La Toya Jackson and Jeffré Phillips have been friends for more than 15 years. He’s been by her side as she navigated her music career, the sudden death of her brother Michael and, most recently, a slow reemergence into the dating world. As La Toya began dating men on her docu-series “Life With La Toya,” Jeffré began realizing he had deeper feeling for the pop star.
During a trip to Hawaii, Jeffré planned to propose to La Toya. In their hotel room filled with flowers, champagne and, of course, that 17.5-carat ring, Jeffré got down on one knee and asked his best friend to marry him.
La Toya’s reaction, however, wasn’t an immediate yes.
Holding a napkin over her face, La Toya began crying. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting this.”
Still kneeling beside her, Jeffré waited.
“We’re supposed to be friends,” La Toya said, her voice trailing off.
“We are friends,” Jeffré said. “We’re best friends. And everyone says that you should marry your best friend.”
La Toya wiped her tears away as Jeffré continued. “Every time I go to sleep at night, I think about you. And when I wake up in the morning, I think about you,” he told her.
“God, it feels like my breath — somebody is taking my breath away,” La Toya said.
“Would you marry me?” Jeffré asked again.
“I don’t know what to do!” La Toya answered. “I… I think you’re wonderful. I think you’re sweet. I think you’re kind. I think you’re all those things and…”
La Toya paused, trying to absorb the shock. After some tense, quiet moments, she finally spoke.
“Yes,” she said. “I will.”
“You just made me the happiest man in the world,” Jeffré told her. “Let’s have a toast. I love you so much. There’s no happier man than me out there right now.”
Below, La Toya talks to Oprah on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” about her relationship Jeffré, addressing the fact that they haven’t even dated before getting engaged.
