PREACH IT! The Jackson house o’ crazy: a primer

Exactly what is going on at the Jackson family compound in Encino -- and how much of it involves a stun gun and children with names like Jermajesty and Blanket -- is the stuff of much speculation at this hour.

Given that we don’t live at said compound, and that we don’t even pretend to be friends with the Jackson crowd, we can’t say what precise flavor of crazy is being served over there. But we can offer you a primer on what’s happened so far.

On Tuesday, officials from the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services paid a visit to the compound, reportedly because Jermaine Jackson’s son, Jaafar, 13, had ordered a stun gun online. According to a statement later released by the Jackson family attorney, Jaafar had indeed gotten his adolescent mitts on the gun, but had managed to test it only “on a piece of paper” before the weapon was confiscated by adults. Meanwhile, TMZ has said that the stun gun actually was used by several children in the household, and that Jackson’s youngest child, Blanket, was an intended target.

A reported total of eight kids live in the compound, including the three children of the late Michael Jackson. The person responsible for their care? Apparently, it’s Katherine Jackson, the 79-year-old family matriarch, and she may not have much of a handle over all that kiddage. (ABC News reports that as many as 14 people live in the household at any given time.) The place may be more chaotic than Jackson mouthpieces are willing to admit; a home video obtained by Radar shows Jaafar smacking down younger brother Jermajesty, 9, pretty harshly -- and no, there are no typos in that sentence.

Oh, one final twist: Jermaine has hinted that the stun gun was intended as a gift for him, from Jaafar.

-- Leslie Gornstein

Photos: Katherine Jackson, left, and Jermaine Jackson, right. Credits: Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images, left; Ade Johnson / EPA, right. 

More Ministry of Gossip dispatches about the King of Pop:

Jackson's family members in court for Conrad Murray's 'not guilty' plea; full autopsy report released

Michael Jackson's doctor faces involuntary manslaughter charge

'Another Day': Sony yanks leaked Michael Jackson song; Lenny Kravitz speaks about the recording

Michael Jackson's white glove brings in $350,000 at auction

Barbara Walters finds Michael Jackson's children fascinating

Papa Joe Jackson wants an allowance from Michael's estate

Liz Taylor's review: Michael Jackson's genius drives 'This Is It' 

For complete Los Angeles Times coverage of MJ's life and death, click here.

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Comments

[tuneto]

He did not slap his brother. Take a close look at the video. Shame on the negative people these are kids you are critizing.

[racheal]

u all should be ashamed of yourselves talking about things you dont know. just because they have UNIQUE names does not give anyone the right to judge. leave the jackson family alone. dont you think u people have hurt them enough?

[Weffie]

This article and the whole issue is silly. Sure Mrs. Jackson might be the ultimate person in charge - but there are loads of security people, a nanny, and even another adult living there. Just because of this one incident doesn't mean the whole house is out of control.

[inca]

I'm not worried about the stun gun incident as it will be dealt with by the adults.... However, I was surprised to see Jermaine's youngest son, Jermajesty, cursing over and over , on the video..... He is only 9 years old and he is bleeped several times in the short video. Apparently there is a problem in the household when a 9 year old is bleeped three times in a sentence , or two. I heard awhile ago that the Jackson kids curse , argue,and fight all the time , and dismissed it, but jermajesty is nine...Perhaps the older kids curse in front of the younger children at the Jackson compound. I doubt if they curse in front of Katherine...Jaafar, or the kids probably planned to put it on you tube themselves(smile... Ha! Ha ! On the video, Jermajesty says , "Hi, I'm Jermajesty....." Obviously, the boy was addressing people who didn't already know his name, or who he was...They're being kids........ (smile) Ha! LOL....but obviously, when a 9 year old is cursing like that , and has to be bleeped 3 times in a sentence.... They need to have a good talk with the older kids who are influencing Jermajesty... Michael would not want his children exposed to, or to talk like that. Unfortunately, adults think nothing of saying the F word in front of children nowadays. Maybe one of Jaafar's friend's parents' called the authorities....but nanny Grace Rwamba has a right to be concerned about Michael's children.Of course they want to cut ties with the nanny...she's their only mother figure, and they love her , and call her mom... If they try to end Michael's relationship with Michael's kids , MOM, nanny Grace, they do not have the children's best interests , or their psycological well being in mind...... And Jermaine, do you actually expect people to believe Jaafar bought you a stun gun for what..... hmmmmmmmm....an upcoming birthday gift???? LOL Why can't you be honest, and say that your child made a mistake!!!(SMILE)

[dianne]

first of all why is jermaines x wife living there with his 2 kids,because this arrangment was made cause he couldn;t afford child support,so mommy took them in .jermaine stop being abig whiner and look after your own kids your mom has enough to do ,michael bought that compound for his mom to live there not for you to dump your kids off and your x wife be a man let them live with you and your wife i;m sure you can find parking for a couple more camels

[Edie]

AMEN Diane! That is my thinking throughout this whole ordeal. Why doesn't Jermaine care for his own children? He continues to sponge off of Michael. That house is intended for Katherine and family to VISIT! Michael has been taking care of his dear mother all these years. I guess they think if they drop their kids off there, Michael's money will cover it. MAN UP JERMAINE and be a father to your children like Michael was.

[CDZ from the Ministry]

Christie D'Zurilla here from the blog with a reminder that we don't publish comments that have profanity -- even if it's mild, and even if you put in dashes or asterisks or other symbols to fool the profanity filter. I'm the filter, and I have that one figured out.

If you're not seeing your comment go live, it's probably because you cussed. Feel free to resubmit clean. Thanks for reading and commenting.

//cdz

[Jacob]

I can't Blanket was a target if Mj were alive he would not let jafaar around his kids i think.

[Cherubim]

I am for the well-being of Michael Jackson's children: Prince, Paris, and Blanket. I think that can best happen without them being surrounded by
Jermaine's and Randy's children and the one wife they both shared. Havenhurst belongs to Michael Jackson's children.
With the exception of Katherine Jackson, the other 10 or so people living there need to vacate;so she can focus on taking care of Michael Jackson's children.
Only Prince, Paris, Paris Jackson lost their father less than 8 month ago, not
their cousins.

My prayer is that God will provide a safe loving environment for Michael Jackson's children. I pray God will allow Micahel Jackson to continue to over his childen from Heaven.

[Cherubim]

Correction: Only Prince, Paris, and Blanket, lost their father less than 8 months ago, not their cousins.

[donna]

people leave the jacksons alone . Michael is gone. now everyone is going after his family, leave them alone, however Jermain should have his own kids with him. did we learn [at lease some of us] from what media did to michael?

[Tom Joyce]

Either they need to remove Michael's kids or everyone except Katherine needs to be gone and stay gone. That house belonged to Michael. The other kids and adults are only there so Michael's money can support them. That's why they needed an increase in there monthly allowance. Where are the judge, the kid's guardium ad litem and the estate attorneys? They need to protect the kid's estate and get the other money grubbers out of there. Someone needs to monitor how Katherine spends the monthly allowance for the kids also. How she spends her money is her business, but I read that she is not getting her monthly allowance because of some creditor claim.

Also, it is totally unacceptable for them to be in a house with a 13 year old brandying a stun gun I don't care how he got it or how long he had it or whether he just used on a piece of paper or whatever.

[tuneto]

Honestly, if Michael Jackson kids were black or not rich no one would care. Those kids are not better than anyone else. Michael is not here to take care of his kids so therefore the next best thing is for there grandmother to look after them. Most of us do not know them (the kids) personally and need to mind our own business. Who cares who bought the house it is hers now and those are all of her grandkids. Most of us as kids have acted up and done sillier things than those kids on the film and cursed when our parents did not see us. Michael kids are not perfect and I am sure they are not perfect statues. If these kids (the Jackson kids) get ahold of some of these post I think they would be horrifed. Lighten up and worry about kids that are in real danger (the ones who have real problems and parents are not billionaires).

[Lessley]

your really disrespectufl. i don't know what you get from being so rude. but i hope its worth it.

[ARONA]

Stop stalking the Jackson family ,GO VISIT SOME HOMES THAT REALLY NEED CPS TO COME .COME ON PEOPLE ,Leave that family alone I am sure that while CPS was visiting the Jackson HOME THAT THERE WAS SOME HOMES THAT DID NOT GET A VISIT BUT NEEDED TO HAVE GOTTEN ONE...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH....

[ARONA]

Mrs.Jackson SURE LOOKS GOOD TO BE 79.....

[Cherubim]

I pray the DCFS does the right thing, and
tell Jermaine and Randy that they need to
parent their children, and give Kathrine Jackson, who is about 80 years old, a break.

[betty]

mj left a lot of money to his three beloved children, why they have to live crowdly in the house with so many other jackson children. I hope mj's children will be grown up perfectly and in saft. as they are the treasure of mj.

[SeptSpirit]

Have you all forgotten that Jackson left a WILL? He knew who lived at the compound when he selected Katherine as guardian. Does it matter how many people live there? Perhaps this is Katherine's desire.
The only risk to those children is salacious and slanderous Medialoid rumors and the ill informed and ignorant comments people make, that the children may some day happen to read. Watch the video again, frame-by-frame. Jaaf's hand passes in front of Jerm's face and he's still standing. He didn't "violently slap him to the floor". They were playing around. Someone edited that tape. Medialoid is missing (ignoring?) the better story. Who stole property (video) from the Jackson home and gave it to the tabloids? Which videographer, capable of editing it, has been quoted in the media since the rumors started circulating? Why hasn't Rowe exercised her rights to see the children, but is all over the tabloids voicing concern? Is she running low on cash again? Who is behind this? Who wants MJs kids in foster care or with Rowe/Klein? ::shudder::

[robin]

michael jackson will be miss very much and will always be the king of pop.

[Shayna,14]

I don't belive this im sure Jermaine 13 year old son did not do that after what michaels three kids have been threw.You don't know who to belive.So is this true or flase?

Shayna
PS:I love you michael jackson R.I.P
and i love you prince michael,13 paris,11 blanket,8
and Omer Bhatti,25

[Sakhi]

Very well said Betty. The tabloid infected media is now spinning the news around Michael's children. Michael had to worry through out his life, about the evils snatching his children away from him. Now, his family members have to worry. How disgusting that the one who writes such ugly opinions and publishes such ugly thoughts don't have any ethics. They only care about ratings and money.

[Kelly Main]

I doubt Katharine is solely responsible for looking after the kids. They'd surely have a number of nannies on site doing the hard work

[sc341]

I'm a little concerned about the environment MJ's daughter is living in. Does this poor young girl have any girl friends her own age? Do any of the children living in this home attend school? Does MJ's daughter have her own room? It seems she is surrounded by a lot of boys. These children need to be educated. Also, their mother (Debbie Rowe has been seen in the company of Marc Shaffel. (google him). I don't think it's a good idea for the kids to be w/her if she keeps company with Shaffel. Sad situation.

[Mancub4]

Yes, folks, media has no shame. They monopolize the news. And the world is a bit more stupid because of internet - unfortunate negative side of a wonderful tool. MJ named eight kids in his will - pretty generous and caring, no? And we know that if from a big family, always a big family. Violent slap? Shocking? Give the Jacksons a break. The gig is well played out by the kids. There's no doubt that the media has found it's "chicken with the golden eggs". And some would love to take the money and run (as if they hadn't been trying to until now), and tear them apart, discredit them. Katherine Jackson is fine! I'm sure she's just as strong as my own mother with her own nine kids. Enough of this junk! Let them be.