Tito Jackson's Son Says A Relative Molested Him During Childhood

Taryll Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, appeared on “Iyanla: Fix My Life” over the weekend to help repair his troubled relationship with his girlfriend, Breana. The two believed that Michael’s death and the murder of Taryll’s mother are what started their breakdown, but a conversation with Iyanla revealed that the real trouble began much earlier.

In a sit-down with Taryll, Iyanla tried to understand why Taryll was “punishing” himself by staying in a broken relationship. That’s when the father of two made a big reveal about his own childhood: He was sexually violated at a young age by a male family member.

“I want to be clear,” said Taryll, who is Tito’s son. “It was a relative, but it wasn’t any of my father’s brothers.”

Taryll revealing this sexual abuse, Iyanla said, was a huge step in his journey toward healing himself and his relationship. However, Taryll also harbored massive guilt that was standing in the way of his healing. That guilt was tied to two more family tragedies: the murder of Tarryl’s mother and the death of his uncle.

Speaking about Michael, Taryll tearfully explained why he struggled so much with the loss. “I don’t feel I was there ... as much as he’s been there for me,” Taryll said. “I feel bad that he felt he couldn’t reach out to me.”

Taryll also felt intense guilt over his mother’s murder. She was killed by her boyfriend, who Taryll says he had a “horrible feeling” about. However, Taryll kept his distaste to himself.

“He beat her up, because he wanted money,” Taryll said of his mother’s partner. “He wanted my mom to ask my uncle [for money], and she wouldn’t do it.”

This unprocessed pain and loss coupled with the pressures of being a Jackson is what Iyanla says has driven a wedge between Taryll and his girlfriend. But Taryll’s openness gave Iyanla hope for the couple, who later reported that they remain together today and continue to use what they learned to keep working on their relationship.

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