"She has been The pair were married when Jackson was 18 and DeBarge was 21. I was so fast at bagging those peanuts, Mama D said. I tried many times to get out, but I couldnt, she said. Legendary performer Janet Jacksons life will be explored this weekend in a two-part documentary event airing on Lifetime and A&E. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). He led an equally turbulent personal life, in which he allegedly fathered some 10 children with six women. In 1984, James DeBarge married Janet Jackson in Bishop Abneys office at Bethel Pentecostal Church. Janet Jackson The pair were married when Jackson was 18 and DeBarge was 21. According toBiography, Jackson is one of the best-selling artists in contemporary music.. DeBarge In 2017, a Philadelphia woman named Tiffany Whyte claimed to be Jackson and James daughter an occurrence Bunny DeBarge says has happened at least 10 times. What I went through has allowed me to touch thousands of peoples pain.. "I still love garage sales, through thick and thin." We bring news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and entertained. People will tell me, I need to talk to someone. His 16-year-old daughter, Kendall, is seated nearby for the interview. She believes her daddys musical gifts were passed down through her to her talented children, not to mention 55 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. The 55-year-old artist addressed the rumours in the second part of the forthcoming documentary Janet, along with a number of other gossip items she had heard about herself over the years. Janet Jackson and DeBarge have tied the knot in September 1984. Though, the couple divorced in November 1985. It was reported that Jackson married DeBarge in order that she might take management of her life as an alternative of being managed by Joe Jackson, her father. While El Debarge was in Houston for the Back To Me tour with Fantasia, he got a second chance at being a father when he was introduced to his daughter for the first time after 15 years. I couldnt have lived through all of this without him.. Someday, we will all be free, she said. Janet Jackson Details Her Tumultuous Marriage to James Janet Jackson's Ex-Husband James DeBarge Claims Janet Jackson has a secret teenage daughter called RENEE, according to the singer's former brother-in-law. Enter The Mostyn Law and 1-800-TRUCKWRECK 5K For Mother's Day Giveaway!! In 1991, she married Rene Elizondo, Jr., her former backup dancer. People loved to hear our family sing.. Janet Jackson He said, Okay, Ill be right back. And Im sitting in ahotel room in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by myself, just 18. Bethel was our sanctuary, she said. She confirmed it on the deathbed., James said he always had his suspicions that Janet had a baby. We care about your data. "She has been denying me for many years. He died at age 39 of AIDS, which he contracted in prison. She also attributed weight gain at that time to the birth control she was on. Advertisement Simply put, Jackie Jackson raised the alleged daughter of Janet Jackson. There were times when I was jumped, physically, and attacked. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Jackson has a 5-year-old son, Eissa, with her former husband, Wissam Al Mana. In her new docuseries, Janet Jackson reminisced about her marriage to James DeBarge in 1984. She continued: "I cared so much for him, and I saw the good in him as well, and I just wanted that to take precedence as opposed to this ugliness, because I knew that he needed help. Had he lived one year longer, I never would have married Robert DeBarge, she said. Janet Jackson He was insanely jealous, she said. Several of her siblings, including Ernestine, sisters Mamie and Margie, and her brothers, James and William Abney, had moved to Grand Rapids. DeBarge said the woman asked if they could take a paternity test, but it hasnt happened yet because hes afraid to meet her. The once-happy couple has not yet filed for divorce. Janet Jackson has spent a lifetime carving out a career as a performer alongside her famous brothers, The Jackson Five. Even though she was the preacher's sister, DeBarge sometimes fell asleep during Bishop William Abney's sermons, prompting her big brother to pick on her. So when the girl emailed him, DeBarge was overwhelmed by emotions. One of these rumors in particular follows her to this day, so she finally decides to address it in her new Lifetime documentary Janet Jackson. In the limelight, they were surrounded by alcohol, drugs and sex. My mother wore an apron, which was always wet because she was constantly scrubbing clothes with lye soap for her 11 children. , Watch El DeBarge and Faith Evans Lay It Down In the Studio, El DeBarge on His Return From Drug Addiction, Lizzo Shut Down Candace Owens Fatphobic Comments With An Affirming Instagram Reel. Gospel music was my passion when I was young. While El Debarge was in Houston for the Back To Me tour with Fantasia, he got a second chance at being a father when he was introduced to his daughter for the first time after 15 years. She shocked fans with the announcement of her pregnancy at the age of 50. We found 107 80s acts on tour in 2023. Who are they? Janet Jackson Finally Addresses Secret Love Child He was given a second chance, and it was as if he had never left the business. (El suffered a relapse in February and spent time in rehab. Jackson and DeBarge eloped in late 1984, when she was 18 and he was 21, but their marriage was annulled around eight months later. 1 hits on the adult contemporary chart. When you get this message, I want to know you are smiling. In the second part of the new docuseries, the legendary performer explained that she was taking birth control pills and started gaining weight. I went on a search. We spoke just a few days ago, and he and I have moved on. She claimed that when Janet and James split up, she personally saw Janet pregnant, and that James was also aware of the alleged pregnancy. And I thought it was wise for me to speak out now because it needs to be addressed., To be honest with you, I didnt know, he continues. In 2017, a Philadelphia woman named Tiffany Whyte claimed to be Jackson and James daughter an occurrence Bunny DeBarge says has happened at least 10 The 55 He took advantage of me being naive and 17 without a father to help guide me.. And Im sitting in the hotel room in Grand Rapids, Michigan by myself, just 18, and for three hours, he never came back. She gave birth to her first child, son Eissa El Mana, in 2017. YOUNG DeBARGE, whose brother James was I always root for them, but I know they are human.. Weve kept up somewhat of a relationship, so I do feel like I know him, Kendall said. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, How Hawks are handling Janet Jackson-concert dilemma after dramatic win, I had a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction while teaching math class. Jackson and DeBarge a member of his familys singing group, DeBarge, which had several hit songs in the 1980s eloped in 1984 when she was 18 years old and he was 21. Later that night while at a hotel, James told Janet he would "be right back," but didn't return for several hours. Still, the DeBarges never ascended to the rarefied atmosphere of the Jackson familys brand of fame. She called me papa, DeBarge said. But I wasnt the help that he needed.. This story has been shared 158,551 times. I was just incredibly innocent, Jackson said of the relationship. That eventually led to the duo deciding to get married in 1984, with Jackson getting a blessing from LaToya though she kept her plans hidden from the rest of her family. Janet Jackson never forgot her former mother-in-law. My brother became a giant like his father when it came to directing choirs at Bethel, Mama D said. They didnt know what they were doing, bless their hearts. It was very painful for them; they were so close, and they couldnt see themselves as not working together. And for three hours, he never came back, said Jackson. Janet Jackson Shuts Down Rumors of a Secret Baby with James When Chico had the idea five years ago to buy his mother a computer and launch her ministry online This is where God wants you, he told her she thought he was crazy. Jackson started her career in the entertainment industry playing Penny from 1977-1979 on the television comedy seriesGood Times. We were very poor, but we didnt realize we were poor it was all we knew, she said. All rights reserved (About Us). Friends of Etterlene DeBarge know if theyre feeling blue, a quick call to Mama Ds cellphone will pick them right up even if she doesnt answer. ", I have been a MAJOR @JanetJackson fan for YEARS! It was an attempt to take control of her life from father Joe Jackson that convinced an 18-year-old Janet Jackson to secretly marry childhood friend James DeBarge only to then have to deal with his drug problems. Some of the fabricated stories included her niece being her daughter and another child she supposedly gave to her brother Jackie to raise. However, the rumored story goes back all the way to 1984. But it is, he told his daughter Kristinia DeBarge in a November 2016 episode of the WE tv series Growing Up Hip Hop. Janet Jackson airs Friday and I could never keep a child away from James. arrested on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. Janet was two years out from her first self-titled album and wouldn't release Control, the album that turned her into a mega-star, for another two years. Hopefully, now that she has set the record straight about her supposed secret child, everyone can move on from that rumor as well. However, Bunny disputed that and apologized to her former sister-in-law. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Her top-selling albums includeControl, The Velvet Rope, Rhythm Nation 1814,andUnbreakable. She has earned countless honors and recognition for her lifetime contribution as a performer. Questions still loom if Tiffany could be Janet Jacksons daughter or if the singer had a child in the late 80s, and her former mother-in-law, Etterlene DeBarge, is on a quest for the truth. 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James Abney moved to Grand Rapids with his brother, William Jr., his fathers namesake, who would become Bishop Abney, a legend in the Grand Rapids community for his leadership at Bethel Pentecostal Church, 834 Lake Drive SE. Son Bobby was born the next year, followed by Tommy, Randy, Marty, El, James and Jonathan Chico. Twins Darrell and Carol, aka Peaches, were born in 1971. So, did Janet Jackson have a secret child? So, did Janet has a secret love child? Janet Jackson A lot of the kids thought I was pregnant, cause I had gained weight, and I had started taking birth control pills, she said. Janet Jackson addresses rumors of child with James When you have somebody say youre too heavy, it affects you.. Im tired of the secrecy. 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In a newly released clip from WE TV's Growing Up Hip Hop, 53 Janet Jackson In the recent docuseries, Jackson madeno mention of her relationshipwith Al Mana, despite being open about other men in her life. DeBarge says the woman wanted to keep their new connection private. As often as she could, Mama D took the beatings for her children. I didnt like James Brown at all!, If you want to find Mama D, just look at the beauty shop. That was the first red flag for Janet, who spent many nights searching the streets for him, often as late as 8 oclock in the morning. This is the first time Ive seen her in 15 years. By day, Abney sold peanuts as a street vendor, enlisting his children to help.