The Jackson family patriarch has died.
Prince Jackson is mourning the death of his grandfather, Joe Jackson. Joe died on Wednesday morning, ET confirmed. He was 89.
"This man is and always will be an example or sheer willpower and dedication," Michael Jackson's son wrote alongside a photo with Joe.
"He didn’t choose the path that was the easiest but he choose the path that was best for his family. You taught me to take pride in the Jackson name and what it really means, you taught me dedication in the face of adversity and most of all you showed me strength and fearlessness. There is and never will be someone like you. Fly free and until we meet again The Hawk."
Prince's cousins also took to social media to pay tribute.
"RIP to the king that made everything possible!!! I love you grandpa," Randy Jackson Jr. wrote.
"Joe was loved by our ENTIRE family and our hearts are in pain," Taj Jackson wrote.
"You did the unthinkable. Some people will never understand the commitment & love it takes to do what you did. And as your grandson I am forever grateful for the strength I have from you. I’ll always remember what I’ve learned from you. I’ll always cherish you," TJ Jackson tweeted.
The estate of Prince's late father released a statement on Joe's passing earlier this morning.
“We are deeply saddened by Mr. Jackson’s passing and extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Katherine Jackson and the family. Joe was a strong man who acknowledged his own imperfections and heroically delivered his sons and daughters from the steel mills of Gary, Indiana to worldwide pop superstardom," the co-executors of the estate said.
Mr. Jackson’s contributions to the history of music are enormous. They were acknowledged by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 in a proclamation naming him as Best Entertainment Manager of All Time; he was inducted into Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 and his son Michael acknowledged him with a Joe Jackson Day at Neverland. We had developed a warm relationship with Joe in recent years and will miss him tremendously,”
ET learned last week that Joe was back in the hospital in Las Vegas with terminal cancer. A source told ET at the time that Joe had been battling the illness for a while, and that doctors recently told family members that his cancer was untreatable, and he had limited time left.
Joe had suffered a number of health issues in recent years, including a stroke on his 87th birthday.
"To my family, friends, acquaintances and fans all over the world. I want to thank you all for your prayers, unwavering support and kind well wishes during these trying times," he wrote on his website at the time. "Through God's intervention the wonderful Doctors, Nurses and caretakers at the Albert Einstein Sao Paulo hospital have taken great care of me. God willing, I should be able to make a quick recovery and travel back home soon. Thank you all once again for your prayers and support."
Last year, Joe shot down rumors of his death after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital due to a high fever that occurred during a routine checkup.
"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," the note, titled "I Am 100% Alive," read. "Please ignore all the stupid false rumors from people who seem to find humor in such topics."
See more on the Jackson famly in the video below.
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