Janet Jackson leaves Scott Mills speechless as she reveals who her very famous A-list cousins are
Janet Jackson left Scott Mills speechless when she revealed who her very famous cousins are during an appearance on BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
The legendary singer, 58, who has embarked on her Together Again tour, joined the broadcaster, 51, to discuss her 51 years in entertainment and recent shows.
While playing Do I Do by Stevie Wonder in the studio, Scott said: 'Someone told me this earlier, are you related to Stevie!?'
Revealing that she is cousins with not only Stevie but also Tracy Chapman and Samuel L Jackson, Janet admitted that not many people know.
She explained: 'Yes he’s our cousin, not a lot of people know that, he’s our cousin on my mothers’ side.'
Janet Jackson left Scott Mills speechless when she revealed who her very famous cousins are during an appearance on BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show
The legendary singer, 58, who has embarked on her Together Again tour, joined the broadcaster, 51, to discuss her 51 years in entertainment and recent shows
'That has blown my mind!', Scott exclaimed.
Before Janet added: 'So is Tracy Chapman. So is Samuel L Jackson.'
Scott continued: 'Is this blowing anyone else’s mind!! So, Stevie Wonder...', 'Cousin,' Janet confirmed.
Scott responded: 'Samuel L Jackson?', 'He would be a cousin too, well he’s not my brother!' Janet laughed.
Stevie Wonder is the Jackson sibling's third cousin once removed through their mother Katherine's, born Kattie B. Screws, side of the family.
Their great great great grandparents, Robert and Sarah Peterson are Stevie's great great grand parents. It is unknown how they are related to Tracy Chapman and Samuel L Jackson.
Elsewhere, the musician explained how she is paying homage to her late brother Michael during her shows.
Scott said: 'There is an amazing moment when you perform Scream tell us about that.'
She explained: 'I love that song and I guess its just a homage to my brother and us working together and those memories and people go crazy when he appears (on the screen) they just love it so it's nice.'
While playing Do I Do by Stevie Wonder in the studio, Scott said: 'Someone told me this earlier, are you related to Stevie!?' (Stevie Wonder pictured in May 2022)
She explained: 'Yes he’s our cousin,' before adding: 'So is Tracy Chapman. So is Samuel L Jackson' (Janet and Samuel pictured)
Stevie Wonder the Jackson sibling's third cousin once removed through their mother Katherine's side of the family
Last month, Janet told of how she copes with the loss of her late brother Michael some 15 years after his June 2009 death.
The singer-actress chatted with the BBC about their 1995 collaboration Scream, which was Michael's first major release in the wake of the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations that had a significant impact on his life and career.
She performs the song in concert opposite video footage of her late brother, noting that it's an emotional feeling 'listening to him every night, seeing him, remembering us.'
The entertainer looked back on creating the track with her late sibling, saying, 'Mike and I wrote that song in New York, in his apartment.'
Janet said that she relives 'that whole journey, listening to him sing it' and recalling 'what he was going through at that time' as he sought to rebuild his reputation and career amid the damaging accusations.
'And just me being his little sister, always by his side, and being that support system,' Janet said. 'That's always been my role.'
In the track, Michael addressed his frustrations with the fallout of the allegations and the media coverage of the issue. Lyrics included: 'I'm tired of injustice, I'm tired of the schemes/ Your lies are disgusting/ So, what does it mean, damn it?'
In her self-titled 2022 Lifetime docuseries, Janet said of her late sibling, 'Mike was going through a lot, and I think it was taking its toll on him.'
The song hit the fifth spot on the Billboard Hot 100 amid a 17-week stint on the chart, garnering the Best Music Video award at the 1996 Grammys.
The black and white music video featured the famed siblings performing with one another, which Janet said in the docuseries was a complicated process as music industry executives involved looked to keep them apart.
'It was tough - Michael shot nights; I shot days,' Janet said in 2022. 'His record company, they would block off his whole set so that I couldn't see what was going on. They didn't want me on set.
'I felt like they were trying to make it very competitive between the two of us. That really hurt me, because I felt I was there fighting the fight with him. Not to battle him.'
Janet said that her sense of nostalgia in the collaboration with her sibling had fallen short during production of the clip.
The singer-actress chatted with the BBC about their 1995 collaboration Scream, which she is performing on her current Together Again tour
Janet said she recalled 'what he was going through at that time' as he sought to rebuild his reputation and career amid the damaging accusations
The music video featured the famed siblings performing with one another, which Janet said in 2022 was a complicated process as executives involved looked to keep them apart
Michael pictured with his younger sister and fellow future superstar Janet Jackson in 1977
Michael (L) found his first taste of fame with his brothers (clockwise from bottom left) Tito, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon as the Jackson 5, with Michael as the lead singer
'I wanted it to feel like old times between he and I, and it didn't,' she said in the docuseries. 'Old times had long passed.'
In the interview with the BBC, Janet also addressed the sexism she faced amid her career, despite the massive success of albums such as 1986's Control, 1989's Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, 1993's janet, 1997's The Velvet Rope and 2001's All for You, among others.
She said, 'In the industry, [I was] told no, more than once. "You’re a girl. Girls don't do that." And I was like, "Well, why not? What's wrong with trying?"'
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 as result of a cardiac arrest following an overdose of the surgical anesthetic drug Propofol.
A Lionsgate biopic about his life titled Michael is in the works, starring his nephew, Jermaine's son, Jaafar Jackson.
Siblings Michael, Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Janet have all been involved in the music business. Brandon, who was Marlon’s twin, died after he was born due to health complications.
Their parents both had musical backgrounds - Katherine played clarinet and piano, while Joe played guitar - and got their children into the business, with Michael beginning performing at the age of five.
Joe's tutelage into molding his children's into entertainers venture into abusive and violent territory, both by his own admission, and according to accounts from Michael and Janet.
He would have his children rehearse five hours daily after school, and use belts and cords to hit them with if their performances weren't up to par.
Michael went into painful detail about the abuse he suffered at his father's hands in the 2003 Martin Bashir documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, saying he felt 'strong hate' for his father at the time.
'It was more than just a belt - cords, whatever was around - [he'd] throw you up against the wall as hard as you could,' Michael said of his father, who died in 2018. 'He would lose his temper. I was so fast, he couldn't catch me half the time. But when he would catch me? It was bad. It was really bad.'
Michael found his first taste of fame with his brothers Tito, Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon as the musical group the Jackson 5, with Michael as the lead singer.
Since his death Michael's three children, Paris, 26, Prince, 27, and Blanket, 22, and have been locked in a legal battle over his $2 billion fortune.
In March his youngest son, Blanket prevented his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, 93, from using the family's money to fight an ongoing legal battle.
Jackson's family including his three children Prince, Paris and Blanket, have been locked in a legal battle over his $2 billion fortune since his death in 2009 (pictured in July 2009)
Blanket 'Bigi' Jackson, 22, has filed legal papers seeking to block his grandmother Katherine from using estate funds amid an extended legal battle with the estate executors. Pictured in October 2022
According to a report from TMZ, the pair recently battled an undisclosed issue in court. However, the news came just weeks after it was announced that Sony purchased part of Jackson's back catalogue for $600 million.
A judge ruled against the grandmother and grandson with Blanket aka Bigi wanting to let the issue go while arguing that if Katherine wants to continue in court, she should use her million dollar allowance to pay legal fees, not the estate's money.
When Jackson died, he left all of his money to his mother and his three children, Paris, Prince and Blanket. Katherine was also entrusted as their legal guardian.
In the immediate aftermath of Jackson's passing, his siblings raised issues about the will, accusing the executors of committing fraud and of manipulating their mother.
