Toni
We sat in shock as Jada took the stand. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do." She sat down. Mr. Garner approached her.
"Hello, Ms. Pinkett."
"Hello."
"Would you mind telling us how you know the defendant?"
"We grew up together. Her mother adopted me."
"So you're like sisters?"
"I don't consider her a sister."
"So why have you chosen to testify today?"
"Because the truth needs to be told."
"An honorable decision."
"Thank you."
"So would you mind telling the court what happened ten years ago on March 24th?"
"Well, I was a senior in highschool and was preparing for graduation. JohVonnie came into the house very upset about the Jackson family."
"Would you please elaborate?"
"Well, Michael had just been signed to a new record company and had been listed as the highest paid artist. Janet had been listed among the smartest people in the world and was representing America in an academic event. LaToya had become a best selling author with her book on depression and escaping an abusive relationship. And I believe all of the brothers had been inducted into the rock hall."
"Wow. Great memory. How do you remember that ten years later?"
"JohVonnie never let me forget it."
"Why?"
"She used it as a reason to excuse her actions over the last ten years."
"What were those actions?"
"Bank robbery, armed robbery, stalking, kidnapping, breaking and entering, attempted murder. There's just so many things she's done."
"Why did she do these things?"
"She was trying to be as rich as her half siblings. She always felt like she deserved as much as them."
"And did you agree?"
"No."
"Why?" Jada took a deep breath.
"Because she had one of the most fortunate lives. A life that even I couldn't have and I lived with her."
"It sounds like you had a pretty hard childhood."
"I did. I was treated like less than, like a servant which continued on until now."
"Please explain?"
"JohVonnie has forced me over the years to do her bidding. Almost every decision I've made over the last ten years weren't really my decisions, they were hers." I could see Jada starting to get emotional.
"Every decision?"
"Yes. Even....." she took a shaky breath. ".....the decision to have my son."
"Really?"
"Yes. See I was JohVonnie's first true sex trafficking victim. She forced me to sleep with rich men and when I went to college she researched rich and eligible partners. She would make me work hard to try and get them to be with me. Even the one I tried to keep secret from her." She looked at me.
"And how did that go?"
"She found out I was seeing someone but I refused to tell her who it was. So when I came home for a vacation, she kept me locked up and made me suffer until I told her who it was."
