LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Looks like Kim Kardashian's love life was already newsworthy at the age of 15. Kim recently recounted that as a teenager she had to testify at her ex-boyfriend, TJ Jackson's mother's murder trial. Michael Jackson's nephew, TJ Jackson, was Kim's first-ever boyfriend. Although the couple didn't work out, they have remained close friends over the years. The Kardashians even appeared on 'The Jacksons: Next Generation,' their reality series.
Kim revealed that she testified in the murder trial of Dolores "Dee Dee" Jackson. The reality actress, 42, who dated TJ, 44, from 1994 to 1996, revealed to Vogue Italia that she was required to testify at the trial when Dee Dee was discovered dead in a swimming pool in August 1994 at the age of 39. Dee Dee's partner, Don Bohana, 59, was later imprisoned for her murder.
Who is TJ Jackson?
TJ Jackson is the son of Tito, a founding member of The Jackson Five, and a musical heir to the family. They founded the R&B group 3T, along with his brothers Taj and Taryll, which went on to become an international hit in the 1990s. They were initially given a contract by Motown Records, the same company that released The Jackson Five's debut album. At present, TJ is married to Frances Casey. They have four children: Rio, Dee Dee, Jo Jo, and Royal. He also has two step-children, Sage and Lexci.
Along with his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, TJ was granted joint guardianship of Prince, Paris, and Blanket, three of Michael's children in 2012. The matriarch at the time stated, "I am, and have been, very close with my grandson TJ and have relied on him to help me raise Prince, Paris, and Blanket since the death of their father." In 2017, Katherine gave TJ sole custody of Blanket, who was then 15 years old, and withdrew from her role as co-guardian.
'To have that experience at such a young age was insane'
Kim opened up about testifying in TJ's mother's murder trial which happened in 1994, while they were in a relationship. Kim said, "My boyfriend’s mother whom I was really close with was murdered in 1994 and I had to be part of that trial. To have that experience at such a young age was insane. And it was also back-to-back with the OJ [Simpson] trial, there was just a lot of layers there," as per Vogue Italia.
Kim was 14 years old when the murder took place, and the trial was held four years later when she was 18 and no longer dating TJ. The television star, who has become active in the push for criminal justice reform, responded when asked how she was involved in the trial, "I had to testify and was there every day with my boyfriend. I was just 14, you know."
Bohana was convicted of second-degree murder in the killing of Dee Dee in 1998, four years after she died, and was given a 15-year to life sentence. He has been imprisoned in California for 19 years.
Kim Kardashian and TJ Jackson's teenage romance
According to Kim's nanny, Pam Behan, TJ treated Kim with a lot of respect when they were together from 1994 to 1996. Pam said about TJ at the time, "I really liked TJ," to 'Scandal Made Me Famous'.
Pam added, "He was kind of on the quiet, shy side, always very nice and polite. A good-looking kid, and as far as I could ever see, he treated Kim with great respect." Pam said that the couple spent a few nights at Michael's Neverland property. Moreover, Kim referred to it as "the most magical place on earth."
At the age of 14, Kim reportedly told her mother, Kris Jenner, that she wanted to lose her virginity to TJ, who was the love of her life at the time. The reality star admitted to Oprah Winfrey, "When I did want to have sex the first time I was almost 15. I was like, 'I think I'm going to, or I want to,' and [Kris] was like, 'OK, so this is what we're gonna do, we're gonna put you on birth control,' and she was like, really open and honest with me," as per Daily Mail.