1930–present
Who Is Katherine Jackson?
Katherine Jackson is best known as the matriarch of the famous Jackson family and the mother of music legend Michael Jackson. She had 10 children with her husband Joe Jackson, and encouraged her children’s musical talents. When her sons Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Tito formed the group the Jackson 5, Katherine took on the role of costume designer. She remained supportive of her most famous son, Michael, through his success, as well as his personal and legal troubles. After Michael’s death in June 2009, she became the legal guardian, and later co-guardian, of his three children—Paris, Prince, and Bigi (formerly Blanket)—until 2017.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Katherine Esther Jackson
BORN: May 4, 1930
BIRTHPLACE: Clayton, Alabama
SPOUSE: Joe Jackson (1949-2018)
CHILDREN: Michael, Janet, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Rebbie, Marlon, Jackie, Brandon, and Randy
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
Early Life and Family
Katherine Esther Jackson was born Kattie B. Screws on May 4, 1930, in Barbour County, Alabama. The daughter of Martha Mattie Upshaw and Prince Albert Screws, Katherine contracted polio at a young age. While she eventually recovered from her illness, the disease left her with a lifelong limp. At the age of 4, she moved with her family to East Chicago, Indiana, and her father changed her name to Katherine Esther Scruse after deciding to change his surname.
Katherine met boxer and aspiring musician Joseph “Joe” Jackson when she was just 17 years old. While Joe was married when they met, he soon divorced his first wife and began dating Katherine. They wed in November 1949 and moved to Gary, Indiana, where they would go on to have 10 children over the next 16 years.
While her husband worked as a crane operator at U.S. Steel, Katherine was a homemaker. A devout Jehovah’s Witness, Katherine raised the children in her faith—and with strict discipline. A pianist and singer, she also encouraged the family’s musical talents. Her son, Michael, later credited her with giving him his vocal gifts.
Shaping the Jackson 5
Soon after noticing his children’s various musical abilities, Joe devoted himself to molding them into a well-rehearsed group and became their manager. In 1964, the Jackson 5 was formed, consisting of sons Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Tito.
As their fame grew, the group performed at talent shows and as opening acts all over the country, including at the renowned Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, where they won an amateur-night competition in 1967. During this time, Katherine became the group’s costume designer, often making suits and costumes for her sons to wear during their performances.
After the Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1968, Katherine took a backseat on the group’s affairs, but continued to be a supportive mother. As her son, Michael, skyrocketed to fame as a solo artist, she stuck by his side through his highs and lows.
Relationship with Michael Jackson
Katherine had a particularly close relationship with Michael, who lived with her until he was nearly 30 years old. Even after he moved to his infamous Neverland Ranch, the two stayed in constant contact, with Katherine defending him against allegations of child sexual abuse and supporting him during his 2005 criminal trial.
In June 2009, Michael died after suffering cardiac arrest from acute propofol intoxication in his Los Angeles home. In a copy of his will, Katherine was listed as the guardian of his three children: Paris, Prince, and Bigi. She was also named as one of the recipients of the pop star’s estimated $500 million fortune.
In February 2010, an official coroner’s report on Michael’s cause of death was released, revealing the singer had died from acute propofol intoxication. The overdose had reportedly worked in combination with a lethal prescription drug cocktail to shut down the star’s weakened heart. Aided by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael had used the drugs to help him sleep at night.
After a police investigation revealed Murray was not licensed to prescribe most controlled drugs in California, his actions while caring for Michael were further scrutinized. The singer’s death was ruled a homicide and, in November 2011, Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit
In September 2010, Katherine also pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoters AEG Live. She and her three grandchildren alleged that AEG Live, which produced Michael’s planned comeback series This Is It, had failed to protect him while he was under Murray’s care, and was therefore liable for his death.
Her attorneys sought up to $1.5 billion—an estimation of what Michael could have earned over the months since his death if he were alive—but in October 2013, a jury determined AEG was not responsible for his death.
Guardian of Michael Jackson’s Kids
Following his death, Katherine was granted sole custody of Michael’s children. But in July 2012, she briefly lost custody of them after a bizarre incident in which a family member reported her missing. While it was soon discovered Katherine had taken a trip to Arizona, where she was spending time with family, a judge suspended her as guardian of Michael’s children because she had been out of communication with the children for 10 days. Her nephew TJ Jackson, son of Tito, was appointed temporary guardian of Paris, Prince, and Bigi.
Before Katherine’s location was confirmed, speculation quickly grew regarding her whereabouts, with her grandchildren becoming worried they were possibly being prevented from communicating with her by other family members. Exacerbating the paranoia, Katherine’s “disappearance” came shortly after a dispute between her and several members of the Jackson clan, including singer Janet Jackson, who raised questions about the validity of Michael’s will, pointing fingers at the Jackson matriarch and calling for the executors of his estate to resign.
In August 2012, a judge restored Katherine as the primary guardian of Paris, Prince, and Bigi, also approving a plan granting TJ co-guardianship of the children. In 2017, after Paris and Prince became of age, she resigned co-guardianship of Bigi, citing her age as the main reason. This left TJ as the sole guardian of Michael’s youngest child, then 15.
Feud with Michael Jackson’s Estate
In 2009, lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain were named executors of Michael’s estate, much to Katherine’s dismay. After her son’s death, she tried to gain control of her son’s assets, but was denied, with a judge ruling that July Branca and McClain were both named administrators in Michael’s will.
In 2017, Katherine filed a request to join a lawsuit against them over a stake in the Michael Jackson Company. Several years later, she objected to the proposed sale of Michael’s music catalog to Sony, but in 2024, she lost her appeal, which allowed Branca and McClain to move forward with the $600 million deal. Additionally, Katherine requested Michael’s estate pay for her legal fees, which was also dismissed. According to court filings, Michael’s estate claimed she already received over $55 million.
Marriage to Joe Jackson
Katherine and her husband Joe Jackson had a long and tumultuous marriage. Marrying in 1949, the pair had 10 children together. Their first child, a daughter named Rebbie, was born in 1950, followed by Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, twins Marlon and Brandon, Michael, Randy, and Janet over the next 16 years. Only nine survived to adulthood, however. Their son Brandon died as an infant in 1957.
Throughout their marriage, Katherine struggled with her husband’s rampant infidelity. Joe engaged in several extramarital affairs, his most prominent of which was a 25-year-long relationship with Cheryle Terrell, with whom he had a daughter, Joh’Vonnie Jackson.
His indiscretions prompted Katherine to file for divorce on at least two occasions, first in 1973 and then again in 1982, both of which she rescinded. The couple stayed married for 69 years, reportedly living apart for several decades, until Joe died of pancreatic cancer in June 2018. Several years later, their son, Tito, died of a heart attack in September 2024.
Net Worth
As of October 2025, Katherine has an estimated net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Much of her wealth comes from Michael Jackson’s Family Trust, of which she is the primary beneficiary.
Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us!
The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
