Tom Jones and the Son He Tried to Forget – A Scandal Buried for Decades
Few men have captivated audiences like Tom Jones, the Welsh baritone who rose from a coal-mining town to international superstardom. With hits like “It’s Not Unusual” and “Sex Bomb,” his voice and charisma made him a household name. But behind the stage lights, Tom carried a secret that would haunt him for most of his life—a son he fathered in an affair, then rejected for decades.
The Affair That Changed Everything
In 1987, a woman named Katherine Berkery, then a 24-year-old aspiring model, met Tom Jones in New York. He was 47 at the time, on tour, still married to his wife Linda. What started as a brief three-day fling soon turned into a legal and emotional nightmare.
Just weeks after their encounter, Berkery discovered she was pregnant. When she informed Tom, he denied the possibility and refused to acknowledge the child. She took him to court, and after a paternity test, it was proven: Tom Jones was the father.
Their son, Jonathan Berkery, was born in 1988.
But instead of embracing the child, Tom took a different route. He refused to meet Jonathan, never spoke to him, and paid a court-ordered sum for child support—nothing more. In public, he remained mostly silent on the matter. In private, he turned his back.
The Son Who Grew Up in the Shadows
Growing up, Jonathan Berkery lived a life vastly different from that of his famous father. Raised by a single mother in New Jersey, he carried the burden of a name he could never claim. His mother told him who his father was, but the doors to that world remained firmly shut.
Jonathan struggled. As a teenager, he dabbled in music, trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. He even went by the name “Jon Jones” for a while. But he also fell into homelessness, substance abuse, and depression. In interviews, he spoke candidly about sleeping in shelters, busking on the streets, and feeling unwanted.
“All I ever wanted was to meet my dad,” he said. “Not for money. Just to talk.”
Despite several public appeals, Tom remained silent for nearly three decades.
A Cold Acknowledgment
It wasn’t until 2008, over 20 years later, that Tom Jones publicly admitted Jonathan was his son. In a rare statement, he said:
“It wasn’t something I planned. If I had known then what I know now, I would have handled it differently.”
But the damage was done. Jonathan, now a grown man, still had never met his father. Even after Tom’s admission, there was no reunion. No apology. Just silence.
The scandal lingered like a bruise beneath the surface of Tom’s otherwise polished legacy.
Legacy and Regret
Tom Jones, now in his 80s, has built a remarkable career. He’s sung for royalty, mentored young artists, and weathered every storm the entertainment world could throw at him. But the story of Jonathan remains a complicated and painful chapter.
Some fans have forgiven him, citing the pressures of fame and the complexities of private life. Others, especially those who champion fathers’ rights, have been more critical. How could a man so capable of expressing love through music fail to show it to his own child?
Jonathan, for his part, seems weary of chasing closure. In 2018, he told reporters:
“If he doesn’t want to know me, that’s his choice. I’ve made peace with that.”
But observers can’t help but wonder what might have been—how a life might have been changed by a simple gesture of recognition.
The Cost of Silence
The story of Tom Jones and Jonathan Berkery isn’t just about fame or scandal. It’s about the quiet cost of rejection, the human need for connection, and the long shadow of choices made decades ago.
In interviews, Tom often speaks about legacy—how he wants to be remembered. But in the end, it’s not just about sold-out tours or hit singles. It’s about the people we leave behind, and the bridges we either build or burn.
For Jonathan, the bridge was never there. And for Tom, the silence may be the loudest note he ever sang.