Interview clips with siblings Tito and Rebbie and mother Katherine, along with celebrity reflections from Questlove, Whoopi Goldberg, Missy Elliott, Norman Lear and Debbie Allen, among others, occasionally edify. James has spoken about their alleged love child numerous times over the years and a woman named Tiffany Whyte even appeared on "Growing Up Hip Hop" claiming to be the child in question: Speaking more about her relationship with James, Janet said the two of them used to talk on the phone a lot as kids, because one of his brothers had a thing for her sister La Toya. Janet Jackson has been married three times and divorced twice. And that's what happened to me. One of the long-standing claims being addressed in Janet is that Jackson secretly had a baby during their brief marriage. Shortly after she married at 18, rumors swirled that Janet Jackson had a secret daughter she had given away. What's more, Bunny said that Tiffany was one of about 10 women who contacted her family claiming to be the secret child in what Bunny called "fame seeking.". Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! 1991 Janet was two years out from her first self-titled album and wouldn't release Control, the album that turned her into a mega-star, for another two years. DeBarge also said he believed that Renee resented her situation and the fact that her mother did not acknowledge her. 'Janet Jackson' doc on Lifetime/A&E explores singer's break from Joe Jackson, During this same period, a rumor was born that Janet had a secret child with DeBarge. At the Flyte Tyme studios in Minneapolis, Jackson does not want to hear Jams persistent coaching to put energy on the song and, after a cranky squabble, she walks out of the studio, leaving Elizondos camera to shoot nothing but the ceiling. It opened a lot of doors, but having that last name comes with a great deal of scrutiny., Janet Jackson denies having baby with James DeBarge in new documentary. "There were a lot of nights I would go searching the streets looking for him. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The Control singer remembers the chatter first starting to spread in 1984 on the Season 4 set of NBCs Fame, in which she played Cleo Hewitt. All Rights Reserved. They later eloped, but their marriage was annulled in 1985. At the time, Jackson had a recurring role in the hit TV series "Fame," and fans paid attention to her physical appearance. Email address We've received your submission. "A lot of the kids thought I was pregnant because I had gained weight," Jackson said. After Jackson had finally had enough, it culminated with them getting an annulment in 1985. Janet jackson has revealed what it's like being a single working mother, having given birth to her son at the age of 50. #ControlTheNarrative #Iconic Janet4ever @lifetimetv, That said, Bunny didn't buy it. These days, Janet has a very different life and relationship. 13 Obscure Sex Acts You Might Not Know About (But May Want to Try), Heres How to Watch Survivor Live For Free to See Who Wins Season 44, How Black Creators Can Expand Their Network with LinkedIn, General Hospital Spoilers February 27 March 10. I dont know where that ridiculous idea came from.. "I'm tired of the truth not coming forward, and people being a coward when it comes to it. Young DeBarge said the child, named Renee and now 18, has been living with Rebbie Jackson, Janet's oldest sister. However, Bunny disputed that and apologized to her former sister-in-law. "I remember going to Michigan, to Grand Rapids and his uncle, he was a pastor and he married us. After decades of rumors about Janet Jackson and James DeBarge's daughter and claiming they had a secret child before their divorce, the conspiracy theories She also attributed weight gain at that time to the birth control she was on. Jackson was 18 when she and DeBarge first hooked up. One of these rumors in particular follows her to this day, so she finally decides to address it in her new Lifetime documentary Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson is shutting down long-standing rumors that she and first husband James DeBarge welcomed a secret child during their year-long marriage. A lot of the kids thought I was pregnant, cause I had gained weight, and I had started taking birth control pills, she said. She is now dating Jermaine Dupri. Janet Jackson has been married three times and divorced twice. Jackson only After decades of rumors about Janet Jackson and James DeBarge's daughter and claiming they had a secret child before their divorce, the conspiracy theories While Jackson still maintains that she never had a child with DeBarge, she did welcome a son, Eissa, in 2017 with her third husband, billionaire businessman My sister Toya said if that's what you want to do, then you should do it. Miss Jackson decided to clear up a rumor that plagued her since her 1984 marriage to singer James Debarge. He added, "There's no telling what (Janet Jackson) is telling her. Etterlene was further convinced after she and Tiffany took a DNA test which said, "the probability of relatedness is 96.7%. Singles Nasty, What Have You Done for Me Lately and the title track proved that Janet wasnt the only Jackson capable of radio domination. Rebbies reaction is more forthright. Janet tries to shed some light on that in the documentary as well, pointing to a time in her life when she started to put on some weight, but for a very different reason. She started her career with the variety television 2023 EHM Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. 2005 The Associated Press. And then because [my brother] Randys daughter looks so much like me, they started saying it was Stevanna.. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Janet Jackson denies long-standing rumors that she secretly had a baby with ex-husband James DeBarge in the 1980s in her new documentary. @JanetJackson @lifetimetv #JanetJacksonDoc #ICON #JanFam #JanetJackson #JanetDoc pic.twitter.com/4Xh5MrDrZ6, Jackson claimed that she and DeBarge would frequently fight over his drug use. she asked, "I could never do that. For, the couple has welcomed their first child. In the documentary, Jackson rationalized that she thought the rumors came from a focus on her weight. They separated in 1999. She explainsher weight gain at the time was a result of taking birth control, a physical shift that only fueled the gossip. It has been rumored for years that they Keke Palmer is officially a Mommie-ana! At the time, the speculation took different angles. A representative for Janet Jackson wouldnt deny claim, saying instead that her client had no comment. He claimed the mystery child was an 18-year-old girl named Renee who was raised by Jackson's older sister Rebbie, but Rebbie has no such child, according to several Jackson family sources. In an interview on the two-part archive of A&E and Lifetime, Janet, Jackson put an end to the 30-year-old rumor that she had a secret child with her ex That's not a life for anyone. According to new reporting from People, one of the long-standing rumors to be addressed is that Jackson had a secret child during her brief marriage to James DeBarge. Janet Jackson opened up about her first marriage to James DeBarge in a two-part documentary premiering on A&E and Lifetime over Friday and Saturday nights. And thats not a life for anyone., I sit, and I say, Were you stupid, were you dumb? But it wasnt that, said Jackson. Hey, Son!!! I can not wait for her documentary I'm very happy that she is telling her story in her own words. Later that night while at a hotel, James told Janet he would "be right back," but didn't return for several hours. James and the Jackson family kept everything real close, real tight, he told the station. 3 min read. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Even with the success of Control, I dont think she was able to escape Michaels shadow, Jam says as they embark on the Rhythm Nation recording. We would be rolling on the floor fighting for them, she said. So, did Janet has a secret love child? There are a lot of nights that I would go searching the streets looking for him 8 oclock in the morning, 4 oclock in the morning, said Jackson. ), and she gamely indulges with blithe answers. Born on August 22, 1963, as the seventh child to Robert DeBarge Sr. and Etterlene Abney DeBarge, James Curtis DeBarge also hails from a musical family that became famous in the early 1980s. Janet Jackson talks growth, body confidence and aging on cover of Allure magazine In a 2016 appearance on Growing Up Hip Hop, in which his daughter, Kristinia ET recently spoke to Jackson's good friend, Tyler Perry, who said he was "excited" for her pregnancy. Jackson and DeBarge secretly wed in 1984, when she as 18 and Debarge was 21. } Jackson, 50, is now pregnant with her first child with husband Wissam Al Mana. In the documentary, Janet says, point blank, "I could never keep a child from James. The episodes revolve around the early years of the legendary performer's career, from her time as a child star and teen actor up until her first big tour following the release of "Rhythm Nation" in 1989. ", "I wasn't the help that he needed. We don't know how, but Etterlene thought then 31-year-old Philadelphia native Tiffany Whyte was the daughter of James DeBarge and Janet Jackson. And back then, you could pick up weight taking them, and thats what happened to me. Terms of Use I don't know where that ridiculous idea came from. All Rights Reserved. And back then, you could pick up weight taking them, and thats what happened to me, so that rumor started going around.. Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter, Julia Stiles' Baby Born: Actress Gives Birth To 2nd Child With Husband Preston Cook, Katherine Schwarzenegger Displays Baby Bump In Denim Overalls While Out & About, Janet Jackson Super Bowl Scandal: What To Know About The Backlash & Feud With Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson Songs: The Best Of Her Best For The Ultimate Playlist. WATCH: EXCLUSIVE -- Janet Jackson Pregnant at 50: What a Fertility Specialist Says She Should and Shouldn't Worry About, "I'm tired of the secrecy," DeBarge tells his daughter, Kristinia, when she confronts him about an article she read in which he discusses the claims. In the two-part Janet Jackson documentary, she reveals, "at that time I thought that there was no other way I would be able to kind of get my own life unless I got married. Unfortunately, Janet's new marriage came with James' drug problem. The marriage was annulled just a year later, in 1985. I could never do that, that's not right.". Rebbie has two daughters, ages 35 and 28, and a son, 19. In her new documentary, Janet Jackson denies the rumor that she had a child with James DeBarge. Between the five years of footage by her documentary crew enlisted to chronicle her 2017 tour and the 10 years of previously unseen home videos shot by ex-husbandElizondo, as well as vintage concert and TV performance clips, the visual offerings are intriguing. Nobody saw a baby. It doesn't matter how much work you do, it's still painful.". October 24, 2005 / 10:04 PM by her father Joe Jackson, whose abusive methods turned her brothers into The Jackson Five. Paris Jackson Is in a New Hulu Movie but She Certainly Doesn't Need the Money! "James and I decided to get married. Palmer, who broke the news of her pregnancy during a December episode of SNL, announced the birth of a bouncing baby boy. Icouldneverdothat. That was the first red flag for Janet, who spent many nights searching the streets for him, often as late as 8 oclock in the morning. I could never do that, thats not right., So how exactly did all the rumors get started? Knowing the pressure surrounding a follow-up album, Jackson again turned to Jam and Lewis. And while the point of the interview was supposed to be an apology to Janet for how the family handled the rumors, instead Bunny doubled down. Though she admitted they were probably related in some way, Tiffany looked nothing like James or Janet. "She's just always been so extremely private and is laying low, and I just wish her all the best," Perry said. Janet Jackson's ex-husband, singer James DeBarge, just dropped an alleged baby bombshell. Janet Jackson was married to dancer, music video director, and songwriter Ren Elizondo Jr. from 1991 to 2000. I wanted to be able to stand on my own feet, the 55-year-old pop superstar revealed in the two-part documentary Janet Jackson which premieres on Lifetime and A&E over Friday and Saturday nights. WATCH: Janet Jackson and Husband Wissam Al Mana Step Out for the First Time Since Announcing Pregnancy. [But] there is no way she belongs to the DeBarge Jackson family.. During a publicity tour overseas, every interview Jackson engages in includes questions about her brother (does he really have an oxygen tank? In 2017, Debarge told Radar Online that the existence of his child with Jackson was "not a secret" and that a woman had contacted him to reveal herself as his daughter. Janet Jackson addresses rumors she had a secret baby in the 80s The "Rhythm Nation" singer opened up about speculation that she welcomed a baby with then In a newly released clip from WE TV's Growing Up Hip Hop, 53-year-old DeBarge claims that he has a secret daughter with Jackson. Janet Jackson Breaks Silence On Rumored Secret Daughter With Ex James DeBarge Shortly after she married at 18, rumors swirled that Janet Jackson had a Jackson was 18 when she and DeBarge first hooked up. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. Janet Jacksons most recent marriage was to Wissam Al Mana, a Qatari business By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The Emmy Award winner, 29, announced the birth of their first child, a baby boy they named Leodis "Leo" Andrellton on Monday. she joked, recalling their parents were "shocked" when they found out she got married. Janet quickly learned that James was very heavily into drugs, something she couldnt see when they got together, pointing to her own innocence. Jackson and DeBarge a member of his familys singing group, DeBarge, which had several hit songs in the 1980s eloped in 1984 when she was 18 years old Her mother, Katherine Esther Jackson (ne Scruse), played clarinet and piano, had aspired to be a country-and-western James DeBarge said on a reality TV show in 2016 that he believed the child existed. Janet Jackson is shooting down rumors that she had a baby with her ex-husband James DeBarge and kept it a secret in the 1980s. "They weren't very revealing about what the relationship was about.". Stay up to date with what you want to know. ", Though Janet said she saw a lot of good in him and "wanted that to take precedence, as opposed to this ugliness," she also acknowledged that he "needed help. First they were saying my niece Brandi was my daughter and that I gave her to [my brother] Jackie to raise, she recalls. I could never do that. "Back in the day they were saying that I had a child and I kept it secret," the singer said in the documentary. Where was the baby? Thats reportedly around the same time the Michigan natives relocated to Jackson reflects on her failed marriage to James DeBarge, their fights over his alleged drug use and persistent rumors Janet's sister raised their secret love child. Jackson said that while she thought of him as a sweet guy, their union ultimately ended because of his addiction to cocaine. In 2017, a Philadelphia woman named Tiffany Whyte claimed to be Jackson and James daughter an occurrence Bunny DeBarge says has happened at least 10 times. She's 'very good friends' with Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson dedicates Rock Hall honor to 2-year-old son, We may never resolve our conflicted feelings about Michael Jackson, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Hollywood Life Janet Jacksons onetime brother-in-law dropped a startling secret during a radio interview over the weekend. Jacksons denial could be construed as oblique. Where was the baby?. ET on Lifetime and A&E. Janet Jackson and James DeBarge were married from 1984 to 1985. display: none; But I wasnt the help that he needed., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Offers may be subject to change without notice. That'snotright.. American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. Both of them tried their best to be with each other. Back in the day, they were saying that I had a child, and I kept it secret, Jackson said. Janet Jackson and James DeBarge, who were briefly married in 1984, had a daughter together, DeBarge's brother Young DeBarge has claimed on a radio program. Copyright 2023 Distractify. And for three hours, he never came back, said Jackson. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. He was a nice guy., But although they felt safe with each other, DeBarge admitted, I dont know why anyone would trust me., The young lovebirds would sneak around to see each other as much as possible. His comments lent support to reports that have circulated for years claiming Janet has a "secret" daughter. The New Lifetime Documentary 'Janet' Lets Janet Jackson Tell Her Own Story, Was Michael Jackson Framed? Jackson, 50, is now pregnant with her first child long-standing claims being addressed in Janet that... A secret in the documentary, Janet 's oldest sister a sweet,... Surrounding a follow-up album, Jackson said on your browser, mostly in the,... Of taking birth control, a physical shift that only fueled the gossip kept it secret, rationalized. Secret child during their brief marriage I do n't know how, but etterlene thought then 31-year-old Philadelphia Tiffany. Could pick up weight taking them, and I kept it secret, Jackson said, dancer and actress her! 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