Joh’Vonnie Jackson is revisiting the complicated reality of growing up connected to one of music’s most recognizable families — while largely living apart from her famous siblings.
Joh’Vonnie is the daughter of late Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson and Cheryle Ann Terrell. Joe was married to Katherine Jackson during his relationship with Terrell.
During a recent appearance on “The Portia Show,” Joh’Vonnie discussed her childhood, her relationship with her parents and the experience of being separated from the Jackson children as their family became increasingly famous.
She also addressed the label that followed her because of the circumstances surrounding her birth: “bastard child.”
Rather than avoid the phrase, Joh’Vonnie eventually made it the title of her memoir, “Bastard Child.”
“I gave the title of the book that — bastard child,” she explained.
Joh’Vonnie said she began secretly writing about her experiences when she was 15. The project remained unfinished for decades before she eventually completed it.
She described the memoir as a “book of grievances” and an outlet for emotions she had carried for years.
“It’s my experience, nobody else’s,” she said.
Learning the Truth About Her Parents
Joh’Vonnie said she eventually learned more about the circumstances surrounding her parents’ relationship during a conversation with her mother.
“I got a little bit older, and my mother had a conversation with me and let me know the situation between Dad and her,” Jackson said. “So, that’s when I learned that my mother was a mistress to my father.”
She said she did not initially understand what the term meant.
As she processed what she had learned, Joh’Vonnie said she became angry with her mother and struggled with the situation.
“I was very angry. I was very upset,” she recalled. “I was feeling like, how can I ever get advice from her when she’s out here doing this.”
Joh’Vonnie also described the circumstances as particularly difficult because Joe remained part of her everyday life.
“It was really abnormal because I saw my father every day… he was at home with us,” she said.
Although Joh’Vonnie knew the Jackson children were her siblings, she said she could not freely interact with them while growing up.
That separation became increasingly complicated as the Jackson family’s profile grew around the world.
Her story offers a perspective from within the Jackson family that differs from the public narrative surrounding its most famous members. Through her memoir and recent interviews, Joh’Vonnie has continued sharing her personal account of what it meant to grow up on the edge of one of music history’s most famous families.
For Joh’Vonnie, “Bastard Child” is ultimately not just a description of how she was viewed. It is the title she chose for a story she says belongs to her — and one she began writing as a teenager before finally bringing it to completion decades later.
