The 89-year-old retired talent manager’s son, Jermaine Jackson, revealed last week that his dad “does not have long” left to live after he recently took a turn for the worse but, although his family were hoping that he could live out his final days back at his home in Las Vegas, medical staff have said he’s “too weak” to leave now.
A source told TMZ: “He had planned to go to his home in Vegas to live out his final days, but that has not happened. Joe is very weak and getting significantly weaker. It’s now a waiting game, and the end could come at any time.”
Joe has been ill for some time but gave verbal instructions not to allow his family access his medical records or visit him, but after four frustrating days of negotiations, his wife Katherine Jackson, daughters Rebbie and Joh’Vonnie, and granddaughter Yashi Brown finally saw him in Las Vegas, Nevada, last Tuesday (19.06.18).
Jermaine said at the time: “He’s very very frail, he doesn’t have long. The family needs to be by his bedside – that’s our only intention in his final days.
“No one knew what was going on – we shouldn’t have to beg, plead, and argue to see our own father, especially at a time like this.
“We have been hurting. We were not being told where he was and couldn’t get the full picture. Even from the doctor. My mother was worried sick. It’s what any family would want, but some people around him think they know better…and they don’t.”
Joe, who suffers from diabetes and is also believed to have a form of dementia, suffered a stroke in Brazil in 2015 which left him temporarily blind.
He was hospitalised in 2016 with a high fever after falling during a routine check-up.