Janet Jackson Says She Was Found 'Guilty By Association' Over Michael Abuse Allegations

Janet Jackson has claimed she was found 'guilty by association' over allegations made against her brother Michael. Watch her open up about the subject in the trailer for a new documentary here:

Janet, a two-part documentary five years in the making, is being released to mark 40 years since the release of her self-titled debut album.

Since then, a whole lot has happened in the lives of the singer and her famous family, and in the new trailer for the documentary, 55-year-old Janet touches on how allegations made against her brother Michael affected her career.

The 'King of Pop' was accused of sexually abusing children, and in 2005, he was tried and acquitted of child molestation.

Since dying of a drug overdose in 2009, further allegations have been brought to light, with Wade Robson and James Safechuck providing graphic accounts of the alleged abuse they suffered in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.

Asked whether these allegations had affected her career, Janet replied: "Yeah, guilty by association. I guess that's what they call it, right?"

Alamy

In the documentary - which features the likes of Missy Elliott, Whoopi Goldberg and Samuel L. Jackson - Janet also opens up about her brother's death, her controversial Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake and her own love life.

A synopsis reads: "As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Janet Jackson’s very first album, this will be the definitive story on Janet Jackson, one of the best-selling and highest-earning artists in music history.

"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."

Alamy

It continues: "The two-night, four-hour documentary event joins Janet as her family is going through another extremely difficult time, mourning the loss of her father Joseph, the pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty.

"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 Superbowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, the death of her brother Michael and becoming a mother later in life.

"And with her own romantic relationship having broken down, she starts to look back at her own life and reflect on her fight to the top."

The documentary will premiere in the US on 28 January on Lifetime and A&E.

Topics: Michael Jackson, Music

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey