La Toya Jackson: Tyrant Husband Made Me 'Most Hated' Person in the World

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jun 28th 2011 09:29PM

La Toya Jackson's newly released 'Starting Over' is really a bifurcated memoir. The first half is about the abuse, both physical and mental, that she suffered under her manager/husband Jack Gordon. The latter deals with her gradual reconciliation with her famous family, especially Michael, and what she really thinks of her brother's death. Since the book is a two-parter, let's mimic that and only delve into one-half of La Toya's harrowing story, saving her striking theories about MJ's death for Wednesday.

This must have been a difficult book to write.
I had to write this book and I did not want to write it because I didn't want to think about it. I wanted to put it behind me. I was embarrassed to let people know that I endured this but then more women came up to me and started telling me their stories and how they'd been abused and crying and saying, 'You need to go out there and speak.' I started thinking they're right, they need a voice. People walk into your life, they control you, they take away your dignity, your self-esteem and self-worth. They take away from you everything that you love from you and they seclude you from your own family and this is a way of dividing and controlling and conquering you from your family. Women need to know when a man touches them it's one time too many because it doesn't stop there, he's going to do it again and you can get away. You can start again and they need to know that.

You were with Jack Gordon a long time.
It was nearly ten years. I had no choice, no control. If I was to make a move or do anything, first of all I was surrounded by his people and also he promised me that he would kill my brothers and then kill me. He said, 'If you ever try to run away I'll come and find you and kill you and your brothers.' I believed it because I knew the way he operated.

Just, horrible.
He forced me to do everything against my will, like Playboy magazine. I would get beatings twice a week. The straw that broke the camel's back was when he wanted me to do porno with a couple of men. I said, 'I can't do this.' He said, 'Yes you are.' And he got in the shower and I picked up the phone and I was terrified he was going to catch me and I made a phone call to my mother and father and they told my brother Randy, 'You get over there and get her now,' and he got on a plane and got me and I escaped.

Why do you think you were so susceptible to someone like Jack Gordon?
I know exactly why it happened. He was fortunate enough to get a religious girl who knew nothing about the world, who was wealthy and he could take advantage of and use her and make money off her and then toss her aside. He told me, 'I'm going to make you the most hated person in the world.'

So you had parallels in your life with Michael, in terms of being isolated.
Absolutely and that's what they do. They isolate you and control you. You have no one to go to, you're dependent on them.

Part 2 of my chat with La Toya runs Wednesday. In it, the singer-actress unravels what she sincerely believes was a conspiracy to murder her brother, Michael.

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La Toya Jackson Snapshots

La Toya Jackson poses with fans at Katsuya in Hollywood. March 16, 2011 X17online.com

Green/X17online.com

X17online.com

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes her new book "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes her new book "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes her new book "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: La Toya Jackson promotes her new book "Starting Over" at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on June 22, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - JUNE 21: La Toya Jackson signs copies of "Starting Over" at Bookends Bookstore on June 21, 2011 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - JUNE 21: La Toya Jackson signs copies of "Starting Over" at Bookends Bookstore on June 21, 2011 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - JUNE 21: La Toya Jackson signs copies of "Starting Over" at Bookends Bookstore on June 21, 2011 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

RIDGEWOOD, NJ - JUNE 21: La Toya Jackson signs copies of "Starting Over" at Bookends Bookstore on June 21, 2011 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

La Toya Jackson Snapshots

Tags: Jack Gordon, La Toya Jackson, Starting Over

Comments

(42)

Tuesday 28 June

By themeeker

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

The most hated person in the world? She doesn't think much of herself, does she?

Toy honey, no one ever cared enough about you or your fake boobs/face to give a sh!t. Stop flattering yourself. You're just making the joke funnier.

By jerry

Vote down Vote up Report this

Not for one moment do i believe Latoya was forced to strip/pose for playboy by her husband. it's no big deal latoya you took your clothes off for money. you got a terrific body so what's the big deal? just fess up and admit you did it because you liked it and you got paid for it.

By at

since your a man, you don't know what abused women go through. when your trapped and under their control and your afraid and don't know where to go, you will do what your told, get beating and threaten with death, will make a person do what their told. lets see if you say the same thing if it happens to a daughter or sister of yours or mother.

By bob

sure your latoya ,thats michael in a wig, elvis told him dont go out in public

By juney

I read the book; nothing new about the "plot to murder Michael" theory. In fact, several times in the book she says her career was on the upswing but something was always going on in Michael's life that caused her to put her own hopes and dreams on the back burner. Poor thing. Personally, I would let have let the husband do me in before I would go around the world saying my brother was a child molester. Michael forgave her, most of us cannot.

By plz

Drama Queen.

By SMS

Go to Wikipedia and Read up on Jack Gordon..LaToya has a point..His life wasnt pretty..

By Lisa

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

Her ex husband tied to kill her, he should have.

By Ernie D.

Man, it makes me realize how difficult life really is.

I have her book. My heart goes out to her and her family. I know that they have been dealing with a bunch of haters over the years.

Wednesday 29 June

By kelly

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Latoya was a victim of domestic violence, it's easy to laugh or to disregard something you have not experienced. When someone has control over you they can make you do crazy things. Jack gorden mentally and physically abused her, she was clearly a different person with him. There are pictures of her with black eyes from him and there are actual police reports filed so this was real. What she did to michael was wrong even if it wasn't her idea but Michael loved and forgave his sister, if he could forgive her people need to move on.

By jaguar8450

Did any one of them actually attend school on a daily basis and actually graduate with a high school diploma?

By frank

looks like latoilet went to the same nose job dr as her bro wacko jacko. she didn't get quite as much of a bleach job on her face.

By David

Michael actually wrote a song about Latoya called HOT MESS.
It was a big hit in Japan. People are still singing it.

By Ramona

hey the girl needs to get an JOB or get herself some biznezz of her own, then just maybe people won't want to kill her. The girl is Trippin with No bags if you really want to know what I think or feel about it. She feeds off of what ever she thinks people want to her, but in reality, they really don't what to her about her personal problems "she" created right. She "Created" thats the Key Word. I'm Bad....

By victory

The Jackson family has been dysfunctional as far back as I can remember. This on going saga, now a book from Latoya, please. She has always been a "nobody" in the family. To carve out some sort of "celebrity" aside from your brother's w/ a Playboy spread doesn't say much. To use Michael's photo on the cover of your tell all book so some fool might be attracted by the cover. Nobody cares about you or what has happened in your life, we all have some tale to tell. By the way, there wasn't some conspiracy to murder Michael, he self-destructed on his own, he just needed "anybody" to administer his lethal sleep aid.

By mbrul

who? oh right, one of the jacksons that never really had a career. you have to be someone before you can be the hated person in the world.

By Victory22

You are right LaToya I hate you for hurting your brother and I hate you even more for betraying his memory and his children now. Shame on you!

Thursday 30 June

By voiceofreason

Nobody here has the right and/or knowledge to judge LaToya or anyone who they know absolutely nothing about . You haven't lived her life and you only form your opinions through the maliciously crafted and manipulative media over the years . You are guilty of the same things you accuse LaToya of....being weak and brainwashed . It's ironic that Michael wrote a song about the man in the mirror. Very fitting , isn't it ? Fact is....to live your life in a fishbowl and remain standing after all of these years is nothing short of impressive . You people couldn't do it.....you can't do it with your own boring and uneventful lives .

Sunday 03 July

By CV

I'm not a fan of Michael Jackson, but it seems this bimbo and his whole family just keep capitalizing on his death. Can't she make money on her own? Oh, I forgot, her career has been dead for years.

Friday 08 July

By Cameron

Please. Jack Gordon was my grandfather, and a good one at that. Though I didn't ever meet Latoya, as I wasn't alive while they were married, I've always known about how she says he beat her. He was a kind man to his family, and I always loved him up to the day he died, and I still do. I don't wish for anyone to go through domestic abuse, it's a horrible thing and I don't tolerate it whatsoever, but I believe the majority of her allegations are lies. When he was sick and at the end of his life, she took that as an opportunity to bash and spread horrible rumors about him. Latoya's 15 minutes of fame were over years ago, and I'd appreciate if she'd stop beating a dead horse and let his memory lie in peace.

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