Though it has been more than a decade since he passed, Michael Jackson is still one of the most talked-about artists in the world. Since his death, much information has come out about the performer’s life, and in particular, his childhood. What we are still learning about is the horrible abuse that Michael and his siblings suffered at their father’s hand. Michael suffered the most out of all of them. While this news originally broke in 2018, it’s surprising how people either forgot or still don’t know that claims were made that his father chemically castrated him to delay puberty and keep his voice high-pitched.
Michael Jackson’s Father Chemically Castrated Him As A Teenager
It is pretty well known by now that you could hardly call Joe Jackson a father. A tyrannical band manager would be a better fit. Michael Jackson spoke in several interviews about how even as an adult he was still terrified of his father. (1)
His father beat them with belts and other objects, as well as subjected them to cruel punishments whenever they made him angry. This, as you can imagine, was not a hard thing to achieve. They were never permitted to play outside with other kids after school. Instead, Joe forced the children to practice their musical talents for five hours a day when they got home. If they got a dance step wrong, their father would send them to the garden to find a tree branch with which he would beat them.
“It was more than just a belt — cords, whatever was around,” Michael remembered. “[He’d] throw you up against the wall as hard as you could. He would lose his temper. … I was so fast, he couldn’t catch me half the time. But when he would catch me? It was bad. It was really bad.” (2)
The Worst Abuse For Michael
Michael Jackson, the youngest and most talented member of the Jackson Five, received the worst of it all. First of all, there was physiological abuse. Michael Jackson became self-conscious about his nose as a young teenager. When Joe found out, he began ridiculing Michael about it, calling him big nose. From this, Michael developed a nervous habit of covering his nose with his hand. It looked as though he was smelling his hand, which led to other nicknames from producers such as “smelly”.
Not surprisingly, Michael Jackson later became well known for his obsession with surgically altering his nose. He had many surgeries done throughout his life to change the shape, size, and appearance of his nose. He eventually had to wear a prosthetic nose because he reportedly barely had a nose at all.
Michael Jackson’s controversial doctor Conrad Murray then came out with some pretty strong claims following Joe Jackson’s death. He says that Michael’s father chemically castrated Michael as an adolescent. The idea, of course, was to delay the onset of puberty and reserve the high-pitched voice that Michael Jackson was famous for as a child.
“The cruelty expressed by Michael that he experienced at the hand of his father…” Murray, 65, alleged. “The fact that he was chemically castrated to maintain his high-pitched voice is beyond words.” (3)
Hardly A Father
Michael Jackson detailed in numerous interviews that even as an adult, the mere thought of his father made him nauseous. Michael said that he has thrown up from fear before when his father entered the room and even once fainted.
In a 2009 interview with Rabbi Shmuley, Michael said, “I am scared of my father to this day. My father walked in the room — and God knows I am telling the truth — I have fainted in his presence many times. I have fainted once to be honest. I have thrown up in his presence because when he comes in the room and this aura comes and my stomach starts hurting and I know I am in trouble.” (4)
Older brother Jermain also said he can hardly recall a time when their father held or cuddled them. He didn’t even allow them to call him dad, preferring Joe or Joseph.
“He didn’t want us to call him ‘Daddy,’ and I wanted to call him ‘Daddy’ so bad.’ He said, ‘I’m not Daddy, I’m Joseph to you,'” Michael said in an interview.
The Michael Jackson estate claimed that Michael had mended his relationship with his father prior to his death. Inside sources, however, claim that this is not the case. Michael reportedly loathed his father until his dying day and even wrote him out of his will.
Later in his life, Joe Jackson apparently changed and became a good grandfather to Michael Jackson’s kids. Michael said in an interview that this was a hard thing for him and wished that Joe could have changed sooner.
“He is so different now. Time and age has changed him and he sees his grandchildren and he wants to be a better father. It is almost like the ship has sailed its course and it is so hard for me to accept this other guy that is not the guy I was raised with. I just wished he had learned that earlier.”
Keep Reading: ‘I died for a minute’: Celebrities Share Their Breast Implant and Plastic Surgery Horror Stories
Sources
- “Joe Jackson was one of the most monstrous fathers in pop.” The Guardian. Alexis Petridis. June 27, 2018.
- “Michael Jackson Was ‘Chemically Castrated’ by Late Father Joe, Claims Dr. Conrad Murray: Report.” People. Karen Mizoguchi. July 11, 2018.
- “Michael Jackson’s Doc, Conrad Murray, Hopes Joe Jackson ‘Finds Redemption in Hell’.” The Blast. July 9, 2018.
- “Michael Jackson: ‘I am scared of my father’” TODAY. July 25, 2009