‘Not the Dad I Knew:’ Michael Jackson’s Half-Sister Slams Joe Jackson’s Portrayal in Biopic

Joh’Vonnie Jackson, the daughter of the late Joe Jackson, is speaking out about what it was like growing up as the “bastard child” of the famous musical family. She’s also airing her grievances about how her father was portrayed in the recent “Michael” movie.

Born in August 1974, Jackson is the daughter of Joe and his longtime mistress Cheryle Terrell. Although she didn’t share the spotlight with her legendary half-siblings, she’s said that her relationship with her father was mostly good. In 2018, she released her memoir “Bastard Child,” where she pulled back the curtain on her relationship with Joe and the rest of the Jackson family.

Now, in a new interview on “The Portia Show,” Joh’Vonnie revealed that while she was proud of her nephew Jaafar Jackson and felt he was the best person to portray Michael, she wasn’t pleased with how Joe was portrayed in the film because it was the total opposite of the man she knew.

Related: What’s Really True In New Michael Jackson Movie

“As far as the portrayal of my father, that’s not the Joe Jackson I experienced, and I didn’t like how he was represented at all. But I was not born, and I didn’t have to deal with a young Joseph. So I wasn’t there,” she explained. “But knowing him, knowing my father, he was very, very strict. And don’t get it twisted, I got my fair share of spankings from him as well.”

She continued: “But people fail to realize that Dad is Southern. He was born during the Great Depression. And there’s just a certain type of rearing our culture does.”

Later on in the interview, Joh’Vannie explained how being Joe’s “bastard child” affected her when she had children of her own, explaining that the daughter she had was “intentional” and “not by accident.” She added that she decided to use the derogatory phrase as the title of her memoir to help her healing process.

Although Jackson may have been speaking her truth, her feelings about the blockbuster film were met with plenty of backlash online.

“Ok- well, the movie was called ‘Michael,’ and it was about the subject of the movie, Michael, and his relationship with his dad. She can make a movie called ‘Jo’ Vonnie’ and talk about HER experiences there,” wrote one user on X/Twitter.

Others pointed out that her experience was different than that of her half-siblings.

“They called him Joseph, and she got to call him dad. They experienced 2 different people. She can go on about her business cause we only care about the talented ones,” said another.

One other user wrote, “The film is called MICHAEL. Joe Jackson was abusive to Michael, and what we see in the film is only a fraction of what Michael actually experienced growing up. Two hours could never fully capture the extent of it. Joh’Vonnie’s experience with her father was clearly different, and that’s valid, but her experience doesn’t erase Michael and his brothers. His brothers had every right to show the father they experienced to the world.”

If it’s any consolation, Marlon Jackson is producing a forthcoming documentary about Joe that provides “a deeper look at the man whose vision helped shape our family and its musical legacy.” Here’s hoping his half-sister finds some satisfaction in that project.