Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the legendary Jackson family has passed away at the age of 89 after a recently reported battle with stage 4 terminal cancer.
The news regarding Joe’s diagnosis broke several days ago and it was reported that he was in his last days as his family was rushing to be by his bed side, now on Wednesday the news of his passing is spreading. The news comes just two days after the nine year anniversary of his son, Michael Jackson‘s death.
via PEOPLE:
The Jackson family patriarch had been battling terminal pancreatic cancer and was “not doing well” as of late, a source previously told PEOPLE.
On June 21, son Jermaine told the Daily Mail, “He’s very, very frail, he doesn’t have long. The family needs to be by his bedside — that’s our only intention in his final days.”
Just days later, Jackson appeared to share an emotional tweet hinting at his worsening health struggles. “I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see,” read the caption on a photo of Jackson, in his trademark hat, silhouetted against sun rays. “The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes.”
However, his granddaughter Paris claimed that the message was in fact not written by the family head. “My grandfather did not tweet this,” she commented. “I’m not sure if he’s ever used this account.”
Over the years, Jackson — who was born on July 26, 1928, in Fountain Hill, Arkansas — had a series of health problems.
In November 2012, he recovered from a minor stroke at his Las Vegas home. Three years later, daughter Janet had to put rehearsals for her Unbreakable World Tour on hold when he suffered another stroke and heart arrhythmia in Brazil on his 87th birthday in July 2015.
In May 2016, he was hospitalized due to a high fever and in June 2017, he was released from the hospital after a car accident in Las Vegas.
Joe is survived by his wife Katherine and their children Maureen, 68, Jackie, 67, Tito, 64, Jermaine, 63, La Toya, 62, Marlon, 61, Randy, 56, and Janet, 52.
Son Michael died from an apparent cardiac arrest at age 50 on June 25, 2009. Son Brandon died at birth in 1957.
Joe was also the father of Joh’Vonnie Jackson, 43, the daughter of Cheryl Terrell, whom he had a 25-year-long affair with. Katherine filed for divorce twice but never went through with the separation.
Our thoughts are with the entire Jackson family.
I have seen more sunsets than I have left to see. The sun rises when the time comes and whether you like it or not the sun sets when the time comes. pic.twitter.com/PGcmbulzyC
— Joseph Jackson (@Joe5Jackson) June 24, 2018