Joe Jackson: “Michael was never beaten by me”


Joe Jackson was on Larry King Live last night, acting like his usual bastard self. Nothing is ever his fault, everybody is always telling lies about him, et cetera. Typical abuser, actually. Nevermind that we’re just quoting accurately. It was actually a doozy of an interview, and Larry was sharper than I’ve seen him in a while, asking Joe about everything from abusing Michael, to Joe’s relationship with his wife, to those quotes from two weeks ago about how Michael’s kids should be in showbiz because “Blanket can really dance”. CNN has the video, and they also have an extensive breakdown of the interview:

Michael Jackson’s father told CNN’s Larry King Monday night that he never beat his son or made any mistakes in raising him. Joe Jackson also said the rumor that he wanted to take the singer’s children on tour as the Jackson 3 was “a bunch of jive.”

Jackson repeated his suspicion that foul play was involved in his son’s death last month, but he conceded he did not know what happened. He said he had been blocked from seeing or talking to his son in the days before his death.

Jackson denied that he was legally separated from Katherine Jackson — his wife of 60 years — although he did say he spends most of his time in Las Vegas. His wife lives in the family home in Encino, California.

He denied a report that he had agreed to sign a document saying he would not be involved in helping raise Michael Jackson’s three children as a way to help his wife retain custody of them. “I’ve never said I was going to sign any papers to that effect,” he said.

Debbie Rowe, Michael Jackson’s ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children, has not said yet whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson for custody. Joe Jackson appeared careful to avoid any hints that he might encourage the children to enter show business, saying “they have to be what they are, kids, at the moment.”

“I can’t get into that right now, Larry, because, I mean, I just can’t,” he said.

King asked him to respond to a media report quoting an unnamed family source that said Joe Jackson, who turned his sons into the Jackson 5, had approached Michael Jackson’s children about touring next year as the Jackson 3.

“Not true. That’s a bunch of jive. That’s a bunch of — I wish I could say what I should say. That’s a bunch of bull.” Asked about stories that he was abusive to his son as a child, Jackson said “Oh, that’s a bunch of bull S. That’s a bunch of bull S.”

“You never physically harmed him?” King asked.

“Never. Never have. And I — and I raised him just like you would raise your kids, you know? But harm Michael, for what? I have no reason. That’s my son. I loved him and I still love him,” Jackson said. He said he made no mistakes in raising his children.

“Michael was raised properly,” he said. “He didn’t run the streets like most of those other kids that was in his neighborhood.”

While denying any child abuse, Joe Jackson’s explanation did leave the question of spanking: “The media keep hollering about saying that I beat Michael. That’s not true. You know what this beat started — beat started in the slavery days. Where they used to beat the slaves and then they used to torture them. That’s where this beating started. These slave masters, and that’s where that come from. But, hey, there’s a lot of people in America, Larry, a lot of people in America spank their kids, you know? They say they don’t, they’re lying. They’re lying. Now, Michael was never beaten by me, I’ve never beaten at all.”

Joe Jackson said he was not surprised or hurt to learn Michael left him out of his will.

“That’s the way he wanted it,” he said. “And it’s not going to hurt me that I was left out of his will. But it happened.”

The will, written in 2002, places all of Jackson’s assets into a family trust that benefits his mother, the three children and various charities. Joe Jackson showed frustration at being cut out of his son’s life in his last days.

“Larry, I’m going to cut through the chase on this. I could never get to him. I tried all I could and I could never get to him because he — I was barred away from him by securities and all that type of thing. I could not get to him,” he said.

[From CNN]

Not only do I think Joe Jackson is a lying old bastard, I think he’s a pretty bad liar. Truth expert Eyes for Lies thinks the same thing – she writes:

When Joe Jackson answers Larry King about whether or not he was abusive to Michael, and Joe answers, “I never been abusive to him”, you need to take a closer look at the words being spoken here. Joe Jackson clearly skirts the issues by playing with words, if you want my opinion.

Notice how convoluted Joe’s answer is? He talks about slavery and torture, and then ends up saying a lot of people spank their kids and don’t admit it. Why doesn’t he answer the questions directly? Then Joe ends his somewhat non-nonsensical answer by saying he’s “never beaten at all”. I think the key word here is “beaten”. It’s all semantics, if you want my opinion.

A man who abused his children and who is denial about it is likely to diminish his actions, and I believe that is what Joe Jackson is doing here. Notice how he doesn’t deny “spanking” Michael? And how he justifies everyone else must be doing it?

When I’ve seen Michael Jackson talk of how afraid he was of his father, I absolutely believed him.

[From Eyes For Lies, Radar Online’s video is quoted]

One of the most interesting parts (for me) was Joe’s hedging on the whole issue of how much he’s involved in Katherine’s life. It sounds like they’ve been separated for a while, but that they’re still involved in each other’s lives. This is a key point, and I hope it’s a major part of the custody hearing. I don’t think that Katherine should be appointed guardianship if she’s in any way involved with Joe.

Joe Jackson is shown on 7/10/09 at Michael Jackson’s hometown memorial. Credit: WENN.com
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30 Responses to “Joe Jackson: “Michael was never beaten by me””

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  1. saintdevil says:

    Didn’t he even admit in another interview how he “slapped” Michael with a belt? Because “beating” is something you do with a stick…

    This guy gives me the creeps worse than anyone else I’ve ever seen.

  2. gg says:

    😆 yeah we believe you … 😐

    You know, they won’t let you wear sunglasses to cover your shady eyes on tv so he wears a hat and it completely covers his eyes.

  3. Katharine Jaynes says:

    So Joe Jackson is senile now. A senile, crooked old bastard.

  4. vixenella says:

    I loved how he said he never “beated” his kids. He’s either truly nuts,on drugs,or senile…or all 3.

  5. Diana says:

    You know how you can tell Joe is lying? He opens his mouth and speaks.

    I thought the LKL interview excruciatingly poor. He was hurried to read the questions written by producer’s, constantly interrupted the guests, and failed to listen.

    Leonard Rowe, Joe’s good old boy buddy has a colorful and not too clean past.

    (There are two characters in this life drama I’m interested in and hope Gerald Posner plans a bio … Dr. Tohme-Tohme, and the doc who performed the 5 hour exam on MJ and gave him a pass on good health)

  6. teehee says:

    Thats what my abusive father said to us– I never beat your mother– when we saw him do it multiple times.

    Whats worse is, he then said “I may have hit her a couple of times, but I never beat her”

    STOOPID. And this Joe clown is saying the exact same thing!!

    Its the definition of beating in their minds– they beat soeone up but they dont think it classifies as beating– just to save their own consciences or else they couldnt live with themselves. They lie to themselves thus they think they are being truthful to others— because they dont know htemselves well enough to stop their behavior. All theats left for them is avoidance of the guilt it brings and placing the blame elsewhere.

    I suppose something much worse than physically injuring someone is real beating then?

  7. Caitlan says:

    I agree Larry King kept interupting, even Debbie Rowe’s friend couldn’t finish a sentence. It seeemed like he was rushed or something. I say leave Joe alone. Lots of parents have regrets about how they raised their children, but does he need to apoligize to the whole world on national television?? Lots of parents still spank and whoop their kids. A lot of kids still grow up in physically and emotionally abusive homes. Perhaps, Joe took it overboard but Michael was also a really sensitve boy and was very young at the time, so it may have affected him even more than the other siblings. Although, I’m sure the other siblings have suffered from it too. If Michael left most of his money in the will to his mother, than he must have known Joe could get his hands on it. After all , his mother still has contact with him and they just celebrated their 60th anniversary, which Michael attended.

  8. fizXgirl314 says:

    my brothers used to beat me when i was younger. when i confronted my mom about it many years later, she broke down and started crying and said that i was imagining things… i had to let it go then… it waas amazing to me how she had pushed the incident into her subconscious because it was so painful.

  9. Caitlan says:

    My sister used to beat me, and my parents just say that’s what siblings do. I’m the youngest. I grew up in a extremelly disfuntional emotionally abusive home as well. Parents are never going to admit that they are bad parents. Total denial. The best they could say was that they just did the best they could. And that’s it. I guess it’s too painful for them too actually recognize the truth. Oh well, I can’t spend my life trying to convince them how bad things were. They did the best they could under the circumstances. And maybe they are right.

  10. Annie says:

    How sad for Michael to have grown up with that kind of father in his life. 🙁

  11. Zoe (The Other One) says:

    I know this is becoming my theme for the night…but honestly Joe…

    BITCH, PLEASE.

  12. SolitaryAngel says:

    I totally understand how Michael could shut his father out of his life; I hate looking at pictures of Joe—much less have to hear his convoluted reasoning.

    But, having grown up like others here in an abusive dysfunctional family, the one thing Michael said that made me completely believe that he was abused? Whenever Joe would walk into the room or he’d hear Joe’s voice MJ would get sick to his stomach. That’s exactly how I always felt when I’d hear my stepfather.

  13. Iggles says:

    It all about semantics. This man is a cruel abusive a**

    I am chatting with my friends about this, and it’s funny how fathers get selective amnesia about hitting their kids when they grow all.

  14. Enonymous says:

    Yeah right, because cruel egotistical abusers are known for their truth telling and remorsefully taking responsibility for their actions. Whatever Joe Jackson, now shut that creepy little mouth of yours and run back to hell where you belong you sick asshole.

  15. Mme X says:

    what a horrible horrible horrible creature. Obviously can’t look us in the eye, can’t look himself in the eye. Shame on him. Sad that he’s getting any air time at all. I like Eponymous’s idea!

  16. so what says:

    Not only did he NOT mourn the death of his son, now he is calling MJ a liar. What a creep

  17. nelly says:

    I loved how he said he never “beated” his kids. He’s either truly nuts,on drugs,or senile…or all 3.

    Vixnella, love your comment. But i put one more, He’s nuts, on drugs, senile and a really PIMP. Even Chris Brown doesn’t come close to him.

  18. Trey says:

    Blah blah blah says The Douche. DIAF and shut your whore mouth while anybody anywhere is talking says The Trey.

    Seriously. I wonder how many death threats he gets per day.

  19. TinaWithPom says:

    @ teehee – same here. My dad regularly beat me, my lil brother, and my mother (with a yardstick he kept on top of the fridge, with a broom, with his hands, with his keys), then when we grew up and became adults, on the rare occasion that this was brought up (by us, not by him), he would vehemently deny it, saying that he NEVER hit us. not only that, my dad would get progressively angry with indignation (of all things, INDIGNATION) if we wouldn’t agree with him. it’s gotten to the point where we just don’t bring it up. but no matter what, the three of us – me, my bro, my mom – know what we saw and know what happened to us.

    i don’t understand how some abusers’ minds work.

  20. Enonymous says:

    The abusers that pretend to forget do that because they know very well that they preyed on the weak and what they did was disgustingly wrong and shameful. It could also be guilt, but my theory is that they chose to pretend otherwise because they are afraid that one day the tables will be turned and karma (a.k.a their victims) will hit them back when they are old and weak. Abusers never stop being selfish and cowardly.

  21. chunk says:

    what a pathetic scumbag

  22. Rosanna says:

    What a jerk! Sounds like my mother… tastless, pompous jerk

  23. tt says:

    do we really expect joe jackson to admit anything or repent? hes a psychopath and therefore unable to feel anything for anybody! parents who are like this are horrendous, i have one like this, my mom and i feel so much for mike cuz i know what it like and was for him

  24. CLH says:

    I STILL BELIEVE MICHAEL!!!MICHAEL DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIM EVER AGAIN!!!
    REMEMBER YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

  25. Snoopchew says:

    I remember acusing my mother about all the abuse I received as a child to my sister (also my best friend) and all she could say was “she didn’t know any better because she was abused by her mother as well”. Not only did that condone her behavior in my own sister’s justification, but it really opened my eyes to just how widespread this animal-like behavior was. I decided that if what she said was true, I would not pass it on to my children. So…I never had any children.
    See how sad this situation can be?

  26. Snoopchew says:

    And, anyone who denies that this situation is adverse to a child’s emotional behaviour in later years and can prevent them from leading a good life with lots of self-esteem is totally in denial to the effects that that abusive parent left for them. Sad, sad legacy.

  27. Miranda says:

    I’d like to point out that this is pretty much how Michael Jackson sounds/acts/talks when he’s denying he sexually abused children.

  28. Snoopchew says:

    @Miranda
    Like I said “sad, sad legacy”.

  29. Melanie says:

    Oh, he is so gross. I don’t think I’ve ever been so disgusted by anyone in my entire life.

  30. merelie says:

    STUPID ABUSER..!!.. I’M TRULY SAD ABOUT YOU MICHEAL , YOU ARE SPECIAL GIFTED FROM GOD