The following article contains descriptions of domestic violence.
Tina Turner is an icon, but even if you know every word to “We Don’t Need Another Hero” you might not know as much as you think about her personal life, especially when it comes to her four kids.
Turner is known as much for her music as she is for her famously troubled marriage to Ike Turner. But way before all of the success and scandal and comebacks, Turner was a mom first and foremost. She had her first kid at 18 years old with Raymond Hill, a saxophonist for the band Kings of Rhythm, per Closer Weekly. She and Ike then went on to share three other children.
Her kids didn’t have an easy childhood, given her marriage to Ike, as Turner outlined in a 2005 interview with Oprah Winfrey. She said that her kids were “old enough” to know that their parents were in a physically and verbally abusive relationship and when she finally left Ike, she left them behind thinking that she needed to take care of herself first and then take care of them. “The housekeeper was there. I made sure they would be all right. But before you can really help them, you have to strengthen yourself. You’re the priority,” the performer divulged. So who are her children and where are they now?
Tina Turner's oldest son's tragic death
Tina Turner gave birth to her eldest son, Craig, in 1958, with Raymond Hill. When she and Ike Turner married, Ike adopted Craig as his own son, making them one, big official family. As an adult, Craig worked as a real estate agent, per Closer Weekly.
Unfortunately, in 2018, Craig died by suicide. Turner scattered his ashes with her family off the coast of California. She shared a photo of the moment on Twitter, writing, “He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby.”
The singer once said in an interview with Oprah that Craig had been an emotional child and had even once knocked on the door while she and Ike were “fighting” to see if she needed help. Turner said, “He’d always look down in sadness. One day when Ike was fighting me, Craig knocked on the door and said, ‘Mother, are you all right?’ I thought, ‘Oh, please, don’t beat me at home.’ I didn’t want my children to hear.”
Tina Turner may be estranged from her other kids
After Tina Turner married Ike in 1962, and they had one son, Ronnie, together in 1960. They also adopted each other’s previous children. Ike adopted Craig as his own, and Tina adopted his young sons Ike Jr. (born in 1968) and Michael (born in 1959) as her own. Several of the sons have followed in Tina’s career footsteps.
Ike Jr. pursued a music career, but in 2018, he alleged to the Daily Mail that his mother had “abandoned” her family to go live with her new husband, Erwin Bach, in Switzerland since 1994. He said that he hasn’t talked to his mom since 2000, though she reportedly supports them financially. Tina didn’t respond to the allegations.
As for Michael, Ike Jr. added: “Michael is in a convalescent home in Southern California and needs medical support. I’ve been to see him quite a few times. He’s doing great.”
Ike Jr. also claimed that he and Ronnie talk frequently. Ronnie actually appeared in Tina’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” video in 1993, per Distractify. He is married to Afida Turner, a French singer, and he also pursued music and acting.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. You can also find more information, resources, and support at www.thehotline.org.
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