Janet Jackson Finally Opens Up About Baby Rumors From The 1980s

Janet Jackson Is one of the three sisters of demised pop legend Michael Jackson. Like her brother, she had the entertainment talent and followed him into showbiz, making a name for herself as a singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer.

Janet broke into the industry in 1976 and has spent over 40 years in entertainment. Now, the pop icon Janet has chosen to give fans a compilation of her personal life and the tortuous path she followed to earn her status in the industry.

Janet released this information in a new self-titled Lifetime docuseries. The two-part series did not only entail events in her life but also put to bed a baby rumor that had trailed Janet for a long time.

Find out more below.

While rising through the rungs of the music industry, it was not unusual for Janet to be the center of many unfounded rumors that often plagued a female songstress. However, such allegations usually die off when no evidence gets revealed.

For Janet, the reverse seemed to be the case, as one claim stuck to her for a large part of her career. The rumor mill alleged she had a secret baby with her first husband, James DeBarge, whom she gave up for adoption.

In the first part of the docuseries, the pop star finally denied the allegations, stating she had no idea who gave the press the ludicrous tale. She admitted her shock at hearing the claim at the time and expected the press to accost her with questions.

For the most part, she never got quizzed directly by the press, who appeared not bold enough to follow through on the insinuation.

Another side to the rumor claimed that the pop star had given the baby to her older sister to raise. At the time, it implied that one of her two nieces could have been her daughter secretly named Rene. Janet also opposed this notion in the docuseries, saying she would never keep a baby from her father and decried the lack of morality in such an act.

At the height of the rumor, Janet was gaining weight rapidly. It fanned the flames of the claim, as many felt that the alleged pregnancy engineered the added weight. Contrary to popular opinion, Janet admitted that the weight gain was due to birth control pills and not the pregnancy hearsays.

Janet and Debarge had a chance encounter through their music work. The pair shared an instant bond when they realized they were both descendants of a musical dynasty. Their friendship flourished into romance, which they kept secret for a while.

At age 18, Jackson eloped with her lover without the consent of her guardians. Eventually, DeBarge’s uncle wedded them in a secret ceremony at a small church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Despite the love they initially shared for each other, the marriage wasted no time in hitting the rocks.

Janet sensed her then-husband was hiding something after leaving her in their hotel room for hours on their wedding night. The singer later unearthed the sad truth, which hastened the demise of their marriage.

In no time, Janet learned that Debarge was into drugs. Like every drug addict, it was only a matter of time before he got sloppy with hiding the traces of his addiction.

“I eventually learned that he was into drugs,” she said in the documentary. “I remember times when I would find the pills, and I would take them and try to flush them down the toilet, and we would be rolling around the floor fighting for them. That’s not a life for anyone. I sit, and I say, ‘Were you stupid? Were you dumb?’ But it wasn’t that. I cared so much for him.”

Janet revealed that DeBarge took advantage of her naivety and love to keep her in the marriage, which lasted for a year. After annulling the affair, she moved on to René Elizondo Jr, Jermaine Dupri, and Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana.