Ike Turner Jr. the son of Tina Turner and Ike Turner, reportedly remains behind bars after he was arrested last month on a myriad of drug charges.
Eighteen days before the death of his legendary mother on May 24, Turner Jr. was arrested on charges of possession of crack cocaine and accused of attempting to eat the drugs.
The arrest took place on May 6, according to People magazine, after Turner Jr. was stopped by officers for a traffic violation in Alvin, Texas.
The 64-year-old was captured running a traffic light while driving in his 2013 Ford Fusion just after midnight. Also in the car was a female passenger named Jessica Salinas-Esquivel.
As the police searched the vehicle, Turner Jr. tried to dispose of 1.7 grams of crack cocaine and .7 grams of methamphetamine by swallowing the drugs.
Capt. Q.T. Arendell of the Alvin Police Department said, “He tried to eat the drugs before the officers could seize them from him.”
Salinas-Esquivel was also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
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In addition to the narcotics charges, possessing a controlled substance and tampering with evidence, Turner Jr. was cited for having a busted headlight or taillight, as reported by the outlet.
After being booked, he was taken to the Brazoria County Jail and hit with a $70,000 bond, jail records reported.
Because Turner Jr. has yet to make $70,000 bond, he missed his 83-year-old mother’s extravagant homegoing.
Turner Jr. is a product of Ike Turner Sr and his first wife Lorraine. Tina adopted him after marrying his father in 1962. Throughout the years, she tried to help him in life and his career.
At one point, the “Proud Mary” singer even hired him to work with her as her sound engineer, which didn’t last long.
Turner Jr., whose father died of a cocaine overdose, claimed Ike pistol-whipped him for working with his ex-wife after they broke up in 1976.
He said, “When my mother and father separated, he did not want me working with her – and he beat me in the head with a nickel-plated .45 pistol.”
He continued in that 2018 interview with the Daily Mail by adding that he hadn’t spoken to her since the 2000s.
‘Tina raised me from the age of 2. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known. But I haven’t talked to my mother since God knows when – probably around 2000,” he exclaimed. “I don’t think any of my brothers have talked to her in a long time either.”
The former couple only have one biological son together, Ronnie, who died of colon cancer last December. Tina’s oldest son, Craig, took his own life in 2018. Ike had another son named Michael with Lorraine, whom Tina also cared for.
Even so, many on social media were sympathetic to Turner Jr.’s plight on social media.
“It ain’t his fault,” one person wrote. “He ain’t been right since Lorraine dropped him and his brother off because Ike was playing daddy to his other kids.”
Another wrote, “He just lost his mom. No telling what he’s going through. I lost my dad 19 days ago. I sure turned to the bottle.. but I said.. THE DEVIL WILL NOT WIN .. bc I know God I pray HARDER!! I swear in times like this.. you definitely need your FAITH! Prayers to him and praying that he gets the counseling that he needs.”
A third wrote, “He ain’t got nobody . His parents gone . Two of his siblings died tragically.”
The “Acid Queen” recording artist is said to have wanted to have a bigger celebration than her music rival Aretha Franklin.
Radar Online recently reported it was told by an “insider” after Franklin’s death: “Tina wants this to be the grandest funeral in pop culture history. If she has to go, she wants to make sure her send-off eclipses Aretha’s!”
It is unclear if the eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist’s wishes were met after she transitioned on May 24.
The singer, who shifted from soul music and traditional R&B to rock ‘n’ roll, was showered with high praise from all over the world after her death. Many, including dignitaries like President Joe Biden, have expressed their pride at counting the generational talent among the ranks of those America produced.
Tina’s ex-husband died in 2009 from a cocaine overdose. The San Diego County medical examiner said the Rock & Roll pioneer’s autopsy attributed a history of cardiovascular disease and emphysema as contributors to conditions that ultimately caused his death.
In an interview after his death, Madison Turner — who was married to Ike from 2006 to 2007 — said her husband snorted and smoked cocaine, which fueled his often violent behavior. Many of his arrests mentioned that he was high on drugs when he was brought in.
His addiction and abusive behavior were vividly documented in Tina Turner’s memoir, “I, Tina: My Life Story,” in her biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and the Tony-nominated Broadway musical, “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”
