Like me, I am sure you have heard crazy escapades in legal battles between spouses who air their dirty laundry in divorce court. The American appetite for such madness is so prodigious that we’ve made celebrities out of judges who listen to the lives of husbands and wives who want to leave their marriages behind in front of cameras. But what is going on right now between Michael Jackson’s big brother, Jermaine and his estranged wife, Alejandra has to go down as the strangest case in divorce court history.
When Judge Mablean Ephraim was let go by the executives at Divorce Court and Lynn Toler was selected I doubt that the writers of the show could have even imagined concocting up a story as strange and greed-driven as the one playing out in the courts of California. There is an old cliché that women quote saying, ‘what’s his is mine, and what is mine is mine. This possessive, controlling cliché seems to have extended to Alejandra Jackson as she has taken that cliché to another level with her recent filings asking not only for spousal support to be based on the earnings and net worth of her husband, fabled soul singer Jermaine Jackson. But that the court should also consider his new wife’s wealth in the factoring.
I know your mouth dropped like mine did when I read it. Alejandra Jackson, who is currently in court suing for spousal support from her husband, former member of the 70s group, the Jackson 5, has asked a Civil Court judge to reward her alimony based on Jermaine Jackson’s income, as well as the net worth and income of a woman he is married to.
Together less than nine years, Alejandra was involved with Jermaine’s brother Randy while both couples lived at the Jackson compound Hayvenhurst. Sometime during that period Alejandra and Jermaine became an item which created a rift in the family. Less than a year after he separated from his girlfriend Margaret Maldonado, Alejandra and Jermaine took their relationship public. They had two children together, Jaffar and Jermajesty.
While the couple officially divorced in 2004, they continue to wage a heated battle as Jermaine has remarried and moved to the Middle East to be with his wife, Halima Rashid. According to legal documents, Alejandra wants the court to reward her increase in her alimony payments based on the fact that Jermaine’s wife, Halima has a sizable net worth from external sources. Today, Jermaine runs Earthcare, an international Muslim relief organization that hosts charity events around the globe. Halima is the executive director of the relief agency and oversees all of the work the agency undertakes.
Jermaine was once one of the most recognized faces in the music industry. As the second lead behind Michael in the group the Jackson 5, Jermaine Jackson musical gifts were at their zenith. When creative differences between the Jackson 5 and Motown Records arose, Jermaine chose to remain at Motown while the group joined a competing label. Part of Jermaine’s reasoning was based on his relationship and ultimate marriage to Hazel Gordy, the wife of Motown founder and music guru, Barry Gordy.
After the Jackson 5 debacle, Jermaine’s solo career was filled with highs and lows. At times his work was well-received while other projects died on the production floor. It was until a recent appearance on the UK version of Big Brother that Jermaine saw his name in lights again. As the runner up on the show, Jermaine received a semi-revival in popularity. But nothing in comparison to the 70s when Jermaine and his brothers erupted out of his parents living room in Gary, IN.
With Alejandra’s assertion that Jermaine can afford an increase in alimony because of Halima’s wealth, the court will face an unprecedented decision. With Jermaine now a resident of Bahrain and his wife, a native of Afghanistan, there is a lot to consider. One thing is for certain, Alejandra, should not take the decision personal.
