John VII was the son of Andronikos IV and was associated with him as co-emperor shortly after Andronikos successfully rebelled against his father, John V in 1376. John was deposed with his father when John V came back in 1379. After his father died, John rebelled against his grandfather, John V, and was emperor in his own right for 5 months in 1390 before John V retook the throne. John VII became coemperor again when his uncle, Manouel II became emperor and raised John to the rank of co-emperor in 1399 as caretaker during an Ottoman siege of Constantinople, which ended in 1402. For handing back power to Manouel peacefully, John was granted rulership over Thessaly, which he retained until his death in 1408.

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