1930-present
Who Is Katherine Jackson?
Katherine Jackson is best known as the matriarch of the famed Jackson family. The Alabama had 10 children with her husband Joseph Jackson, whom they raised in Gary, Indiana. She encouraged her children's musical talents, and when sons Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael and Tito became the Jackson 5, she acted as costume designer. Katherine remained supportive to 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 of his three children, Paris, Prince, and Bigi.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Katherine Esther Jackson
BORN: May 4, 1930
BIRTHPLACE: Clayton, Alabama
SPOUSES: 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 life-long 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.
Scruse met Joseph when she was still a teenager. Joseph was a boxer and aspiring musician who was married when the two first met. In November 1949, after Joseph divorced his first wife, the couple married. They moved to Gary, Indiana, and would 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, would later credit his mother with giving him his vocal gifts.
Shaping the Jackson 5
Soon after noticing his children's various musical abilities, Joseph devoted himself to molding them into a well-rehearsed group. 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 opening acts that took them all over the country, including to 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 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, skyrockted to fame as a solo artist, she stuck by his side through his highs and lows, from his success with the album Thriller to his 2005 struggle with child molestation charges. She also continued to be a supportive wife through her husband's public indiscretions with women. Despite several tumultuous moments in their relationship, they remain together until his death in June 2018.
Death of Michael Jackson
In June 2009, Katherine was pulled into the media spotlight when Michael died after suffering cardiac arrest from acute propofol intoxication in his Los Angeles home. In a copy of Michael's will, his mother was listed as the guardian of his three children. 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 that the singer had died from acute propofol intoxication. The overdose had reportedly worked in combination with a lethal prescription drug cocktail — which included the pain killer Demerol, as well as lorazepam, midazolam, benzodiazepine, diazepine and ephedrine—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 that Dr. 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 Murray, in turn, found himself facing an involuntary manslaughter charge. Murray was found guilty on November 7, 2011. He later received a four-year prison sentence.
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. Katherine’s 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 that A.E.G. was not responsible for Michael's death.
Guardian of Michael Jackson’s Kids
Following Michael’s death, Katherine was granted sole custody of his three children Paris, Prince, and Bigi. 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 that Katherine had taken a trip to Arizona, where she was spending time with family, a judge suspended Katherine as guardian of Michael's children just a few days later. On July 25, 2012, TJ Jackson, son of Tito, was appointed temporary guardian of Paris, Prince and Blanket, stating that he was suspending Katherine's guardianship because she had been gone and out of communication with the children for 10 days.
Before Katherine's location could be confirmed, speculation quickly grew regarding her whereabouts, with Paris, Prince and Blanket becoming worried that they were possibly being prevented from communicating with their grandmother 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.
On August 2, 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. She later resigned co-guardianship of Bigi in 2017, citing her age as the main reason.
Feud with Michael Jackson’s Estate
Having long questioned the fitness and intentions of the executors of Michael’s estate, Katherine filed a request to join a lawsuit against them over a stake in the Michael Jackson Company in 2017. Several years later, she objected to the proposed sale of Michael’s music catalog to Sony, but in 2024, she lost her appeal, allowing executors John Branca and John McClain to move forward with the $600 million deal.
Net Worth
As of October 2025, Katherine has an estimated net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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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.
