‘Guilty by association’ - Janet Jackson opens up about Michael Jackson’s abuse scandal

January 04, 2022
Janet Jackson comforts her niece and daughter of Michael Jackson, Paris, during the memorial service for her brother Michael at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2009.
Janet Jackson comforts her niece and daughter of Michael Jackson, Paris, during the memorial service for her brother Michael at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2009.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
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Janet Jackson thinks she is "guilty by association" when it comes to her late brother, Michael's, abuse scandals.

The 55-year-old singer has opened up about her life as the sister of the late King of Pop -- who died in 2009-- and admitted there is a lot of "scrutiny" that comes with having such an infamous surname.

She said: "There's a great deal of scrutiny that comes with having that last name."

Speaking in an extended trailer for her new Lifetime documentary, Janet -- which is set to air on January 28 -- the All For You hitmaker was then asked if the child sexual abuse allegations against Michael had affected her.

She responded: "Yeah. Guilty by association. I guess that's what they call it, right?"

Michael, the Thriller hitmaker, was accused of child molestation and acquitted during a 2005 trial, but since his death, more allegations have come forward, which the Jackson family has repeatedly denied.

According to the synopsis for the new documentary, the legendary star will "lift the lid" on a "tumultuous" private life for the first time, as well as the fallout from her 2004 Super Bowl performance.

It read: "Janet has enjoyed immense success but also seen incredible tragedy. She has endured a tumultuous private life in the face of extraordinary public scrutiny. With no stone left unturned, Janet lifts the lid on her private life for the very first time and reveals the most intimate moments of the star ever caught on camera. The documentary details Janet's return to the world stage following a sudden break from music. Speaking like never before, Janet also discusses everything, including her Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, the death of her brother Michael, and becoming a mother later in life."

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