Joe Jackson has reportedly been hospitalized with terminal cancer.
The Jackson 5 manager, who was accused of abusive treatment by his late son Michael Jackson in a 1993 Oprah Winfrey interview, has been "battling the illness for some time," according to a TMZ report published Friday. Katherine Scruse, Jackson's wife, is said to have recently been by his side at an undisclosed hospital.
Though the TMZ report further alleges that several of Jackson's children and grandchildren have also made recent visits to see him at the hospital, a separate report—this one from the Daily Mail—claimed that "senior family members" had been blocked from such visits by Jackson's "handlers."
In a statement to the Mail, Jermaine Jackson said the family has been "hurting" and at one point had no idea what was going on. "We shouldn't have to beg, plead, and argue to see our own father, especially at a time like this," he reportedly told the tabloid. He added that his father is presently "very frail" and "doesn't have long."
Jackson, 89, was previously hospitalized and placed in intensive care following a stroke back in 2015. At the time, it was reported that Jackson had also suffered three previous strokes, including one three years prior to his Brazil hospitalization.
Earlier this week, the Michael Jackson Estate announced that a new musical based on the King of Pop's life would soon be heading to Broadway. The untitled play, led by Christopher Wheeldon of the Royal Ballet, is slated to debut in 2020.
