It was widely reported yesterday that Tina Turner, who suffered years of harsh physical and emotional abuse from Ike Turner during their volatile marriage, had nothing to say regarding her ex-husband’s death on Wednesday at age 76.
The official statement from her camp read: “Tina hasn’t had any contact with Ike in more than 30 years. No further comment will be made.”
The brusque response didn’t sit well with another of Turner’s ex-wives.
“I know that Ike was hurt, and I know that she was hurt. But there’s something called forgiveness,” says Jeanette Bazzell Turner, a former member of his background troupe The Ikettes who married the musician in 1995. “And I know Ike really forgave himself, which is really hard to do.”
Jeanette Turner suggested to EURweb.com that she was also hit by Ike during their marriage.
“I’m not defending what he did. I’m not saying he didn’t do what he did when he was with [Tina], or me,” she said. “But he was a human being. And behind all of that, he’s still a child-like person – pure and a good person always willing to help people.”
Although an official cause of death has not been released, Jeanette Turner says Ike suffered from emphysema. We were also told that the artist was surrounded by members of his band and his sons when he died.
“He was a human being, and he helped Tina. And he helped a lot of people,” said Turner, who had four children with Ike: Ike Jr., Michael, Ronald and Mia.
