| Probably not. Her proof for the many provocative claims she has made
about her family in the past few years is slim, and she has been
contradicted regularly by other family members. For instance, sisters
Rebbie and Janet have both publicly denied the sexual abuse that in 1991
LaToya avowed her father had inflicted on the Jackson daughters. In
December 1993, LaToya claimed at a press conference in Israel that MJ was
guilty of child molestation; she repeated these claims on the US TV show
"Today" and added that her mother had once shown her canceled checks that
represented payoffs to past victims. When challenged by anchorwoman Katie
Couric, she then admitted she had no evidence of misbehavior on her
brother's part, and she had no idea what the canceled checks had really
been for. LaToya further alleged on tabloid TV shows in the US that
Michael behaved suspiciously by having young boys in his room at
Hayvenhurst for hours at a time; Margaret Maldonado has revealed that the
young boys MJ had had in his room were only his nephews Taj, Taryll, and
T.J., and the so-called suspicious behavior was nothing more than playing
video games and watching movies. LaToya has often been called upon
recently by tabloids to expound on events in Michael's life, but the views
she has given are probably of little worth, since in late January 1996,
she admitted on the US tabloid TV program "Inside Edition" that she hasn't
seen Michael in years.
A possible end to her erratic behavior was signalled in May 1996, when
she filed for divorce from her husband of seven years, Jack Gordon. The
couple obtained restraining orders against one another, and LaToya later
filed a lawsuit against Gordon, claiming he physically abused her (one
much-publicized instance of which left her hospitalized in the early
1990s) and forced her to pose nude against her wishes. Reports indicate
that she is now reconciling with her family and has apologized for her
past actions. (from Michael Jackson: The King of Pop by C.C.,
Rolling Stone, A Visual Documentary, LA Times, Jackson Family
Values, Radioscope's Electronic Urban Report, San Jose Mercury News,
club members)
Latoya divorced her husband in 1997 and has returned home to the
Jackson family. |
