settled some amount as a one-time payment.
Whether or not he was living in reality, a person of such enormous wealth and a single parent to 3 kids should always have a will taking into account any future possibilities. Like you said, his will is a bit of a joke. At least he had the sense to rehire Branca.
You do estate work? Should be interesting, no? Like Branca, are you like an executor of an estate? Lame question but I’d like to know 🙂
I think the debt was recently paid off in full, and I forget the numbers but the estate made a LOT of money right after he passed away, between that movie and the music sales.
Does the estate still hold the rights to a bunch of Beatles songs? I’ve noticed a few in commercials and stuff lately.
Michael was also the owner of the Beatles catalogue, only that is enough to make sure those kids will live like kings for the rest of their lives.
im guessing the entourage on ‘the Unity Tour’ is staggering.
and to think i really liked that guy when he was on celebrity big brother (uk).. he seemed so calm and religious and kind.
this whole grandma thing is/was really fishy…
He is right though about the public part. They should be sitting down inside, not on the driveway snatching phones, calmly discussing things, not breaking security measures, not tweeting everything. I am glad to hear Paris has been banned from posting all their dirty laundry on twatter. She has people appointed to protect her and this needs to be kept where it belongs; either in an attorney’s office or in court.
SAVE IT JERMAINE!
“We all know you did what you did when you said that you did it!”
LMAO!
Ain’t public backlash a beautiful thing? 🙂
Once the estate cleared probate isnt much they can do. I just went thru this. They can contest all they want, shit aint gonna happen. The executors make the decisions till the kids are 18. Jermaine realizes he aint getting crap and now wants to be nice. Why dont they hit Janet up for money???? Because they already have and she doesnt have what she likes us to believe. That is why she has the billionaire BF. She needs to hit him up for a loan and fix those titties.
Janet has plenty. She is very wealthy. But she is fifty. Her big earning years are behind her. She doesn’t want the weight of all those men on her financially for the next 30 years eating away at her fortune. She didn’t work all those years to support them. Actually, i am very surprised she is only worth 150 million. But she can get out there and tour for many more years if she needs to. She doesn’t want to do it to support all the losers in her family.
When Katherine got home and caught wind of what was going on behind her back, she hit the roof! It didn’t take long for her to whip those measly, grown ass children of hers into shape. I swear, Paris, Prince and Blanket are more mature than their aunts and uncles.
I’m surprised. He actually was pretty honest. Not completely, but more honest than I expected. Some things that didn’t make sense now do in that whole fiasco.
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he gives another meaning of kissing up their asses.kids trust any of them your father was right