After decades of being intensely private about her personal and professional experiences, Janet Jackson is finally opening up about who she really is through a self-titled documentary on A&E and Lifetime. So, of course, to give us a real insight into the singer’s life behind the camera and the controversies, her loved ones also feature in the production, including her mother, Katherine Esther Jackson. As the matriarch of the family, she has done wonders to provide for her children over the years, so now let’s find out everything there is to know about her, shall we?
The relationship between Janet Jackson and Katherine Jackson
Born as Kattie B. Screws on May 4, 1930, Katherine Jackson grew up in Clayton, Alabama, and Chicago, Indiana, with dreams of becoming a country actress or singer. However, after disappointingly realizing there were no famous black artists, she mostly let her creativity run wild at school despite contracting polio at a very young age. . From there, she met Joseph “Joe” Jackson at age 17 and gradually built a life with him in Gary, Indiana, welcoming ten children into their lives between 1950 and 1966, Janet being the youngest of their offspring.
Throughout this time, while her husband briefly pursues his dream of becoming a professional boxer, Katherine not only works part-time at a Sears store, but also pushes her children to follow their passions. Her unwavering love and protection is part of why Michael Jackson dedicated his 1982 album “Thriller” to her, and Janet did the same on her 1989 album “Rhythm Nation 1814.” Katherine filed for divorce from Joe twice over the years, but she canceled the papers both times and remained married to him until his disappearance in 2018. Yet the one thing that has never changed is her presence in the lives of his children, especially Janet’s.
Where is Katherine Jackson now?
From what we can tell, Katherine Jackson has since moved from Hollywood to Indiana to lead a quiet life, as far away from the direct spotlight as possible. This decision would have come long after 2009, when she tragically lost her son and the world lost “The King of Pop” to cardiac arrest. Michael Jackson’s disappearance is a painful affair that still affects the ‘My Family, The Jacksons’ author so much that she can’t even talk about it publicly. In fact, all Katherine could say about her son in “Janet Jackson” is that she’s always been proud of his career “because he’s been successful” — a path her daughter is also following.
It should also be mentioned that upon Michael’s death, Katherine was granted permanent guardianship of her two oldest children – Prince and Paris – whom she raised in California until they were adults. In November 2017, however, she openly resigned as co-guardian to Michael’s youngest – Blanket, then 15 – citing her advanced age and health issues. One of her grandsons and the singer’s nephew, entertainer TJ Jackson, were later given sole custody of the boy without objection. Ultimately, we can only say that Katherine, now in her early 90s, seems to be happily doing as well as she can.
Read more: Where is Rebbie Jackson now?
