The stories have been around for decades -- sometimes disquieting ones about the strict upbringing of Joe and Katherine Jackson's nine children in a high-pressure, showbiz family.
Joe Jackson addressed those stories and his family's past in an interview with "Piers Morgan Tonight" that aired Wednesday night, saying that yes, he did physically discipline his children.
Why did he do it?
"I had to be like that way because during those times, it was hard, and you have a lot of gangs there, you know, in the area where we were living," Jackson told Piers Morgan. "This was Gary, Indiana, and I had to make sure that they didn't get in any type of trouble, and things of that sort."
Does he have any regrets about his approach to parenting?
"I'm glad I was tough, because look what I came out with. I came out with some kids that everybody loved all over the world. And they treated everybody right.
"You know, Michael, he was a nice guy. ... The world (doesn't) know anything too much about Michael as far as how he was brought up. But he was brought up. I made sure that he respected the older people."
Morgan said that Janet Jackson -- probably the second-most-famous sibling of the six brothers and three sisters -- in particular has lamented about not being allowed to call Joe Jackson "Dad" and noted almost all of the children have said their father was a strict disciplinarian.
"You had all those kids running hollering around," Jackson said. "They're hollering, 'Dad, Dad, Dad,' you know, and it gets to be -- it sounds kind of funny to me. But I didn't care too much about what they called me, just as long as they (were) able to listen to me and what I had to tell them, you know, in order to make their lives successful. This was the main thing."
They were brought up to respect people, he said. They never joined gangs or went to jail.
Joe and Katherine Jackson are still married.
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SOURCE: CNN
Katie McLaughlin
