Before she was known as the Jackson family’s most controversial member, La Toya Jackson was the quiet middle child, a stark contrast to the global superstars her siblings would become. A new multi-part documentary series delves into her tumultuous journey, exploring her desperate attempts to forge her own identity under the immense pressure of her family name and the iron-fisted control of her father, Joseph Jackson.

Born in 1956, La Toya’s early life was marked by a gentle disposition and a close bond with her mother, Katherine. However, her relationship with her father was defined by fear and abuse. The series recounts a harrowing incident where, at age six, Joseph brutally beat her with a belt for a teacher’s comment on her report card suggesting she was too quiet, despite her straight-A grades. This event instilled a deep-seated vow to never displease him again.

Initially, La Toya had no desire for a career in entertainment. She preferred a quiet, home-centered life and aspired to become a business law attorney after graduating in 1974. “I didn’t want any part of the music business at that time,” she recalled. “I didn’t like seeing them rehearse every single day and going out on the road.”

However, her personal ambitions were consistently thwarted by her father. Joseph forced a then-16-year-old La Toya into the family’s Las Vegas stage act and later their CBS television variety show. “I was scared to death of Joseph,” she admitted. “I knew from his stern tone of voice that I had no choice.”

Throughout this period, La Toya’s closest relationship was with her younger brother, Michael. The two were often called “the twins” and she became his most treasured confidante. They lived together in New York City in 1977 while Michael filmed “The Wiz,” exploring the city and the famed nightclub Studio 54. This time away from their parents strengthened their bond, though the sheltered siblings were often shocked by the era’s excesses.

As Michael’s fame exploded with Thriller, La Toya’s own solo career struggled to launch under her father’s management. She expressed deep frustration with her lack of creative control and the commercially disappointing results of her first two albums. She repeatedly requested to drop the “Jackson” surname to prove she could succeed on her own, but was denied. Her efforts were met with scathing reviews, with one publication claiming she “tarnished the family name.”

Her connection to Michael became a double-edged sword. While being “Michael Jackson’s sister” granted her media attention, it also made it impossible to establish her own artistic identity. In a significant blow, Michael personally shut down the idea of La Toya and Janet opening for the landmark Victory tour, reportedly stating, “I don’t want this to turn into an Osmonds thing.”

By her late twenties, La Toya was perpetually frustrated, artistically stifled, and still living in the family’s Encino home, with her parents preventing her from moving out. This growing desperation for independence and control set the stage for a drastic change.

The documentary series suggests this deep-seated need for freedom led her directly into the arms of controversial businessman and manager Jack Gordon. His promise of a new life and career came at a great cost, leading La Toya down a path of public reinvention that would challenge her family and nearly break her in the process.