Michael Jackson’s Relationship With His Father: A Closer Look

Joe Jackson has put himself out there as a Jackson family spokesperson since the death of his son Michael. But the relationship between the father and son was always tumultuous. The depth of Michael’s animosity apparently ran so deep it appears Michael reportedly left Joe out of his 2002 will. Their sour relationship reportedly stems from how strict Joe was on his kids if they made a mistake in their performance.

“He practiced us with a belt in his hand and if you missed a step expect to be…” Michael said, finishing the sentence with making whipping sounds during a 2003 interview with Martin Bashir for the special, “Living With Michael Jackson.”

“How often would he beat you?” Martin asked.

“Too much,” Michael revealed.

“Would he only use a belt?” Martin asked.

Covering his face, Michael replied, “Why would you do this to me? No more than a belt.”

An extremely candid Michael revealed during the special the physical abuse he claimed he endured from his father Joe during the Jackson 5’s early days.

For his part, Joe told the BBC that he whipped Michael, but never beat him.

At Monday’s press conference outside the Jackson family compound in Encino, Joe expressed pride over his son.

“I was very proud of my son and the legacy of Michael will still go on, I promise you that,” he told reporters.

It was Joe who first dreamed of family stardom and his drive to make his kids stars meant there was no room for second best.

“It was always, ‘Do it like Michael, do it like Michael!’ But the others were very nervous and I was nervous too,” Michael told Martin.

“I was scared, so scared that I would regurgitate,” he added.

“What would produce that sort of reaction in you?” Martin asked.

“His presence, just seeing him,” Michael said.

When asked, Joe told the BBC, “He regurgitates all the way to the bank.”

But despite any issues between them, Joe was there for his son when Michael was accused of sexual abuse in 1993 and when he was later on trial for child molestation in 2005, charges of which Michael was later acquitted.