We Are Family: Meet The Three Children Teddy Pendergrass Fathered In One Year

Posted On : January 27, 2022
Teddy Pendergrass

The legendary Teddy Pendergrass was known for his epic baby-making music, but the late soul icon also had three babies of his own that many never knew about. Back in the day, Teddy was the flashy, fur-coat rockin,’ gold-chain sportin’ ladies man, for whom women flocked to his concerts just to throw panties at him. Behind the scenes, he was a daddy to his kids and a lover to his women. So much so, that the brotha proved to be a pretty busy individual in the mid ’70s. How so? By managing to have three of his four kids – by only 2 women – within less than two years. How is that possible, you ask? Well, Teddy P. explained it in a past interview with Jet Magazine:

Teddy Pendergrass with his children, (clockwise) Teddy II, Tishia, and LaDonna [Instagram]

“I wasn’t bouncing between. My son’s mother and I were dating….we broke up and I met my daughter’s mother and she had a child. Two weeks after the child was born, she conceived again and I didn’t know it and we had broken up. I went back to my son’s mother and two months later she conceived. All my children are blessings- not mistakes. And you can bet that they love each other.”

Teddy also attempted to train his kids not to do as he did, but as he said:

“I also let them know that they were born out of wedlock,” Teddy stated when his children were younger kids. He continued, “it doesn’t make it wrong, but that they shouldn’t do the same thing when they grow up. But if it happens, it happens.”

What Teddy’s Kids Are Doing Now

It’s been said that Teddy had a fourth child named, Tamon (not pictured), but little is known about him and as far as we know, none of the other Pendergrass kids have mentioned him in public interviews and whatnot. So, not quite sure what’s up with him, or his whereabouts. Moving on…

Teddy’s daughters: Tisha (L) and LaDonna (R)

Tishia Burnett, 47, is a real estate agent and married.

LaDonna Hollerway, 48, works as a hospital technician.

Teddy P. II (pictured above), 46, is the sibling who was born in the same year as his sis,’ Tishia; and he was born just months after his big sis,’ LaDonna. He co-owns and operates a successful real estate investment firm, Teddy Pendergrass Investment Group, LLC, which ‘is focused on multi-family complexes. From 20-300, ideally,’ according to their bio.

Embed from Getty Images

Another fun fact about Teddy II, is that he was also the driving force behind he and his siblings’ legal battle with Teddy’s P.’s widow.

Their Legal Drama With Teddy’s Widow

From the time Teddy Pendergrass passed away in 2010 up until 2018, his children were in an ongoing battle with his widow, Joan Pendergrass, over their dad’s estate. Teddy met Joan in 2006 and married her in 2008. What perplexed Teddy’s children was the will Joan presented to the courts, which left Teddy P.’s entire estate to her, and none to his kids…although Teddy reportedly had relationships with his children throughout their lives.

Teddy Pendergrass’s widow, Joan Pendergrass

Teddy II filed a lawsuit on behalf or him and his sisters, claiming the will Joan presented was a falsely amended version of the Will that originally left Teddy II as the sole beneficiary. He said his dad ‘lacked the capacity to make such a decision and alleged it had been signed by Joan, not Teddy.’

By 2015, LaDonna filed additional court docs to challenge the authenticity of the will Joan Pendergrass submitted to the courts on behalf of Teddy P.

“She was married to my dad for only a year, and she has turned my family upside down. All we want is what’s right,” said LaDonna.

“We [Joan and Teddy’s children] simply don’t see eye-to-eye. What I do know is my father did what he intended to do – and that is, put me in charge for the family,” stated Teddy P. II -via VictoriaAdvocate.com

Based on Teddy’s close bond with his children, it’s understandable why they question a will that only leaves a wife of 2 years as the sole beneficiary of his estate and all future earnings.

However, in 2018 a judge ruled that the will Teddy II presented to the courts was forged and that Joan’s will was the accurate one, leaving the music icon’s children with pretty much nothing from his estate.

As a result of the 6 year-long, nearly $850,000 court battle, Joan sued the Pendergrass kids in February 2018. According to reports, Joan’s lawsuit states, “The illusion and fantasy created by Theodore, Jr. and propagated by his lawyers forced Mrs. Pendergrass to undergo years of turmoil and anguish as her relationship with her late husband was unmercifully scrutinized.”

Hmmm…thoughts ILOSM family?

About I Love Old School Music

We salute the incredible people and beautiful memories of that "old school". We’re not saying that every artist and every facet of the soul era was perfect, but the artists’ contributions to soul music and the old school memories of that particular time are PRICELESS.