Imagine being born into the family that created Motown and then marrying into another family that would become one of the biggest names in music history. That unusual position belongs to Hazel Gordy, the daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy and the first wife of Jackson 5 singer Jermaine Jackson.
Hazel Gordy grew up close to the music business before marrying Jermaine in December 1973. Their marriage connected the Gordy and Jackson families during an important period in Motown history. They later became parents to three children: Jermaine Jackson Jr., Autumn Joi Jackson, and Jaimy Jermaine Jackson.
Their relationship eventually became complicated. Hazel filed for divorce in 1987 after around 14 years of marriage, and public biographies generally place the final divorce in 1988. Since then, she has largely stayed away from the level of celebrity attention surrounding her father, former husband, and famous extended family.
Hazel Gordy Was Born Into the Motown Family
Hazel Joy Gordy was born on August 24, 1954.
She is the eldest child of Berry Gordy and his first wife, Thelma Coleman. Berry and Thelma also had sons Berry Gordy IV and Terry James Gordy.
That means Hazel’s childhood was closely connected with the period when her father was building something extraordinary.
Motown Records would eventually become one of the most important record labels in American music.
But the company did not begin as a giant.
Berry built it from Detroit with limited resources, strong ambition, and a remarkable ability to discover talent.
Hazel was therefore growing up while the Motown story itself was growing around her.
What Was Motown Like During Hazel’s Childhood?
Motown was more than a record company.
It became a cultural force.
Artists such as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations, and the Four Tops helped create what people came to call the Motown Sound.
The music combined catchy melodies, polished arrangements, rhythm and blues, pop, soul, and strong songwriting.
Berry Gordy wanted records that could reach audiences far beyond Detroit.
He succeeded.
By the 1960s, Motown had become internationally important.
Hazel was watching all of this happen from inside the Gordy family.
Hazel’s Father Discovered the Jackson 5
This is where Hazel’s family story eventually connected with her future husband.
The Jackson 5 were five brothers from Gary, Indiana.
Jackie.
Tito.
Jermaine.
Marlon.
Michael.
The brothers had already been performing before they joined Motown, but signing with the label dramatically expanded their audience.
Their first four major Motown singles reached No. 1, an extraordinary beginning for a young group.
Jermaine was one of the group’s most visible members.
He sang.
He played bass guitar.
And soon, he was becoming personally close to the daughter of the man running the label.
How Did Hazel Gordy Meet Jermaine Jackson?
Hazel and Jermaine naturally moved within the same Motown world.
Her father owned the label.
Jermaine was one of its young stars.
The exact private moment when friendship became romance is not documented as clearly as their later marriage.
But by the early 1970s, their relationship was serious.
They were young.
They belonged to two highly visible music families.
And newspapers and magazines became fascinated with the match.
It was almost a Motown royal wedding before celebrity music weddings became everyday entertainment news.
Hazel and Jermaine Married in 1973
Hazel Gordy and Jermaine Jackson married on December 15, 1973, in Los Angeles. Contemporary archival photographs show the young couple in their wedding clothes, with Jermaine in white and Hazel wearing her bridal gown and veil.
Hazel was 19.
Jermaine had just turned 19.
They were therefore beginning married life at an unusually young age.
And unlike most teenage newlyweds, they were doing it while surrounded by fame.
Jermaine was already an international performer.
Hazel’s father was one of America’s most powerful music executives.
Their marriage immediately became part of the larger Motown story.
Their Wedding Joined Two Famous Families
This was not simply Hazel marrying a singer.
The Gordy family was deeply connected with Motown’s business world.
The Jackson family was becoming one of Motown’s greatest commercial success stories.
The wedding symbolically joined the two.
Old magazine photographs of Hazel and Jermaine capture something easy to forget today.
They looked incredibly young.
That matters when looking back at the problems that later appeared.
They entered marriage before either had experienced much ordinary adult life away from family and the music industry.
Why Did Jermaine Remain With Motown?
One of the biggest turning points came when the other Jackson brothers decided to leave Motown.
The group eventually moved to another label and continued as The Jacksons because Motown controlled the Jackson 5 name.
Jermaine did not initially go with them.
He stayed at Motown.
His marriage to Hazel is widely regarded as an important part of that decision, because leaving the label would also have meant separating professionally from the company run by his father-in-law.
Jermaine continued pursuing a solo career at Motown.
This created an unusual situation.
His brothers moved forward together.
Jermaine remained behind.
And Hazel stood directly between the two famous family worlds.
Jermaine Built a Solo Career During Their Marriage
Jermaine had already begun releasing solo material while still part of the Jackson 5.
After remaining with Motown, that solo identity became even more important.
His 1980 album Let’s Get Serious became one of his strongest commercial projects.
The title track was a major hit.
Jermaine later left Motown himself and continued recording elsewhere.
So Hazel’s marriage covered a period of enormous professional change for him.
He went from teenage Jackson 5 star to adult solo performer.
At the same time, the couple was building a family.
Hazel and Jermaine Had Three Children
Hazel and Jermaine had three children together.
Their first child, Jermaine La Jaune Jackson Jr., was born in 1977.
Their daughter, Autumn Joi Jackson, followed in 1978.
Their youngest child, Jaimy Jermaine Jackson, was born in 1987.
The large gap between Autumn and Jaimy means the children experienced somewhat different periods of their parents’ marriage.
By the time Jaimy was born, the relationship was already approaching its end.
A natural internal-link opportunity here would be Jermaine Jackson Jr. and his family.
Who Is Jermaine Jackson Jr.?
Jermaine Jackson Jr., sometimes called Jay, is Hazel and Jermaine’s oldest child.
He grew up with one of the most famous surnames in music.
Yet his life has generally been quieter than the careers of Michael or Janet Jackson.
He has occasionally appeared in entertainment projects and family-related television.
His relationship with Shahs of Sunset personality Asa Soltan Rahmati later attracted more public attention.
The couple have a son named Soltan.
That made Hazel a grandmother.
The family therefore now stretches into another generation.
Who Is Autumn Joi Jackson?
Autumn is Hazel and Jermaine’s only daughter together.
She has generally chosen a much more private life than many of her Jackson relatives.
Recent family profiles describe Autumn as living outside the major Hollywood spotlight.
That privacy makes her especially similar to Hazel.
Neither woman has tried to build a large celebrity identity simply from the family name.
A useful internal-link opportunity would be Autumn Joi Jackson.
Who Is Jaimy Jermaine Jackson?
Jaimy is Hazel and Jermaine’s youngest child together.
He was born in 1987.
That year is especially important because it was also the year Hazel’s marriage was publicly falling apart.
Jaimy has remained relatively private as an adult.
He has not pursued the type of enormous public career associated with his uncle Michael.
Again, the Jackson name brings curiosity, but not every member of the family chooses fame.
Hazel Filed for Divorce in 1987
In October 1987, the Los Angeles Times reported that Hazel had filed for divorce from Jermaine in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The newspaper described them as having been married for 14 years.
Hazel cited irreconcilable differences.
She requested alimony and child support and sought joint custody of their three children.
This is one of the strongest contemporary records of their breakup.
It also confirms something important.
Their divorce was not merely a rumor added years later to a celebrity biography.
The breakdown was reported while it was actually happening.
When Did Hazel Gordy and Jermaine Jackson Divorce?
Hazel filed in 1987.
Most later biographies give 1988 as the year their divorce became final.
This explains why readers sometimes see both years online.
1987 refers to the filing and public breakdown.
1988 is generally listed as the final divorce year.
That distinction makes the timeline much clearer.
Their marriage therefore lasted roughly 14 years.
Why Did Hazel Gordy and Jermaine Jackson Divorce?
The legal filing cited irreconcilable differences.
But there was another complicated part of Jermaine’s personal life.
Biography.com reports that the marriage ended after Jermaine had a relationship with Margaret Maldonado and fathered a child with her.
Jermaine and Margaret’s son Jeremy was born in 1986, before Hazel’s divorce filing.
This meant Jermaine had begun another family relationship while still legally married to Hazel.
It is fair to say this was part of the wider breakdown.
But it would still be too simple to claim that one event explains every private problem in a 14-year marriage.
Only Hazel and Jermaine knew the complete story.
Hazel’s Youngest Child Was Still a Baby During the Divorce
The timing makes the breakup particularly striking.
When Hazel filed in October 1987, the Los Angeles Times said the couple’s three children ranged from six months to 10 years old.
That means Jaimy was still a baby.
Hazel was therefore dealing with divorce while caring for three children at very different ages.
At the same time, her former husband remained a well-known entertainer.
For Hazel, the divorce was not simply the end of a celebrity romance.
It changed the structure of her family.
Did Hazel Gordy Remarry?
There is no strong mainstream documentation showing that Hazel later entered another high-profile marriage.
That does not necessarily mean she never had another relationship.
It means her later romantic life remained private.
This fits the wider pattern of Hazel’s adulthood.
After divorcing Jermaine, she did not turn herself into a reality star or professional celebrity ex-wife.
Her public appearances became occasional rather than constant.
Any claim about a later spouse should therefore require strong evidence before being treated as fact.
What Did Hazel Gordy Do for a Living?
This part of Hazel’s biography is less firmly documented.
Several secondary profiles describe her as having worked around Motown and later in real estate.
But there is not enough strong mainstream documentation to create a detailed career timeline.
That does not mean Hazel had no profession.
It simply means her work did not receive the same coverage as Berry Gordy’s company or Jermaine’s music.
For accuracy, her independent career should therefore be described cautiously.
She spent part of her early life around Motown, but she was not one of the label’s major recording artists.
Hazel Remained Part of the Gordy Family
Divorcing Jermaine did not change Hazel’s own family identity.
She remained Berry Gordy’s eldest daughter.
Berry went on to have a large family from several relationships.
That gave Hazel numerous half-siblings.
Among them are Kerry Gordy, Sherry Gordy, Rhonda Ross Kendrick, and Stefan Kendal Gordy, better known as Redfoo of LMFAO.
That makes Hazel’s extended family almost as complicated as the Jackson family she married into.
Music connects both sides.
Hazel Is Diana Ross’s Daughter’s Half-Sister
One especially interesting family connection is Rhonda Ross Kendrick.
Rhonda is the daughter of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross.
That makes Rhonda Hazel’s paternal half-sister.
Think about the music history represented by that relationship.
Hazel’s father founded Motown.
Her half-sister’s mother became the legendary lead singer of The Supremes.
Hazel then married a member of the Jackson 5.
Very few private individuals sit at the intersection of so many major names in American music.
Is Hazel Gordy Related to Redfoo?
Yes.
Redfoo’s real name is Stefan Kendal Gordy.
He is one of Berry Gordy’s sons and therefore Hazel’s paternal half-brother.
Redfoo became famous decades after Motown’s original golden age as one-half of LMFAO.
That means the Gordy family’s musical influence continued into another generation and a very different style of popular music.
Hazel herself did not need to perform to remain surrounded by musicians.
Hazel Was Michael Jackson’s Sister-in-Law
During her marriage to Jermaine, Hazel was also Michael Jackson’s sister-in-law.
This was long before Michael reached the absolute peak of his solo fame with Thriller.
Hazel knew the Jackson family from its Motown years onward.
She therefore experienced Michael first as her husband’s younger brother rather than simply as the superstar the world later knew.
Her children are Michael’s niece and nephews.
That family connection remained even after Hazel and Jermaine divorced.
Hazel Also Became Connected to Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson is Jermaine’s younger sister.
During Hazel’s marriage, Janet grew from a child in the Jackson family into an entertainer herself.
She eventually built one of the most important female pop careers of the 1980s and 1990s.
Again, Hazel’s family connections are remarkable.
Her father helped build Motown.
Her former husband belonged to the Jackson 5.
Her former brother-in-law was Michael Jackson.
Her former sister-in-law became Janet Jackson.
Yet Hazel herself remained surprisingly private.
Why Hazel Gordy Never Became a Traditional Celebrity
Hazel easily could have built a career around her surname.
She could have spent decades discussing Motown.
She could have written endless tell-all stories about the Jackson family.
She could have appeared constantly on reality television.
Instead, she maintained a relatively low profile.
She occasionally attends important family and music events.
But she has not tried to compete with the people around her for attention.
That choice makes reliable information about her later life limited.
It also makes her story more interesting.
Hazel Still Appears at Important Gordy Family Events
Hazel has not disappeared completely.
She has appeared at major public celebrations involving her father and the Motown legacy.
For example, she attended the 2023 MusiCares event honoring Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson.
These appearances show that she remains connected with her family’s music history.
But they are very different from maintaining a full-time celebrity career.
Hazel appears when the occasion has genuine family importance.
Then she returns to privacy.
Is Hazel Gordy Still Alive in 2026?
Yes. There is no reliable report establishing Hazel Gordy’s death, and she has made relatively recent public appearances.
Born on August 24, 1954, Hazel turned 72 in 2026.
Her current everyday life is much less public than her father’s or former husband’s.
There is no need to invent details about where she spends her time or what her daily routine looks like.
Her occasional public appearances confirm that she remains connected with the Gordy family legacy.
Where Is Hazel Gordy Now?
Hazel keeps a low public profile.
Her strongest recent public connections remain her children, grandchildren, father, and wider Gordy family.
She is not currently known for launching a new music career or a large entertainment business.
That does not mean she is inactive.
It simply means her private activities are not regular entertainment news.
For someone who has spent her whole life surrounded by fame, that privacy may be very intentional.
What Is Hazel Gordy’s Net Worth?
Hazel’s exact personal net worth has not been publicly confirmed.
Many biography sites provide estimates.
Those figures should be treated cautiously.
Being Berry Gordy’s daughter does not automatically reveal the value of Hazel’s personal assets.
Neither does having been married to Jermaine Jackson.
A real net-worth figure would require information about inheritance, property, investments, income, businesses, trusts, and debts.
Those details are private.
The safest answer is that Hazel Gordy’s exact personal net worth is unknown.
Why People Still Search for Hazel Gordy
Hazel sits at a fascinating point in music history.
Search Berry Gordy and you eventually find Hazel.
Search Jermaine Jackson and you find Hazel again.
Study the Jackson 5’s Motown years and her name appears.
Look into Jermaine’s children and Hazel returns again.
Then there is another generation.
Her son Jermaine Jr.
Her daughter Autumn.
Her son Jaimy.
Her grandson Soltan.
The family story keeps expanding.
Hazel may not be the singer standing at the microphone, but she connects several important chapters.
Interesting Facts About Hazel Gordy
Hazel Joy Gordy was born on August 24, 1954.
She is Berry Gordy’s eldest child with his first wife, Thelma Coleman.
She married Jermaine Jackson on December 15, 1973.
Hazel and Jermaine were both only 19 when they married.
They had three children: Jermaine Jr., Autumn Joi, and Jaimy Jermaine Jackson.
Her marriage connected the Motown Gordy family with the Jackson family.
Jermaine remained with Motown when his brothers left, with his relationship to the Gordy family widely considered an important factor.
Hazel filed for divorce in 1987, citing irreconcilable differences.
The divorce is generally listed as finalized in 1988.
Hazel is Michael and Janet Jackson’s former sister-in-law.
Diana Ross’s daughter Rhonda Ross Kendrick is Hazel’s half-sister.
LMFAO member Redfoo is also Hazel’s half-brother.
Hazel has remained far more private than most of the famous people around her.
Final Thoughts
Hazel Gordy’s life connects two of the biggest family stories in American popular music.
She was born into Motown.
Her father, Berry Gordy, built a company that changed popular music and helped launch some of the greatest Black performers of the 20th century.
Then Hazel fell in love with Jermaine Jackson.
They married in 1973, when both were only 19.
Suddenly, the daughter of Motown’s founder was also part of the Jackson family.
Hazel and Jermaine became parents to three children and stayed married for around 14 years.
But their relationship eventually broke down.
Hazel filed for divorce in 1987, and the marriage was over by 1988.
After that, their paths became very different.
Jermaine continued living publicly.
Hazel mostly stepped back.
That choice is perhaps what makes Hazel Gordy most interesting today.
She grew up inside Motown, married into the Jackson family, raised three children connected to both famous names, and still managed to build a life that remained largely her own.
FAQs About Hazel Gordy
Who is Hazel Gordy?
Hazel Joy Gordy is the eldest daughter of Motown founder Berry Gordy and is best known as the first wife of Jackson 5 singer Jermaine Jackson.
When was Hazel Gordy born?
Hazel was born on August 24, 1954.
When did Hazel Gordy marry Jermaine Jackson?
Hazel and Jermaine married on December 15, 1973.
How many children do Hazel Gordy and Jermaine Jackson have?
They have three children together: Jermaine Jackson Jr., Autumn Joi Jackson, and Jaimy Jermaine Jackson.
Why did Hazel Gordy and Jermaine Jackson divorce?
Hazel filed for divorce in 1987 and officially cited irreconcilable differences. Jermaine’s relationship with Margaret Maldonado also overlapped with the later years of the marriage.
Is Hazel Gordy Michael Jackson’s sister?
No. Hazel was Michael Jackson’s sister-in-law because she was married to his brother Jermaine.
What is Hazel Gordy doing today?
As of 2026, Hazel maintains a relatively private life and occasionally appears at major Gordy-family and Motown-related events. Her exact everyday activities and personal finances remain private.
