Joe and Katherine Jackson Divorcing

The Daily Mail reported on a as-of-yet unsubstantiated rumor that the parents of the late "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, Joe and Katherine Jackson, are divorced after 60 years of marriage. They were separated in 2005 and have been living apart ever since but Katherine Jackson allegedly said she has had enough of his reportedly cruel ways.

A history of emotional or physical spousal abuse usually doesn't help the case of that individual in a divorce proceeding. Chicago family law attorneys could better explain how such allegations might play out in their divorce (if it indeed is in the works).

Katherine Jackson said her estranged husband actually blamed her for Michael Jackson's sudden death last June, that she didn't spend enough time with him. Joe Jackson, meanwhile, has been blamed repeatedly for abusing their children, to which Katherine Jackson's spokesperson referred in the following statement to the press:

"The world also knows who Joe Jackson is and he seems bent on never letting us forget... She's been humiliated by him for too long. She's absolutely livid. There's no going back."

Katherine Jackson has been reluctant to divorce Joe Jackson because her Jehovah's Witness religion forbids divorce.

She gained sole custody of Michael Jackson's three children after his death: 13-year-old Prince Michael, 12-year-old Paris and 8-year-old Blanket (yes, that's his real name). Joe Jackson was not included in the custody order, so their grandchildren wouldn't be an issue in a divorce.

Michael Jackson publicly stated that his father beat him as a child and left him out of his will:

"My father would rehearse with a belt in his hand, you couldn't mess up. I would never get spanked during rehearsals or practice - but afterwards was when I got in trouble."

The divorce is still a rumor and an LA Weekly article casts doubt on whether it's actually happening.

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