Janet Jackson Defends Michael’s Sexual Abuse Allegations: ‘He Would Never Do That’
30.01.2022 - 04:13
/ hollywoodlife.com
Janet Jackson, 55, defended her late brother Michael Jackson in her new documentary series for A&E and Lifetime. In response to the past sexual assault claims made against the “Billie Jean” singer, she said, My brother would never do something like that, but I’m still guilty by association — because that’s what they call it, right?” When asked if she thought there was “any moment” Michael could have done what he was accused of, she said, “Never. I know my brother. He didn’t have that in him.”
Janet, too, was affected by the controversy: in 1994, she lost a Coca-Cola deal as a result. Along with her parents and siblings, the family publicly supported Michael through the ordeal. “Yeah, we did [stand by Michael]…to show him that we were there for him,” she said as the doc cut to clip of brother Jermaine issuing a statement on behalf of the family. “We stayed at his [Neverland] ranch to let him know he had the support of the family. To let him know, we love you, we’re by your side — and we’re going to get through it.”
“It was frustrating for me — but you can’t let it stop you and it didn’t. You keep pushing and forging ahead. I just knew I wanted to be there and support him as much as I possibly could,” she went on, as footage went to her iconic Janet tour, where she asked fans to say a “silent prayer for my brother Michael.”
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Throughout their lives, Janet and Michael had a notoriously close bond — and later became the two most famous members of their iconic family. The pair infamously collaborated on just one song, 1995’s “Scream,” which was accompanied by a Mark Romanek directed music video.
“I see [Michael] as an artist but first and foremost, of all, as a brother,” Janet said, recalling the moment