Janet Jackson is addressing rumours that she secretly had a child with ex-husband James DeBarge in the ’80s.
The 55-year-old superstar opens up about the speculation she faced as part of her highly-anticipated documentary, “Janet”.
“I could never keep a child away from James. How could I keep a child from their father? I could never do that. That’s not right,” she says.
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The rumours began while the “All For You” singer was filming NBC’s “Fame” in 1984.
“A lot of the kids thought I was pregnant ’cause I had gained weight and I had started taking birth control pills,” she recalls. “And back then, you could pick up weight taking them, and that’s what happened to me, so that rumour started going around.”
Jackson’s “Fame” co-star Debbie Allen also weighs in on the speculation while taking part in the four-part documentary.
“Where was the baby? Nobody saw a baby. I mean, she was there with us all day, every day,” she remembers.
Jackson eloped with DeBarge in September 1984, however, their marriage ended in an annulment in November 1985.
“Janet” begins airing on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.
