When his mother, Delores “Dee Dee” Jackson, died, 16-year-old TJ Jackson saw his world crumble under his feet. Luckily, the women in his family — including his aunts Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, but particularly his grandmother, Katherine Jackson — were there to ensure he had solid ground to stand on. “I always say to my grandmother that she was the maternal figure I needed from that point on,” TJ told People in a February 8 interview. Most importantly, Katherine remained firmly by his side. “That kept me straight and kept me focused and kept me on the path of a great life. She was that one constant that was always there,” he added. 

TJ remembers the day his mother died vividly. He rushed to the hospital along with his father, Tito Jackson, and older brothers, Taj and Taryll, but Dee Dee was already gone by the time they got there, according to ABC News‘ “20/20.” TJ told “20/20” in 2017, “I just had a sixth sense in my head, as if I knew already it was terrible and I knew already that my mother wasn’t with us.” He continued, “It was just a nightmare. It’s like a kid’s worst memory.”

TJ still feels the void left by his mother and often honors her memory. “I didn’t get your presence and guidance for as long as I wish I could but your effect on me is eternal,” he wrote in a May 2018 Instagram post.