“What is the worst thing that people have said to you since he made those comments?,” I asked Sylvia Campbell as she poured her heart out about the rocky relationship she has with her fourth-born, Dalton Harris.
Silence was the response. Dead silence!
And the sniffles interrupted.
Sylvia, 52, could hold it no more. Tears streamed down her face, and not long after she began sobbing. She said nothing. She just sat on a chair on her veranda in Sanguinetti, Clarendon, and cried.
“If nobody did tell me seh Javon (the name she calls Dalton) woulda do me this, me woulda fight dem. Mi think Javon woulda run to me rescue. Me never think Javon woulda disgrace me, but it all right,” she moaned.
“It feel bad fi know the same person when yuh a shout fah, him a bash yuh. It hard,” added Sylvia.
She told THE WEEKEND STAR that persons have called her names such as ‘dutty b**ch’ and ‘miserable madwoman’ as a result of Dalton’s claims that he was severely ill-treated as a child.
Chyrell Freeman, Sylvia’s friend, said the X Factor singer’s mother has been depressed all week. She had read in the media about alleged abuse that her son experienced as a child, and was crestfallen. Sylvia was drinking tea made from turmeric when THE WEEKEND STAR visited the two-room rented house, which she occupies along with her two youngest children.
The tea, Sylvia said, is to help control her blood pressure, which she said has shot through the roof.
Dalton, 24, is tipped to win this year’s X Factor UK, but instead of anxiously awaiting his crowning moment, Sylvia is a wreck.
“Me caah eat, me caah sleep, me caah walk on the streets because people a bash me,” the mother said.
Dalton recently told the UK Mirror newspaper that he was abused as a child.
“There are more on my chest, arm, shoulder, back, thighs, legs and feet. I was punched so hard by a guy dating my mum, I crashed through a window.”
“I was told that I should walk into the road and kill myself,” said Dalton.
Public relations ploy
Sylvia insists that her son has been speaking half truths and may have decided to employ them as a means of deflecting attention from the homophobic fury which came after a photo of him sitting in a fellow contestant’s lap went viral.
“Him a nuh gay nor nutten,” she said, while insisting that the comments are part of a public relations ploy being employed by Dalton.
Still, she loves her son to death, she says.
“My son was my everything and still is. The way me hurt last week, me nuh watch the competition. Me proud a me son because each time me a seh: ‘God, look which part me a come from with Dalton and look weh him reach.’ But me cut up over the things weh him a talk seh,” she said.
With tears streaming down her face and her voice cracking, Sylvia wailed: “Javon, bring disgrace pon me, oh God!”
“After how him daddy treat me and mi siddung wid dem same way. Only time me left dem a when me go work.”
Stomping her feet, the inconsolable Sylvia got up from her chair and dashed inside the house, closely followed by Chyrell, who sought to calm her.
When calm returned, the mother of seven admitted that her ex-boyfriend did punch Dalton.
She said that the matter was reported to the police, but, no charges were brought against him. She also said that she was responsible for the cut behind his ears. She has an explanation.
“Dalton did rude, enuh. Me put down me light bill. It come to $850, and me put $800 under sup’m inna the house. Me look for it, and me nuh see it. Me hear sup’m under the bed and a Dalton, and me start lick him. Den mi hear him say: ‘Me head buss, me head buss’,” she said.
Sylvia said that she was moved to beat Dalton with a pair of slippers because she was a stressed out single mother with no help and her electricity was disconnected.
The other scars, she said, came as a result of him falling off a bicycle or being a rude child. And as for the statement about being run over by a truck, she pleads guilty with explanation.
“Him jus deh pon social media a kill me and mek it look like me a di worst human being that God ever create. Me tell him bout the truck fi true, and me tell him.”
She said he had been giving trouble all day, and, in her frustrations, she told him: “Javon, yuh see when Critton [a local driver] truck a pass, go in front a it and stand up right deh mek it run over yuh because yuh give me too much problem.”
“People parents tell dem worse dan dat, and dem move past it,” she said.
“Him deh a England, and me can’t go no weh in peace. People bash me here, people bash me there over me owna pickney. If sup’m hurt yuh dat much, all yuh coulda do a talk bout it.”
______________________
ARTICLE 2
We were never desperate – Dalton’s mom opens up about son’s childhood
Sylvia Campbell says she is waiting on her son, Dalton Harris, to buy her dream house.
The last time Sylvia Campbell spoke with her son, Dalton Harris, was in October. Then, the singer had spoken about him growing up in dirt poor conditions.
Campbell insists that things were not as bad as Dalton made it out to be, adding that although she did not get electricity at her home until 2002, they were happy.
“Wi a di first people inna Sanguinetti (Clarendon) have a PlayStation,” she said.
Campbell said that her family ate lots of chicken back and tin mackerel for protein, but they were never starving.
She said, too, that the family was never desperate, even though she was forced to go it alone as a single parent. She said that after her son made the comment about growing up dirt poor, he called her and they spoke about it.
“Me a talk to him ’bout long time days and me seh: ‘Dalton, a you me a wait pon to buy me dream house’,” Campbell said.
The mother of seven, who lives in a rented house in Sanguinetti, is hoping that her son will one day build a two-storey house in the community for the enjoyment of the family.
“Him have a song weh him sing, Pauper. Part of it weh hit me a weh him seh: ‘Mi mother need bread and butter’. Me need bread and butter now. A time fi me get me bread and butter now,” she said.
“Me want fi can enjoy some a weh him have, if a even fi memba seh a me carry him come here nine months,” she added.
DID NOT BENEFIT
Dalton, who won the Digicel Rising Stars competition in Jamaica when he was not yet 17 years old, left his mother’s house when he was 15. Campbell said that she did not benefit from his success.
“Me used to pull a little suitcase and sell things and one day him seh: ‘Mommy, yuh inna the sun a toil eeh man, but things a go better fi we’,” Campbell said.
Campbell said that during the days when she campaigned to help win votes for Dalton when he competed in the Rising Stars competition, her son promised to take her out of poverty.
She said that after he won the competition, he gave her $2,000 and 50 phonecards, and then $20,000 out of his $1 million winnings.
Campbell also rubbished claims that Dalton has 22 siblings.
She said that she is only aware of one son that Dalton’s father had outside of their relationship.
“The boy just wicked. Mi nuh know where this 22 come from,” she said.
Campbell said events of the past two weeks confirm to her that “the boy don’t like me.”
And even although Dalton is tipped to win X Factor UK this year, Campbell said she will not be watching it on TV.
“Mi happy fi weh him a do, me feel proud fi weh him a do, and me always a go still love him,” she said.
“Me wish him all the best in the competition,” she said, even as she appealed to him not to alienate himself from family members back home.
“Him sister dying to see him come, so even if him nah come back come look fi we, I hope him remember a mi still a him mother and him have a sister and brothers who a look forward to see him,” she said.
The winner of The X Factor is awarded a £1 million (approximately J$162,632,400) recording contract with Syco Music, in association with Sony Music.
Koo pon her wicked face. A di bwoy money a stress har. She don’t deserve a dime. Damn drama queen.
If this isn’t a case of child abuse, then I don’t know what is. I wondered what happened to his ear and now I know that she caused it. Smh. NO MAN CANNOT beat my kids. She is not being completely honest with herself and I’m not surprised either. You reap what you sow. The boy don’t win the money yet, but she spend it off already Inna har head.
I wonder who tell her go breed all these kids then go take out her single mother frustration out on that young man
Something bout Dalton rubbed me the wrong way from jump. Big up the man dem weh nuh hate them mother and other women for the hardships in their lives. Mi granny never grow wid light and she never unhappy or badmind people with it or love her parents any less because they couldn’t afford it. Maybe it’s just me but him sound like him lickie lickie to me. Shame on people that bashing this lady when your parents/ grandparents were worst and you would never air out your family’s dirty laundry on an international platform. He could have said that God gave him a gift to share with the world. He started in Jamaica and now it’s time to go international. But I guess sad stories gets votes. SMH! P.s a nuff time my mother beat the crap out of me because her early menopause said made her feel like I was the enemy and I don’t love her less. Not to mention my step dad feeling he could climb into my bed at nights and I still love my mom to death and would never publicly bash her
I never heard him mentioning his mother. Her conscience and the money he will win bothering her. If you have ever been abused as a child you would know those scars stay with you. I was abused so I can relate. Its funny how people abuse you as children then expect you to forget. Bless his heart for finding the courage to speak out on whatever platform he choses. His journey, his pain, his story to tell.
I’m glad you are alright. I’m sorry you been through this
I DONT EVEN FEEL SORRY FOR THIS DAMN LADY ANYMORE ! LOOK LIKE AH JUS PAY DAY SHE AH LOOK ! She having kiddy fits bc Dalton na look fi har way. SMDH
Me a talk to him ’bout long time days and me seh: ‘Dalton, a you me a wait pon to buy me dream house’,” Campbell said.
The mother of seven, who lives in a rented house in Sanguinetti, is hoping that her son will one day build a two-storey house in the community for the enjoyment of the family.
I didn’t read it all, but when she made the statement that, after all the treatment she took from the children’s father and she siddung wid dem only place she go is work, after reading that statement I know he is telling the truth. It always amazes me how so many parents think they are doing their children a favor by providing the necessities of life. I suppose it’s because so many of the pregnancies are unplanned and come about outside of a marriage. I could never think I am doing a child a favour by being there to provide a roof over their head, food, clothes etc. Simpler creatures like birds do all of this and it is just an instinct, I am positive they don’t hold it over their offspring’s head. Time after time these parents make it seem like the kids owe them something for doing the same thing the dumb animals do. Yet, the dumb animals are more advanced because even without great intelligence they know it is their responsibility to care for their young and happily do so. Look at the family ties of elephants, and their bonds. Humans are a damn disgrace to the universe.
Man supposed to be a strong youth a seh yeah mi mek it outta a 7 breed family an now dem can eat him a bash. A too much lick him neva get him soft, very soft. Yuh sell out embrace dat shit but nuh gwan like yuh waant di whole Jamaica fi accept dat shit dus come dash it suh an di ppl dus pick it up. Den mf get mad when everyone is not so accepting.
You sir afta yuh win memba seh yuh move afta dat a chess hear not checkers.
She really think it was ok to tell her son to stand in front of a truck to kill him self….
As she say how he’s treating me after Weh him father do me! Right then and there I got the answer. A lot of mom treat their children bad based on the fathers actions. And you can telllll she took that anger out on dalton!!
She is not a Liar, She admit to saying and doing. Some people Deny. At first Dalton said he grow poor but he is proud of it. Go and watch 1st week. Him only start all this after the sitting in lap thing. Dalton need to hear some real Gheto youth up bringing. And we still love our Mother, No Xfactor Come between me and my Mom, Not her choice to be poor. Bless All Mother Curse ungrateful Pickney
From an objective point of view, it is obvious that Dalton received some “bitch” lick over the years. If you look at his left ear, it is shaped differently. The only persons who have those ears are MMA fighters, and that’s because of repeated blows during fights and sparring. Its called cauliflower ears. So mom, I would love to show you sympathy but it look sticky given the physical evidence
No, I don’t believe the beating had anything to do with the shape of his left ears. Look back at pics of his Rising Stars days, they were never like that. He himself admitted in a previous news report that its the constant usage of earphones and falling to sleep in them which caused it. He even went further by saying he did surgery to have them corrected but that didn’t work.
So what with him working on ship for years after Rising Stars? Damn fish of course!
Him just looking fame by concocting story about his mother.
Yes, she may have been a bit heavy handed in her beatings but how many boys have been through the same and are better off these days.
Talk about wallowing in self pity!
The wretch of a ooman wicked. Tell him fi go walk out inna truck an mek har man abuse him pon top a di lick dem whe she administer harself.
She damn wicked. He said him dont regret growing up poor, but the licks and cruel words obviously resonate wid him to tedeh!!!!
Stap mentally help d bwoy spend him money, bout 2 storey house a Sanguinetti fi pop style pon people. He can help if u suffering but no big house or big payout fi yuh, so stop u temper tantrums…Wretchinella
This woman need to take several seats back.. ….and take responsibility for her actions….Dalton don’t mention nothing about her all he mention was that he was abused as a child and it hurt her so much yet she’s guilty with explanation…Be proud of him for once … your probably mad that he didn’t stand in front of the truck you Wicked woman
She is wrong! Mi nah go stand fi nuh man a abuse my pickney because him a provide bread…plus there are certain things you just don’t tell a child. But with all that there’s just something abt Dalton that rub me the wrong way…it’s like he’s looking empathy to get votes.
And yes she seems to a hurt more over the money that he is going to win…let this be a lesson to some of you mothers..be independent work n support unnu pickney so no man can’t abuse them. I hv a 9-5 plus a business which boy can come lick my pickney??
Hope she nuh look to d sky and cry n mek yeye wata fall pon har breast becuz it won’t end well.
She would be WICKED to do that. Crocodile tears wont work as well as evil cries or prayers. Pray good fi yuh son, look into yuhself and repent ask Dalton and God fi pardon yuh, ole viper
Ah boy. It was just last week I saw an article posted ( think it was the Gleaner) which is about 6 or so years old where he spoke of the same abuse ..Why was he living in a house by himself in poverty? Why did the mother not say something about the same abuse and neglect he spoke of then? Something about her not right…I will find the link and post …it is a good read…again it is an old article and nobody heard from her then.
She would be WICKED to do that. Crocodile tears wont work as well as evil cries or prayers. Pray good fi yuh son, look into yuhself and repent ask Dalton and God fi pardon yuh, ole viper.
U don’t think she’s lying he’s just playing the roll like all the other’s person who go on these shows for people yo feel sorry him and vote. Just like how spice tell lie seh she use to walk mile barefoot guh catch wata ole wicked gyal
What we think dont matter. The woman is trying to minimize the abuse this kid suffered because she’s embarassed. When pickney suffer emotionally it does not go away. Oh I did this but it wasn’t as bad as him say…thats bs
Scared to say Elton inspired him, SMH.
Scared to say Elton inspired him?
We can’t tell Dalton how to feel . Some of us forgive and forget but different traumatic experiences affect people in different ways . The problem is the mom still does not realize that what she did and allowed her boyfriend to do is abuse and until she recognize that she will never be able to see Daltons point of view .