Joe Jackson: 'Michael had a childhood'

Joe Jackson has rejected claims by his late son Michael that he never had a childhood.

Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Joe said that he limited Michael and his brothers' exposure to other children for their own good.

Joe said: "He claimed he had no childhood, but that's not true. The truth is that I didn't want to allow my kids to play with the kids of the neighbourhood. It was a no-good neighbourhood where we lived.

"The children from then are now drug addicts or have gone to prison. I wanted to protect my children from that. Michael had eight siblings who could play with. They frolicked, played basketball."

He continued: "I took the boys firmly in hand, that's true. But I also promised to make them the greatest stars in the world. That was the plan and they agreed.

"I smacked them sometimes but not constantly. How could I do that? I was rarely at home. I had two jobs to earn the money for their instruments and I had to feed a 11-person family. I abused nobody. I insist on that!

"Back then it was like that. If a child didn't toe the line then they got slapped in the face. The teacher at school did that also. Nowadays the methods of education are different and I would act differently."

Joe added: "It was difficult, I was his father and also his manager. It's difficult to divide, you know, we were black people in a business dominated by white people.

"I knew Michael could become bigger than Elvis, but the white people would never allow it. I had to lead Michael through a shark tank. And if you ask me, he became bigger than Elvis."