Janet Jackson is shutting down long standing rumors that she and her first husband James DeBarge welcomed a secret child during their year long marriage.
Jackson, 55, addressed the rumors in part two of the upcoming Lifetime and A&E documentary Janet, dispelling various claims that alleged the “secret baby” was raised by her sister, Rebbie, or brother Jackie.
“Back in the day they were saying that I had a child and I kept it secret,” Jackson said. “I could never keep a child away from James. How could I keep a child from their father? I could never do that, that’s not right.”
The “Rhythm Nation” singer rattled off a laundry list of things she’d heard about herself over the years, including that her niece Brandy was actually her daughter, that she gave her “child” to brother Jackie to raise, and that brother Randy’s daughter Stevanna was actually her daughter because they looked so much alike.
Jackson also hinted at where the rumors may have began, and said that while she was filming the show Fame, she started taking birth control pills, which caused her to gain weight.
The five time Grammy winner who eventually welcomed son Eissa in 2017 married DeBarge, now 58, in 1984, when she was just 18.
Though she described him as “a sweet guy,” Jackson revealed that it was his frequent drug use that caused their marriage to crumble after just one year.
“When we got married and came back to the hotel he said, ‘OK, I’ll be right back,'” she recalled of their wedding night. “And I’m sitting in the hotel room in Grand Rapids, Michigan by myself, just 18, and for three hours, he never came back. I don’t know, maybe it’s this person in me that wants to help people subconsciously. When it comes to relationships, somehow I’m attracted to people that use drugs.”
Janet Jackson is a mother to one child, born with third husband Wissam al Mana. In 2016, Janet announced that they were expecting their first child together. On January 3, 2017, Janet gave birth to a son, Eissa Al Mana. She was aged 50 at the time.
Her publicist shared that it was a “stress-free healthy delivery” and that Jackson was “resting comfortably”.
With a net worth (per Celebrity Net Worth) of $190 million, Janet Jackson is the richest Jackson family member.
Having sold over 100 million records, Janet Jackson is one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
Referred to as the “Queen of R&B” by the media, Janet has sold more than 160 million records worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, she has sold 26 million albums in the US, ranking her as the 13th top selling female soloist in the country.