The Jackson family is currently mourning the loss of their beloved patriarch, Joe Jackson, who died in Las Vegas earlier this week from his terminal colon cancer.Â
But, while famous daughters Janet and La Toya will certainly be showered with public sympathy, pop fans should also spare a thought for their little-known 'secret' sibling, JohVonnie Jackson.
The 41-year-old - who resulted from one of Joe 's extra-marital flings in the 1970s - will likely be grieving alone.
That's because a bizarre family feud has long raged between the estranged relatives, including their famous brothers, who she says have always excluded her from the showbiz clan.
And, sadly, it persisted right until Joe's final days.
Only yesterday JohVonnie shared an Instagram post announcing her father's death, stating she was the last person to see him alive.
"Good People at 2:55 AM June 27th, 2018 my Daddy departed this evil world," she wrote. "I'm so glad I was there until the end. I had a bed right next to his."
Then, appearing to throw shade at her half-siblings, she added: "Allah, thank you for keeping the evildoers away from my father and our family during this time."
The eyebrow-raising post comes just months after she appeared on US chat show The Talk to discuss her dysfunctional relationship with the dynasty.
Around that time she also blasted La Toya as "the worst possible sister" on social media - despite unconfirmed rumours she'd suffered a stroke.
According to JohVonnie, the root of the fractured family was the fact she could call her father 'Daddy' (rather than his preferred moniker, Joe, which his other children had to use).
This, she claims, was interpreted as preferential treatment and caused chasms between the offspring.
However, it's fair to say that she was always something of the proverbial 'black sheep'.
JohVonnie, who now lives with daughter Yasmine, 23, in Las Vegas, was the consequence of a 25-year affair between Joe and her mum, secretary Cheryle Terrell.
Despite the act, she wasn't planned, Joe always showered his love child with gifts and considerable spent time raising her - at the expense of his primary family.
His wife, Katherine, even knew of her existence, but her Jehovah’s Witness faith led her forgiving him and accepting JohVonnie.
Yet, despite this shining example of maturity, almost all of her well-known siblings treat her as an outcast and, incredibly, she never got to meet Michael until she was 29.
She would even attend Jacko’s and Janet’s concerts but was not allowed to speak to them while La Toya would ignore her in shops.
Speaking to The Mirror in 2012, the mum-of-one said: “I feel rejected by some of my family. It’s upsetting and hurtful.â€
“I had the hardest childhood. It was just as blue as Michael’s and just as blue as my other brothers and sisters.
“But then I grow up and found they don’t want to have anything to do with me.
“I got so irritated with my parents because I didn’t ask to be here.â€
For years JohVonnie looked up to her famous siblings and even went to dozens of Janet and Michael’s shows – but could never talk to them.
She said: “Through Daddy, I would get tickets to all the concerts. I was amazed at Michael’s talent. I remember thinking as a little girl, ‘He looked at me, he saw me’.
“I would sometimes go to see them backstage but I could never get to talk to them. You could not get close at all. It was frustrating. I also didn’t have any access to telephone numbers.
“I didn’t want to go through my father’s things and it wasn’t really something that was talked about.â€
Now she remains philosophical about the rift between her and the rest of the Jackson clan.
She said: “It is what it is. I love my brothers and sisters no matter what they do, what is said about them, how they act, it’s unconditional for me.
“The door is always open and my phone is always there.
“They can always call me if they need me for something.
“But I don’t feel that that is extended for me. I feel rejected by some of the family. It’s upsetting and hurtful.â€
mirror.co.uk