Photo: Biography.com
She's not doing well.
By Sarah Gangraw — Written on Mar 08, 2019
Katherine Jackson's health is reportedly declining rapidly and the release of "Leaving Neverland" is negatively affecting her well-being.
The mother of Michael Jackson has suffered some major health issues in recent months but those close to her are concerned that the film, which features detailed accounts of the alleged sexual abuse two men suffered at the hands of the King of Pop, may be the death of her.
“Katherine’s health is getting worse and worse every single day and this documentary is going to send her to her grave,” a source close to the Jackson family told Radar Online. “Her family is trying their best to shield her from seeing anything that could cause her more pain, but Katherine is a stubborn woman and she does have the internet."
Those close to the 88-year-old mother of 10 are preparing for the worst
So who is Katherine Jackson? Here's what you need to know about Michael Jackson's mom and the state of her health.
1. She has been in constant medical care.
Katherine's health has been so fragile lately that she was removed from her family's compound and is under constant care from "private doctors," according to Radar Online.
“Katherine is in poor health and was moved out of the family compound because the noise and craziness became too much," a source revealed. "She’s living with her daughter Rebbie and is being looked after by private doctors.”
Katherine was rushed to the hospital when she began showing symptoms of a heart attack in January, Radar Online reported.
“Because Katherine is so frail, she has a doctor by her side almost all the time, so he was on hand to get her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,” an insider told the outlet. “She has extremely high blood pressure and a heart rhythm disorder and was also having breathing problems.”
She also had two strokes in the past year.
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2. She was the main inheritor of Michael Jackson's estate.
After her son's death in 2009, Katherine inherited 40% of his estate but the details were a bit tricky, TMZ reported. Michael Jackson's trust states that 40% of his estate was to go to his mother, 40% to his three kids, and the remaining 20% was to be donated to charities, but there were conditions attached.
She was not to inherit a lump sum. The trustees, John Branca and John McClain, get to decide what amount goes to the beneficiaries and Katherine's money is to go directly to M.J.'s children when she dies.
Michael Jackson did, however, make sure his mother was given $86,804 per month for the rest of her life.
3. Her husband died last year.
Katherine's husband Joe Jackson, who many believed to be estranged, died of an aggressive form of cancer in June. His death affected her greatly and her health has been spiraling downhill ever since.
“Her health has rapidly declined since Joe’s death,” a source explained to Radar Online in November. “She’s been in such pain, both internal and external. Katherine seems to have given up on even trying in the past month, and it makes her family very sad to see her like this. She was always such a strong, strong woman.”
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4. She filed a restraining order against her nephew.
In February 2017, Katherine was granted a temporary restraining order against her nephew Trent Lamar Jackson, the Los Angeles Times reported. Court documents obtained by The Times revealed that family members had witnessed ongoing abuse at the hands of Trent Lamar Jackson, who reportedly controlled "her every move."
"Trent made himself a care custodian of Mrs. Jackson to control her every move," the documents read. "He's threatened not to take her home for not complying with his demands, he has refused to return her home from travel; he deprives her from contact with her family so he can maintain undue influence over her, causing her depression, angst and fear..."
"Constant, sometimes subtle, emotional abuse was effective in making Mrs. Jackson confused and unsure of what was happening to her," the claim states. "She is clear now and scared for her safety."
5. She wrote an autobiography.
Katherine released her autobiography "My Family, The Jacksons," which was co-written with Richard Wiseman, in 1990.
“The matriarch of the Jacksons reveals the story of the Jackson family, discussing Michael’s stardom, Janet’s rise to the top, LaToya’s appearance in Playboy, and the story of the Jackson 5,” the book’s description on Amazon reads.
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Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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