Amid a Jackson family media spectacle and onslaught of bizarre accusations, a new figure surfaced from the musical dynasty – TJ Jackson, son of Tito, nephew of Michael, and now temporary guardian of the late pop star’s three children, Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket.
According to an order filed in the Superior Court of California on Wednesday, TJ, 34, received temporary custody of Michael’s three children from their grandmother Katherine, 82, after she went missing over the weekend. Some reports indicated she was on medical getaway while others suggested she was held against her will by her children, who are currently battling Michael’s estate executors over what they believe is a forged will.
Nevertheless, Wednesday’s priority was the kids.
“There are only three words I want to say: always kids first,” TJ Jackson said outside the court following the hearing.
In court, TJ claimed his grandmother had been acting strangely the night prior to the hearing, and was slurring her words on the phone. The court order specified that Katherine must return home to California and re-establish communication with the kids if she intends to regain custody. The judge additionally ordered that both Diana Ross, whom Michael Jackson appointed secondary guardian in his will, and Debbie Rowe, mother of Prince and Paris, receive notice of the decision within 48 hours. He advised TJ to seek permanent guardianship based on the details of the hearing, and scheduled a follow-up session in 30 days.
“I’ve known TJ for years. He is an outstanding father to his own children, and I personally think this was a great decision for the children,” Jodi Gomes, Executive Producer of The Jacksons and manager of Tito Jackson told theGrio on Thursday. “I think the children need someone to love them, and TJ has always been there for them before, even before Michael passed. They need someone who will unequivocally be there and he’s good fit for a temporary situation.”
Gomes also expressed sincere love for Katherine Jackson, commenting, “Marlon, Tito and Jackie made a brave decision to step up and tell the honest truth about how they felt about the estate and all that’s actively going around. The situation with their mom has, quite frankly, been blown completely out of proportion. I’m glad Mrs. Jackson is back. I am probably one of the most loyal people to Mrs. Jackson, but in light of all that’s gone on, I fully support TJ.”
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Despite the domestic drama, what may be most striking about the turn of events is the emergence of TJ, a relatively off-the-radar member of the clan now taking the lead. A source close to the family tells theGrio that TJ was always tight-knit with Michael, spending time with him at Neverland Ranch, and touring with him in the ‘90s. Michael became a mentor for TJ when he, along with brothers Taj and Taryll, formed the band 3T in the mid-90s. Michael signed the band to his vanity label, MJJ Music, which co-produced and released the group’s first album, Brotherhood in 1995, distributed through Epic Records. The pop icon was featured on two of the group’s singles, “Why” and “I Need You.”
For their sophomore release, 3T went independent, putting out the album Identity in 2004 on their own imprint, distributed by Warner Music.
Neither album was met with great success in the U.S., the first selling just shy of 280,000 units according to Soundscan, and the second, not even 1,000. Internationally, the records found more love, scoring several top ten Billboard hits in the U.K.
3T’s debut was dedicated to the memory of their mother, Delores “Dee Dee” Jackson, who drowned in 1994 during their recording sessions. At the time of her death, Dee Dee was divorced from Tito, and, as reported by People in 1995, her passing was initially ruled accidental. Later, the sons filed a wrongful death suit, claiming she was murdered by her boyfriend. TJ was a senior in high school that year, a student with a 3.5 grade point average attending The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. The school is a private institution where Michael’s children, Prince and Paris, are currently enrolled.
In 1996, the Los Angeles Times ran a feature about TJ, describing him as being equally committed to his musical career as his baseball team. The interest in both sports and entertainment made the young artist’s schedule challenging, but he managed to successfully tour Europe with 3T, and make it home for games in between shows.
“My life is pretty crazy right now,” he said. “It’s a lot of planes and hotels and once in a while a baseball field…Both are equally as important to me. I’ve been singing and playing baseball for my entire life and I love them both.”
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TJ was also said to have dated Kim Kardashian for four years around that time, commenting to People, “We became extra close when my mom passed away. She dropped everything to be with me.”
Rumors have spread over the past few weeks that Kardashian lost her virginity to TJ, as she admitted to Oprah Winfrey in June on Oprah’s Next Chapter that she first had sex at the age of 14, which is right about the time she’s being linked to Michael’s nephew.
TMZ reports that Kardashian recently told friends, “TJ was the closest to Michael and his kids;” that he had a “father-like” relationship with the children; and that “he’s a very honest and trustworthy person and everyone knows he’ll do the right thing.”
In 2007, TJ married his current wife, Frances, and they have three children together, a son named Royal, and two daughters, Dee Dee and Jordan. A source tells theGrio that TJ has said, “he loved kids and would like to raise as many as a baseball team.” TJ and his brothers put their careers on hold after Michael’s death to support their cousins, and “TJ takes the kids to theme parks and the movies.” The source also noted TJ’s son is “about a year older than Blanket, and they are best friends.”
More recently, TJ appeared with his brothers alongside Prince and Paris to receive Michael’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Grammy Awards, as well as at Michael’s Hollywood Handprint Ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in January.
No details have emerged yet as to whether the children will leave their current home under the new arrangements, though some comments from family members suggest TJ was taking care of them prior to Wednesday’s hearing in their grandmother’s house. Along with official guardianship, TJ will now receive financial assistance from the Jackson estate, but no amounts have been disclosed.
The family continues to throw banter on the matter around to the press and via Twitter. TMZ has published a series of reports claiming Katherine’s children conspired against her, that she was drugged and kidnapped, that she wanted TJ to take custody of the kids, and that conversely, she was devastated by his move.
In an interview Wednesday night on ABC’s Nightline, Katherine, with her children behind her, said, “There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped and held against my will…I am here today to let everybody know that I’m fine…My children would never do a thing like that.”
In her absence, she said her assistant had been contacting her grandson to check on the children, and commented, “The ruling today was about the guardianship and I think it was based on a bunch of lies. But I have a good idea who’s doing that or who’s behind it…I told [TJ] it wasn’t necessary for him to go down for guardianship.”
Michael’s brother Randy took to Twitter to voice his discord over TJ’s decision, tweeting Wednesday afternoon that “his performance in court today breaks my heart. He knows his aunts and uncles would never hold their mother against her will. That’s ABSURD…THIS IS NOT OVER…Again…WHY would it be necessary for TJ to take guardianship of the children away from my mother when they were already in his care?”
TheGrio reached out to representatives of the Jackson family members, but none could be reached for comment.
Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @courtgarcia