The Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson died early Wednesday morning, according to TMZ. He passed away at 3:30 a.m. in a hospital in Los Angeles.
Joe was hospitalized earlier this month with terminal cancer, after battling health problems for years. In 2015 he was hospitalized and placed in intensive care following a stroke, and suffered three strokes prior to that incident. Joe had 10 kids with his wife of more than 60 years, Katherine Scruse, who was at his bedside despite their strained relationship. He had been "battling the illness for some time," TMZ reports.
Although family had reportedly been with Joe in his final days, Jermaine Jackson told Daily Maillast week 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 told the tabloid.
Janet Jackson talked about the positive impact her father had on her and her siblings during an acceptance speech at the 2018 Radio Disney Music Awards on Friday. "My mother nourished me with the most extravagant love imaginable, my father, my incredible father, drove me to be the best that I can," she said after receiving the Impact Award (which was renamed the Janet Jackson Award). "My siblings set an incredibly high standard for artistic excellence...Sometimes, having an impact can be as simple as a smile, a handshake, or a hug."
Joe had faced criticism in the past for his abusive approach to parenting his children. His late son Michael Jackson revealed the abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Joe did not deny the claims, but argued that his behavior helped make his children successful.
Joe Jackson was 89.
