Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Jackson family feud: Did nephew abuse Michael’s mom?

Episode Date: March 2, 2017

Michael Jackson’s mother signed sworn statement alleging her nephew abused her, stole her money and isolated her from friends and family. The allegations are in a court filing. Trent Jackson denies the charges and accuses several of Katherine Jackson’s sons and daughters of scheming to get rid of him to get closer to her money. Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the latest Jackson family feud in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, is alleging ongoing elder abuse at the hands of her nephew and driver, Trent Lamar Jackson. She's claiming that she is the victim of years of mental abuse and has reached the point that she's afraid to return home. This is Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. A number of Michael Jackson siblings are still contesting his will alleging conspiracy and fraud charges denied by the executors and thrown out by the courts. Catherine says she tried to fire her nephew and have him

move out of the guest house, but that he refused. She is currently in London visiting Janet Jackson, but fears he could physically harm her for terminating him if she returns home. The judge granted Catherine's request for a restraining order and has ordered the nephew to move out of her guest house. The Michael Jackson saga goes on. It never seems to end. In the last hours, his beloved mother, Katherine Jackson, the mother of the late Michael Jackson, tells a courtroom she is terrified of her nephew, Trent Jackson. In fact, she's so afraid she is in fear of coming home from England to Los Angeles because she knows he's in town. We're talking about her nephew, Trent Lamar Jackson, who has spoken with us. Now, according to the court documents that we have obtained, Michael Jackson's mother, now 86, swears in legal documents, just filed,

that she is afraid to come home. She's under a doctor's care, in part because of the stress of living with Trent Jackson. Why is he living there? What is he doing? And why is she in fear? Or is this all just another money grab on behalf of all of the Jackson siblings? I mean, there are so many of them. Nobody's working. Okay, a couple of them are working. And they all have their handout to Michael Jackson Estate, which is run by Katherine Jackson, his mother. Hey, I'm Nancy Grace. This is

Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. I mean, the legal twists and turns in the Michael Jackson case, you know, we should have known. When he died, it's not over. It's still going on. All those brothers and sisters trying to get his money, the mother's in charge. But I mean, come on, Alan Duke. Everyone always attacks the father for allegedly beating Michael Jackson, forcing him to rehearse, treating him like a mule to perform. But she was there too. She's his mother. And she stood by and let whatever happened happen. Okay? So I've always blamed her just as much as him. Well, actually, Katherine Jackson is one of the sweetest mothers I've ever met.

And I got to know her fairly well. Other than standing by while her son was beaten to perform. Okay, other than that. No, my mom took part in disciplining me when I was a kid. I'm about a year older than Michael Jackson. Actually comparing your little spankings on the back of your legs or whatever. You got to pop on the wrist with a ruler. I deserved it probably.

Beaten by his dad mercilessly. I mean, that's the way Michael Jackson tells it. I don't know it's true. There was a different form of discipline in the 50s and the 60s. I don't know what your experience, you were an angel, so you never got any of that. I was only spanked one time. I was popped on the back of my legs just below the knee by my dad for talking back and arguing with him nonstop. Can you even imagine? That was it. That was it.

I love them so much. I never wanted to disappoint them. Look, I'm just going on what Michael Jackson said, that he was never had a normal childhood because his dad beat the crap out of him. I don't know that I had the crap beat out of me, but I remember one time when I was probably nine years old. But I deserved it. That was different. Michael, it was to make him dance and sing, allegedly. But look, all of those nine kids, look how well they turned out. Whatever they did,

they made them successful. Nine kids from Gary, Indiana, and all of them successful. How can you blame these parents? Okay, huge successes. I give you that much. I absolutely do. When I don't know what their way out was. For me, the only way off of a red dirt road in rural Georgia was through education to get a high school degree, then a college degree, then a law degree, then another law degree. That's the only way there was for me.

For them, maybe it was entertaining. But I still don't think beating your kid is appropriate. Allegedly. Can we get back to Catherine now? Why she's allegedly. Hey, these are court documents. We're not just creating this out of. And these were filed yesterday.

Now, we have the documents. She's been granted a TRO, a temporary restraining order, against nephew Trent Jackson, alleging elder abuse. Okay, that's not good. He is related to her through her husband, Joe. He's been living in a guest house there in their home in Calabasas, which is beautiful, by the way. He's been serving as her personal driver.

And she states in the document she has been bullied by him and she has had to resort to desperate measures to escape his constant monitoring. She writes, and I quote from the legal documents, I believe he has put cameras and bugs in my home, so the only place I can try and have a private conversation is in my bathroom. Ew. She also claims, now this is according to TMZ, she believes Trent Jackson has copied the key to her bedroom door, and she gets dressed in her closet. Nancy. What?

Nancy. What? Don't quote TMZz on this tmz if they want to know something about the jacksons they'll call me because i know so much more great i'm glad you know everything alan tmz please wasting time alan is it true that this 86 year old mom who i've always cared for, because there's just something gentle and kind about her. Is it true she's also claiming that Trent Jackson copied keys to her bedroom door? Yes, she is.

And she has to get dressed in the closet because he's afraid he'll walk in on her unclothed? This is the thing about the allegations that I want to know. I want to know if these are really Catherine's words. They may very well be. These are allegations. Actually, none of these allegations are new. I've heard them before. But I'd never heard them from Catherine Jackson.

I always hear them from one of her kids. So it's not new. But what is going to happen is she's going to have to come and sit for a deposition or she's going to have to show up in court. She's in London. You know what I don't get is why. I'm not sure I agree with you on that because this is her home. And if she doesn't want a house guest, why should she have to go to a deposition to get him out? I kind of disagree with that. Well, he's out. He's not there anymore.

He doesn't have the keys. He's gone. He's living many miles away. Now, also, she states, quote, I used to be very social with my friends, like playing Scrabble, walking around in the park, sharing meals. But Trent has given them various reasons why I am not available you know that's a classic sign of an abuser they isolate you from your friends and your relatives so your question is did she really write all this the the initial complaint was not ever signed by her and that

was brought out in court so yesterday the judge said you know I won't even look at that but that was at the same time they were filing this new one. It does have her signature on there put in from London just a few days ago. Wait a minute. Why are you saying it had her signature put in? Are you so close to Trent Jackson that you can't believe? No, no. They have a new filing now. Speaking, are you so trent jackson that you think now somebody forged her name no i'm not saying that at all i believe this is her signature i'm saying the old one didn't have her signature they've made this new filing that is much more detail that we now have that we're looking at and it has her signature but the question is you know what she was saying

you know i don't either maybe she did and let me tell you one of the aspects that I'm looking at. It's not just Katherine Jackson, but it's Jermaine Jackson also signed an affidavit that's included in this filing from yesterday. I spoke with Jermaine yesterday at the courthouse. He didn't want to talk about it, but he does have his signed affidavit. And he talks about how he was banned from going to his mom's house and he blames Trent for it but it's no secret now when you say he talks about it are you saying it's in the affidavit but you know what I happen to know is yes he for a few months was banned from Catherine's house so So was Reby. So was Randy.

And so was Janet, believe it or not. But they weren't banned by Trent. They were banned by the court after Catherine. Remember when she disappeared in 2012? The estate did an order banning those kids from going to the house, which the estate owns. Well, I got to tell you something, Alan. It was not Trump that did that. I've never seen so many shenanigans in a family as this bunch.

Because, you know, you'd think you'd be happy with all that money. Uh-uh. This is proof. Money cannot buy happiness. Then you have this kid banned and that child banned and this one and that one. All this drama for Pete's sake. Why does she have a nephew there? That should be her own children. happiness then you have this kid band and that child band and this one and that one all this drama for pete's sake why does she have a nephew there that should be her own children one of them should be actually initially brought in and i think 2002 by michael jackson michael was paying

him katherine wasn't paying him uh until after michael died and then it went into katherine's budget which was provided by okay you're getting way in the weeds here. He was there because Michael Jackson asked him to drive his mom and make sure she takes her medicine and that sort of thing. Heard it, heard it. The son of Joe Jackson's half-brother is Trent Jackson, and he was at a court hearing in L.A. trying to have the TRO filed against him by Katherine Jackson lifted. Now, he's been banned from using Michael Jackson mom's credit cards

or staying in the guest house or coming within 100 yards of her. And he wanted that lifted. He claimed he is not a threat to her. The judge has denied his motion and has set another court hearing in just about 20 days. In a sworn statement, Catherine Jackson's daughter, Rebe, who was with her, I might add, in London, said that Trent Jackson didn't call paramedics when his mom passed out as he was driving her to Vegas. He stated, oh, the hospital said that she was dehydrated had high blood pressure you know that can kill an elderly person but this is this this

was years ago so you see these are not new allegations happened I'm not saying it didn't happen I'm saying what these these declarations are are a compilation of things over the last 15 years but they're just now asking to protect her i'm really freaked out by the possibility of hidden cameras all over the house spying on her that's freaky alan there are dozens of cameras around that house and they all go to the security system the security center in the garage katherine has an incredible security system in her home. And I've been into the control center in the garage and I've seen it. There are cameras all over the house for security. One picture, I mean, there are mountain lions in the area. They got to watch for mountain lions that come up. In the bathroom? They got to protect blanket from mountain lions. I've seen pictures of

a mountain lion in the backyard. Are you saying that the cameras she is alleging are spying on her are really simply part of her own security system there's the allegation that there are cameras inside the house which there i know there are cameras inside the house because in case a burglar comes in and they they want to be able that see it. That's not my question. My question is, are you stating that it is your belief the cameras to which Katherine Jackson refers to as spying on her by her nephew, Trent Jackson, are actually simply part of her own security system? No, I'm not saying that. Well, then what are you saying?

There are dozens and dozens of cameras around the house. I've not ever been in Katherine Jackson's bedroom, so I don't know. That's not what I asked. You know what? Never mind. I'll move on to the next question. Worst of all, she claims Trent Jackson ignored her when she thought she was having a stroke. That's a problem. Now you're saying it happened several years ago. Many of the allegations in here are from years ago. What is this about Jermaine claiming a physical altercation in his affidavit? I can tell you all about that. It's true. He says Trent Jackson allegedly threw a Jackson sister against a wall, hit one of Jermaine's nephews and Jermaine also and that Trent Jackson has stolen around $40,000 from Catherine Jackson. The fight happened. It happened in July 2012. I reported on it when I was at CNN.

It's no secret. There's video of it, although it's not been released. And Trent acknowledges that he had Randy Jackson in a headlock and that he fought with Jermaine. That was the day that remember the video of the Jackson siblings coming up in the SUVs and trying to take Janet appeared to be trying to take the cell phone from Paris Jackson. That was that day when they came into the house and they got into an argument. So did he push her or not? I don't know if he pushed the sister, but I do know that there was an altercation in the foyer of the house. You know, if Michael Jackson knew about this, he would roll over in his grave. Well, Catherine wasn't even there at the time.

She was allegedly kidnapped after disappearing for a couple of weeks in Arizona. You remember that. That's when this happened. Okay, that jogged my memory. Speaking of cameras and security systems, SimpliSafe, have I said thank you? SimpliSafe is a sponsor of our podcast today, and they make home security affordable for everyone. So many people want home alarm systems but think they can't afford them.

That's not true. SimpliSafe is $14.99 a month. Plus, if you go online to simplisafe.com slash Nancy, you get another 10% off. You know, I've been pitched a lot of sponsors and I have turned down a lot of sponsors. They're all good companies, I'm sure. I have no doubt about that. I just want to believe in my sponsor. And I believe in SimpliSafe. I really do. I have a home alarm system because I have twins that have brought me so much love and joy. I want to protect them in every way that I can.

SimpliSafe makes home protection possible now for even people that think they cannot afford a system. So thank you, SimpliSafe, for sponsoring our podcast today. And I'm going right back to Katherine Jackson. You know what's bugging me right now, Alan, the Duke, Duke? Your attitude. Your attitude is bothering me because you're acting like there's this big conspiracy by all the jackson brothers and sisters and they've all gotten together

to kick out not all jackson well there's not a question that uh that several of them would like to kick trent out it's a battle that's been going on for money is that what you're saying uh that let's look at this. On Friday of last week, a court filing in the probate situation, the trust situation with Catherine, on her behalf, her lawyers filed trying to challenge the executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Now, this is something that started just soon after Michael died. But just recently, right after this TRO was filed and after Trent was removed from the house and Catherine went to London, they now, in Catherine's name,

are making a move on the assets in the trust. And that would be the lawyer that was just hired and brought in, replacing the other lawyer. So you have, Alan, according to you, evidence that Trent Jackson is not taking advantage of her. He's not the monster portrayed by the Jackson clan. In fact, he's a quote, teddy bear. Okay, let's hear it. I wouldn't call it evidence. I would call it his attorney. I talked with his attorney. Can you roll it, please? Yes. This is his attorney. I'm talking now with Trent Jackson's lawyer, Ron Rell. You're hoping to actually question in a deposition Catherine Jackson. Yeah, at the beginning of the hearing today, I served a notice of deposition on Catherine Jackson's lawyer requiring Catherine Jackson to appear on March 15th for her deposition. When you asked, when you turned to Katherine Jackson's counsel and said,

do you plan on having her here on the 15th for the deposition, she seemed to shake her head no. She said she won't be here. I think she said no. She seemed pretty adamant that she won't be here, but we will meet and confer on that more because I really think I'm entitled to have her testify one way or another. Well you have to have the opportunity you're arguing to cross-examine the plaintiff the person making the accusations against your client.

Actually I think I'm entitled to cross-examine every single witness against Trent so you can't just sandbag him with these declarations and that's their evidence with no right to cross-examine. So I think he has a constitutional right to examine every witness. The accusations basically, they accuse him essentially of elder abuse, manipulating Katherine Jackson, trying to make money off of her. That's essentially it. But you're saying that your client is no abuser. He is not an abuser. So I can tell you, I said he's, you know, when you meet someone and you're going to put them on a trial, he's exhibit A. Every witness is like exhibit A.

And you talk to this guy, he's a teddy bear. And when you find out all the facts and I look forward to putting them on, he is not an abuser. I think that in this case there's something else going on, and it's not because my client's an abuser. You want to speculate what is going on? I'm not going to speculate right now, and I intend to put it on at the hearing and let everybody see for themselves. Okay, so I'm supposed to take the word of his lawyer that is being paid by him. Okay, no offense. Let me ask you this. What do you know about her LA physician?

I have seen an email from her doctor here in Los Angeles who is very concerned about Catherine. Been treating her for a while and knows her medical history. When he found out that she is in London, allegedly because she needs medical care. An indication of what? He made the point that no doctor from London has contacted him asking anything about her medical history, which I think would be a routine thing. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, hold on a moment. Isn't a doctor listed in these documents, these London documents? You're a doctor in London.

Wouldn't you call the doctor in Los Angeles? Says she's being treated by a doctor in London? And ask, hey, what's her medical history? This doctor in Los Angeles is so concerned about Catherine, he's offering to pay his own ticket to go and give her a checkup in London. I don't know if that's going to happen or not, but that's how concerned the doctor is.

Okay, have they invited him? No. Okay, then. All right. See, that speaks volumes to me. He needs to just butt out. Butt out. O-U-T. So this is all going back to court. We know that. And what do you believe is going to happen then? Well, I don't know if the judge is going to issue the permanent restraining order, but I don't think it really matters. This is a fight that just exposed, well, I do know what's going to happen, is it's going to expose a lot of dirty laundry and accusations and jealousy and mistrust on either side. What could be worse than claims of child molestation?

I mean, well, there's no mullah. Is there more I don't know about? He was acquitted. Michael Jackson was acquitted on that. That's not what I asked you. You're saying it's going to bring in all this dirty laundry. I'm talking about family. It's going to get to the truth.

It's going to get to family feuding. And it's not going to be a nice couple of days. It's going to take a couple of days, probably. I can't wait. Yeah, get some popcorn and watch this thing. No, it's not that. I want to find out if Katherine Jackson has really been being abused, has really been abused,

or is this just another money grab on behalf of all of these children? Because she's with them right now, some of them in London. And I'm trying to figure out if they're behind all this, or is it real? If I hear Katherine Jackson in a deposition or on the witness stand confirm all of this, then I am totally for whatever is in here. But if I don't hear Katherine, I'm wondering, I'm not convinced because I know what happened in July of 2012 when they took her off to Arizona. We saw that,

that video of her surrounded by some of her kids. And she was reading from a statement, making accusations about Trent and saying how she was there on her own. Then when she finally got back to Calabasas, she signed a signed sworn statement that was filed in probate court, which said that she was taken against her knowledge and isolated and that she didn't want to be there. Listen to what's in this TRO. I'm afraid of Trent in my own home for many reasons. I have no privacy since he has free run of the house.

He tells the house staff and security that he is the, quote, house manager. That's in paragraph six. Trent copied the key to my bedroom lock and has let me know he can enter whenever he wants. He walks in when he pleases. And I believe he has put cameras and bugs in my home. So the only place I can try and have a private conversation is in my bathroom. Pretending I am using the restroom so I can make a call. And I often get dressed in my closet out of fear he will walk in on me.

Well, there's the answer to one of my questions i asked earlier is she claiming he has installed cameras and monitoring devices or are they simply part of her existing security system there's the answer in paragraph seven she says that he she believes he has placed bugs and cameras in her home. Paragraph 8, Trent is constantly near me, screens my calls without asking him to, often telling people I am not taking calls, which is not true. If I am on the phone, he will pick up the other end or take the phone from me to see who I am talking to.

I feel Trent is trying to isolate me from my children so he can have more influence in my affairs. He does not put their calls through to me. He does not leave us alone when they visit. He insists on being invited to any family functions if they are not at my house. He has been mean to my children and has initiated physical harm on my daughter, son, and grandson. Whoa, what is this about the grandson? I think we're talking about, well, there are dozens of those,

so I don't know which one that is. Yeah, it could have been. Yeah, as we were talking earlier, I think it was Jermaine's son. Another way he's isolating me from people who would see me is keeping me from my friends. Okay, we talked about that. He's told her friends he doesn't want them coming around me. He's refused to drive me home until I answered his questions about conversations I had with people without him. He yells at me and I have

to answer him because I'm afraid of him. He emotionally manipulates me into doing what he wants. For example, I did not want to go to my home in Gary, Indiana, but Trent was set on going to be involved in an annual charity event. One time, I wasn't feeling well, like I was going to have a stroke or seizure, and he refused to call 911. Paragraph 14, I believe he's stealing my money, putting his name on my businesses, using my credit cards for personal use. Mm-mm-mm. All of this will come out in the wash when they get to depose her, when they look at her accounting, and all of that we will know. I know he has kept tabs on my bank accounts without my authorization, made friends with bank reps in order to make them believe he's authorized to access my bank accounts. He's refused to drive me home until I answer questions.

I don't like this at all. This is, and there's a big, there is a big old signature at the bottom. Now, according to you, I guess, it's your buddy, Trent Jackson. No, no, no. You think that's forged, huh? He's not my buddy, and I don't think it's forged. Don't give him your bank account number. My only point is I remember what happened in July of 2012 when allegations were made,

and then she came back and said that she didn't make those allegations, which well also Trent Jackson came on this podcast and Answered questions now at that time We didn't have this TRO. So, you know this this exact document that was just filed So I didn't have a lot of information About you know on which to question him but still to come on this podcast answer questions you gotta have a little backbone

to do that so we'll see so this is going back to court you know what michael jackson for whatever claims were made against him which i happen to believe were true about the molestation. Even so, it can't be denied that he was one of the most talented musicians that ever lived and that he loved his mother dearly. Those two things cannot be disputed. So I'm just wondering where that leaves Katherine Jackson right now. We'll be in court. Don't worry about that.

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