For 5 years, Janet Jackson filmed a documentary, sharing never-before-seen life moments.
In the documentary Janet, which aired its first episode on January 21 on Lifetime and A&E , singer Janet Jackson (55 years old) presented private images from her childhood as the youngest child in the Jackson family to long-standing rumors. now that she had a secret child in the 1980s and her relationship with her famous brother, the late Michael Jackson. And of course, Janet talks about her infamous performance at the 2004 Super Bowl, dubbed “Nipplegate” by the media.
Singer Janet Jackson
VARIETY
After halftime of that year’s show, Janet Jackson gave the audience a surprise when guest singer Timberlake appeared on stage. Timberlake was starting his solo career at the time. As the singer performed his hit song Rock Your Body , Janet Jackson’s top ripped off, exposing her breasts, and Timberlake declared, “I’m going to make you naked by the end of this song.”
Janet Jackson was embarrassed, but her career was a huge success and Timberlake was more famous. However, Janet revealed in the documentary that she told Timberlake not to say anything about the incident at the time.
CBS channel , which broadcast the program at the Super Bowl, was fined by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Janet Jackson’s songs and music videos were banned on many radio stations and television channels. Just a week after the Super Bowl event, Janet Jackson’s invitation to the Grammy Awards was canceled. Meanwhile, Timberlake performed and won a series of Grammy awards. The male singer used the stage of the Grammy Awards show to publicly apologize. In the documentary, Janet said that Timberlake once invited her to perform with him at the 2018 Super Bowl, but she refused.
Janet Jackson’s top was ripped off, revealing her chest when performing with Timberlake in 2004
THE SUN
Over the years, many have criticized the Super Bowl as an intentional publicity stunt and questioned whether it was actually a mistake. The incident created discussion around sexism, racism, and society’s double standards, especially with white men and black women.
Responding to theories that the incident was a publicity stunt, Janet’s brother, Tito Jackson, said in the documentary: “She didn’t do it. It’s not something done on purpose. Janet is not like that.”
Janet’s relationship with her father, Joe Jackson, was complicated
“Church” Jackson, who passed away in 2018, was a famously tough figure who was accused by his children – including daughters Rebbie and La Toya – of physical, mental and emotional abuse. god and sex. Janet said she had differences compared to her brother Michael Jackson when his father managed his career.
“I wanted to have my own identity in music but at that time, my father changed my life and career because he was my manager. So there are things I want to do, in the direction I want to go,” Janet Jackson said in the documentary about her decision to part ways with her father, Joe Jackson, who managed her in the early days of her career. She then released the album Control in 1986, starting her journey to becoming the most iconic pop superstar of all time.
Mr. Joe Jackson and daughter Janet Jackson
E.T
“It was hard to say no to my father. To do what I want, I guess it will be very difficult for him to give up on me,” Janet said with tears in her eyes. “I knew I had to take control of my own life. I want the reputation to be my own. I wanted to go on my own… I had to make things happen, at that moment.”
In the documentary, it appears that Janet Jackson wants to erase her father’s name from her career. “Thanks to my father, I have a career. It was a difficult time. There is nothing easy about this period. But when you realize where we came from and where we are now, we owe a lot to my father,” she said.
“They just loved us and wanted us to be the best we could be,” she says of her parents, Joe and Katherine (now 91), in the documentary. Obviously that is enforced.”
David Bowie once gave drugs to Michael Jackson
After The Jackson 5 became famous, the family moved to the wealthy, white suburb of Encino, California. The parties were held at the Jackson family home. Mr. Joe Jackson welcomed fans, especially liking famous figures, such as singer David Bowie.
At a party, Randy Jackson claimed on camera that Bowie invited him and Michael to smoke drugs.
David Bowie (right) met Michael Jackson in 1983
“Michael and I were sitting in another room away from the party,” Randy said. Then Bowie walked in and suggested we take drugs – which he was using to get to the top of his career. We just looked at each other and said, ‘No, no, thank you’ because we didn’t know what it was.”
Janet wants to go to college to study law, instead of pursuing a career as a singer
“None of us had a normal childhood. My friends go to gymnastics class or are members of Girl Scout Troops. I want to do those things. However, we had to plow,” Janet said about her early days in her singing career.
“I wanted to go to college and study business law but my father said that wouldn’t happen.” With a slight smile, Jackson added: “What parent doesn’t want their child to go to college? But he said ‘No, you have to sing’.”
Michael Jackson began to change his career with the success of the album Thriller
“That’s when it all started to change,” Janet Jackson recalls of the release of her brother’s 1982 album Thriller . “For the first time in my life I felt there was a difference between the two of us, a great change was happening. That was the moment when Mike and I started going our separate ways.”
After starring roles as a teenager in Different Strokes , Good Times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jackson was invited to participate in the fourth season of the series Fame , but she did not want to participate. “My father wanted me to act in the movie Fame . While I don’t want to participate. I did it for my father,” Janet Jackson shared.
Janet quashed decades-long rumors that she had a secret child
In the 1980s, rumors exploded that Jackson had a secret child with her first husband, singer James DeBarge. She revealed that the story reeked of “tabloid” and caused many articles to appear that deeply hurt the pop star. “Back in the day, they said I had a baby and I always kept it a secret,” Janet said with tears in her eyes.
Fame co-star Debbie Allen spoke in the documentary and recalled the rumors surrounding Janet like wildfire at the time.
“When I joined Fame , a lot of people thought I was pregnant because I gained weight. So the rumors started to spread,” Janet said. “I could never keep a child away from James. How can I separate a child from their father? I could never do that. That’s not right”.
In the documentary, Janet Jackson tells many details about her short-lived marriage and annulment with James DeBarge. The singer revealed that James’s drug use came as a shock to her and was the main reason for ending the relationship.
Janet’s first album was completely out of her control
The singer’s first album, Janet Jackson, was released in 1982, but she confirmed that it was not the music she wanted to create.
“It was really someone else’s album, the kind of music they wanted me to make. I don’t write any songs. It was just a matter of going to the studio, doing what they wanted,” Janet recalls of recording her first songs, which were mostly R&B instead of pop.
“I didn’t want to put my last name on the album. I just wanted to write the name Janet instead of Janet Jackson,” Jackson recalled.
Janet Jackson believes that Control, released in 1986, was truly her first album. That was when she began to take life into her own hands and determine the path she wanted: to become a pop star. Then, with the album Rhythm Nation 1814 in 1989, she began writing about causes she deeply cared about – regardless of what others thought – about social justice and racial issues.
Janet wanted to escape Michael Jackson’s shadow
“It was inevitable, I guess, but Janet could never really escape it, even with all the success she was having,” music producer Jimmy Jam said in documentary about the time Janet Jackson became a major pop star with the success of her album Rhythm Nation 1814 . “I’ve never heard her say she wants to beat Michael Jackson,” the producer added.
Janet Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson
TODAY
“When you have the last name Jackson, there’s a microscope on you,” Janet says thoughtfully, reflecting the press attention she’s been bombarded with over the years.
Allegations of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson damaged Janet’s career
Janet also spoke about how the sexual abuse allegations against her brother affected her. In 1993, Michael was first accused of sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy, which was made public in the media. Janet explained that she was about to sign a contract with Coca-Cola at the time but when they heard about the allegations, the deal fell through.
“When the sexual abuse allegations surfaced, the Coca-Cola representative said, ‘No thank you.’ It’s unfair, it’s annoying to me, but you can’t let it stop you. You have to keep moving forward. I just knew that I wanted to be there to support my brother as much as possible,” Janet revealed in the documentary.
The charges were eventually settled out of court and police did not charge Michael. Janet also commented on the settlement: “He just wanted it all to go away. I wish my brother would really let the world know more about him.”
The last thing Michael said to Janet before the singer passed away was “I love you.”
In the documentary, Janet revealed Michael Jackson’s sudden death on June 25, 2009 after cardiac arrest.
“I can not believe it. La Toya’s sister called me and said he wouldn’t make it. I immediately called Tito Jackson while he was driving on the way to the hospital. I told him to pull the car to the side of the road. He asked, ‘Jan is he dead?’” Janet said. Then she thought back to the last time she saw Michael and the meaningful last words they said to each other.
“The last time we saw each other was when we organized a surprise party for our parents. My whole family attended. Michael sat next to me. He laughed like crazy. And I remember him looking at me. The last thing he said to me was ‘I love you’. That was also the last time I saw him… I miss Michael so much,” Janet Jackson said in the film.