It could be argued that everyone has a black sheep in the family.
If you don't think yours does, then it's probably you.
And this is still the case,
even if you're the most famous family dynasty in the world of popular music. For
a time period at least.
If one name was uttered to any member of the Jackson family, the words what now?
Would evidently follow that name being La Toya.
Constant comparisons,
lackluster chart positions and ballooning tabloid controversies.
This is the story of the Jackson's wayward child, her turbulent relationship with his
superstar brother Michael, as well as her extensive showbiz family.
In this multipart documentary series, we'll explore La Toya's attempts to break
away from her family's control to echo her brother's success and gain her own
independence, a journey several decades in the making,
taking her down many regretful, often bizarre and misguided
paths in the process.
Here's the detail.
You don't know Jack.
By the mid 1980s, La Toya Jackson's life
couldn't have been further away from what she had envisaged in her youth.
From studying business law to becoming a reluctant performer in her teens,
La Toya was fast approaching 30 and still struggling to replicate a similar level
of success as a performer than that of her brother Michael and sister Janet.
Desperate to move away from her father's
control over her life and career, La Toya would be granted that release
through the connection of another man, Jack Gordon.
A former carnival operator,
Gordon began working with Joseph Jackson, assisting him in his finances,
as well as the patriarch's various business projects.
La Toya asserts that initially,
her family's relationship with Jack was a positive one.
Jack and my father became fast friends,
making it all the more surprising that I liked him.
However, it wouldn't take long before that relationship turned sour.
After numerous background checks,
it was discovered that Jack had served a four and a half month prison sentence back
in 1981, having been convicted of bribery charges while doing business in Las Vegas.
Given the Jackson family's paranoia regarding outsiders,
you'd think all ties with Gordon would be immediately suffered.
However, after consideration,
it was Joseph, of all people, who decided to retain his ties with the businessman.
My father reasoned that for one thing,
he hadn't been convicted of committing a violent crime.
He'd paid his debt to society, La Toya claimed.
Whilst Jack was in, so was Joseph, and his volatile behavior and reputation
in the entertainment industry continued to be a poisoned chalice for La Toya.
In 1985, meetings had been arranged by Gordon for La Toya to discuss potential
film roles with a powerful figure in Hollywood.
However, the agent clearly stated, after prior experience working
with Joseph, we can work with La Toya only if he is not involved.
Upon finding out, the Jackson patriarch
proceeded to rage down the phone to the agency and therefore,
La Toya's proposed entry into the movie business was promptly stifled.
After years of feeling oppressed under her father's control,
La Toya continued to struggle to find a way out with even Michael telling her the day
you break away from Joseph, everyone will know who you are.
Confiding in her new ally, Jack Gordon, the businessman eventually spoke directly
with Joseph, pleading with him to let her go managerially.
Initially reluctant, Joseph would eventually compromise,
agreeing only if it was a 50 50 split in profits.
But Gordon would have full managerial control.
Despite this promise,
Joseph was still hellbent on exerting his control over his daughter during
a promotional trip to Japan when matters took an even darker turn.
La Toya has since claimed that after
overhearing Jack complained to Joseph that he was still interfering with her
career, she grabbed her new manager's sleeping pills.
Determined to overdose, Gordon came in and stopped her.
Looking back, I know now that I didn't really want to die.
What I wanted was for the constant pain and hurt to stop, La Toya reflected.
After informing Joseph of his daughter's
mental state, the news reportedly shook up the Jackson patriarch who then once again
agreed that he would stay out of La Toya's affairs.
Joseph then agreed to lose his 50% stake
in their contract after which La Toya would be solely managed by Jack Gordon.
And in a business sense at least, she would finally be free from her
father's overbearing authority over her life and destiny.
However, throughout these tumultuous few years, La Toya retained a close
relationship with her brother Michael who by 1987 was finally gearing up
for the release of his much anticipated followup to Thriller, Bad.
La Toya would even appear in another one
of Michael's music videos for its third single, The Way You Make Me Feel.
And would follow in his philanthropic
footsteps by becoming one of the spokespeople for the much
publicized anti-drug campaign, Just Say no, led by then First Lady Nancy Reagan.
But whilst La Toya remained busy,
she claimed that around this time her own father was constantly threatening
to hamper her career should she grow more distant from him.
Quote, I couldn't believe anyone would do
this to their client, much less to their own flesh and blood.
It was clearer than ever to La Toya
that she had to get out of the family home and fast.
Fleeing the Nest.
Leaving the family's Havyenhurst estate had
always proven to be a near impossible task for La Toya in the past.
Whether it was because of the pleas
from her mother or the threats from her father, the feeling of isolation
and entrapment only continued to grow within her.
The last straw came after a particularly
violent altercation between her father and manager, Jack Gordon,
with their relationship continuing to grow sour admits Jack's increased involvement.
Joseph's short temper apparently manifested in a severe beating which also
resulted in La Toya being hurled against a wall.
When attempting to help her manager
leave, she claimed, quote at that moment, I knew I would never come home again.
In May 1988, La Toya,
together with Jack Gordon,
flew to New York City, eventually settling in an apartment at Trump Park, Manhattan.
Now residing on the other side
of the country, LaToya expressed a desire to learn and experience everything
that the Big Apple had to offer, rekindling the sense of freedom her
and Michael enjoyed living together in the city
a decade ago.
A few months after moving, her dramatic flight made it into some
corners of the press, with LaToya giving interviews into why she
left home. In USA Weekend, she said, quote I have to live my own life.
Even if I make mistakes.
It's my turn to do what I want.
In regards to her father, she told the Chicago Tribune,
I had to get out of that situation because I had no say so in what was being done.
Part of her new life included a new album distributed by RCA.
You're Going to Get Rocked was largely produced by two of the most recognizable
names in the pop scene at that time, hiphop pioneers Full Force and the British pop
powerhouse of Stock, Aiken & Waterman.
Despite the two styles being vastly different, the album received some
positive praise, reportedly selling 100,000 copies in Germany alone.
Whilst her European popularity remained the strongest, LaToya was also building
her presence on the East Coast music scene, performing several shows
at the Trump Castle Casino. Emerging on, quote, a black motorcycle amid smoke
and lasers, decked out in skintight black leather and a rhinestone studded top,
La Toya's new provocative look and tough
cookie attitude was a shock for the press and her entire family,
who found it hard to believe that this was the same woman from a decade earlier
who was so averse to anything sexual or even remotely promiscuous.
Although her new image wasn't indicative
of any more of a relaxed attitude regarding sex and relationships,
as demonstrated when comedian Eddie Murphy reportedly grew frustrated at La Toya's
polite refusals to his dinner invitations, the starlet stating,
quote Eddie is incredibly talented, but I was put off by his reputation as
a notorious womanizer and confirmed bachelor.
Although La Toya was no stranger to having
celebrities lust over her back, in 1980, Prince approached her at a roller skating
party, claiming to be madly in love with her.
Instead of engaging positively or negatively, La Toya merely said,
quote Well, I hope you have a nice time tonight, before skating off.
A few years later at the Grammys,
she encountered Julio Iglesias, whom she was a fan of. At the event's
after party, the singer began kissing
La Toya intensely before sitting her on his knee and complimenting her.
Despite her admiration for his music,
the situation made LaToya extremely uncomfortable, with the Jackson sister
claiming, quote, moments like this reminded me how little I knew about life.
By 1988, she still had celebrities pining
over her, particularly the boxer Mike Tyson.
Having met after one of his fights,
Tyson and La Toya struck up a friendship over the phone.
The athletes showering her with affections frequently. However,
after experiencing marital issues with Robin Givens shortly after their union,
Tyson reportedly told La Toya,
quote I married Robin because you wouldn't say anything to me.
La Toya, if you had shown just the least
bit of interest in me romantically, things would be different.
As she built a life in New York,
La Toya's already strained relationship with her family further deteriorated.
However, there was always one sibling who she could count on, that being Michael.
After both Jackson's were in Germany on different engagements,
La Toya traveled to see Michael's show as part of the Bad World tour.
Back at the hotel,
the two were able to spend some time together, La Toya remembering,
quote we didn't discuss business at all, just gossiped, reminisced and laughed.
A few months later, a frantic and distressed Michael would call La Toya.
Allegedly, his manager, Frank Dileo had informed Michael
that Jack Gordon was tied up with gangsters and that if any of those
gangsters didn't get paid off, Michael's life would be forfeited. Having
become increasingly paranoid as his superstar status rose.
Michael had every reason to panic after
hearing this alarming report. But La Toya viewed it very differently,
she saw this as yet another attempt
from her family to try and paint Jack Gordon as the devil.
By this point, everything Jack had done for La Toya had seemingly been
for the better. Especially when compared to her father's management.
This included the provocative new image, her new album cover in particular,
drawing outrage from certain family members. Citing her brother Jermaine
and her mother Katherine as the prime instigators of this disapproval.
Her immediate response,
albeit as a thought in her head, quote wait until they see what's coming next.
The Problem with Playboy
Even though
La Toya had taken herself away from her family in the immediate sense,
by late 1988, she still didn't feel fully emancipated.
She longed to find some way to convince
her family that she was living her own life with no desire to return to the one
she occupied at the family's home back in California.
The definitive action she ultimately chose was Playboy magazine.
After being contacted by them directly, months of secretive negotiations began,
ultimately resulting in La Toya becoming one of the highest paid artists to ever
appear in the magazine's topless editorials.
Whether or not she attained pole position in that claim has been up for debate.
Jack Gordon claiming at the time that, quote, she was the highest paid girl
in the history of the magazine. Whereas a spokesperson for Playboy,
Elizabeth Norris, clapped back by stating, quote those reports are just not true.
The only thing we can say is that she was
paid very well, but it wasn't the most we've ever paid.
As a result of the exclusive edition being
published in March of 1989, La Toya's public profile skyrocketed.
In terms of commercial success,
this was surprisingly the biggest achievement of her career up
until that point, becoming the biggest selling issue in Playboy history.
Quite predictably, certain members of the Jackson clan were furious.
No more so it seemed,
than Jermaine her older brother even making an appearance
on Entertainment Tonight, claiming his sister had posed for Playboy,
quote because I couldn't get a hit record and couldn't sing.
However, when it came to her closest sibling, Michael,
he supported her and also was able to dissect the potential reasons as to why
La Toya posed for Playboy in the first place.
You did it to get back at Joseph, to let him know he can't tell you what
to do, to tell him that you're grown now and can make your own decisions.
Her brother's assertions appeared to have been correct, with La Toya even disclosing
to the press that, quote It was a step to show them that I
wasn't twelve anymore, that I'm over 21 and that it's my own life.
Regardless of what La Toya wanted to show or prove, Katherine only saw red.
After several frustrated and cold toned phone calls, La Toya would eventually
confront her mother, asking what had changed in their
relationship, not expecting a matter as trivial as a few provocative photographs
to be the final nail in the coffin for their already strained bond.
When Katherine couldn't provide any sort of answer to Latoya's questioning,
she remarked, quote this wasn't about love, this was about control.
Joseph, on the other hand,
had no response to the paparazzi surrounding the Playboy scandal,
perhaps indicating that the move was successful and finally proving to her
father that he held no influence over her life anymore.
She was now free,
free from the gilded birdcage she claimed to be trapped in for years.
However, the cost of liberation also came
the feeling of being an outsider as a result.
For example, for the Jacksons' 1989 track, 2300 Jackson Street,
all the brothers and sisters, including Michael, were to feature in some way.
All except La Toya, though she claims that some of her
brothers had originally reached out to her so that her vocals would be featured.
When a planned visit from Jermaine to New York yielded no meeting and no
recording, the single went out without her input.
However, this wouldn't be the last time that La Toya would feel excluded
from family centric events. And as the 1990s dawned,
it would prove to be a decade of both creative ambition,
but also one filled with scandal, sex and a whole lot of controversy.
Join us for part three as we explore La Toya Jackson's vicious turn against
Michael and the rest of her family as she made another transformation
into the tabloid junkie, with her manager Jack Gordon acting as puppeteer.
Thanks for watching the detail. We'll see you next time.