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Janet Jackson: Spoiler Alert

by Sondra Roney

January 31, 2022 475 views
 

Junior High Snacks: Cheetos, Hershey Kisses & Sprite āœ”ļø 

I was all set to watch the lifetime story of my childhood idol - Janet Jackson. I wanted to be her, I wanted to dress like her, I wanted her hairstyles and just like Charlene, I wanted to date Willis from Different Strokes (don’t judge me....you can catch Todd Bridges on celebrity Big Brother this season BTW)

Even though I was a big fan and felt I knew almost everything about Damita Jo -  I was still on the edge of my seat waiting for the answers to alllll the unanswered questions from my “Right On” Magazines.

Miss Jackson set the record straight and I was here for it. Rebbie, Tito & Mother Jackson gave us a little extra insight as well. I loved the little sister/big brother dynamic with Randy as they stopped by their childhood home at 2300 Jackson Street in Gary, Indiana. 

Even though Janet made guest appearances with The Jackson 5, she never thought she would follow in her brother’s footsteps. She wanted to study Business Law at Pepperdine University. I’m sure she was influenced by Brooke Sheilds. She was “friends” with Michael Jackson and attended that school. But whatever her goals were, Daddy Joe said “NO” - he had his own plans for her career!

Janet eventually wanted to liberate herself and make her own decisions. She wanted to move out of the family home and marry her boyfriend, James DeBarge. Her big sister LaToya encouraged her to do so. Unfortunately the marriage was quickly annulled due to James and his ongoing drug abuse. The documentary revealed that there was NO baby from this union, Rebbie did not secretly raise said “love child” as her own and Randy’s daughter is NOT Janet’s daughter! This was the biggest scandalous rumor floating around for decades and it was finally squashed. 

Finding everlasting love continues to be a challenge for the superstar. I remember the day I found out about Janet’s second secret marriage to Rene Elizondo. She instantly won the worldwide award for “keeping people out of your business”! The whole time I thought he was an employee - certainly NOT a lover. Turns out they were married for 9 years. It ended in divorce as well because unbeknownst to me, he too had a drug addiction. But in addition to providing the “hands” on the “Janet” album - Rene also captured amazing footage of Janet for 10 years. It included her fun playful side, intimate family moments, and serious work mode interactions with producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Janet was young and trying to find her voice. The old camcorder film clips reavealed that she was in indeed in “Control” and not afraid to speak her mind - I loved it! 

As Michael Jackson’s baby sister - it was inevitable that she would always be in his shadow. But once she was finally able to carve out a niche for herself - she was still asked about his every move. Although this was very frustrating she handled each question like a poised Queen šŸ‘‘ . 

She dedicated a portion of this project to her late big brother in an effort to showcase her everlasting love. I wasn’t expecting to breakdown during the MJ segment.  But as the self appointed, elementary school, President of his fan club - it should have been expected. It was also very heartbreaking to watch Mother Jackson choke up while thinking about him šŸ˜¢

There were two hot topics that dominated every newsfeed after the documentary aired - Jermaine & Justin.  I think we can all agree that Jermaine Dupree admitting that he had the audacity to cheat on “THE Janet Jackson” is the epitome of “Fumbling The Bag” [insert eye roll] And even though Janet says that she has “forgiven” Justin Timberlake for the role he played in “Nipplegate” at the 2004 Super Bowl 38; the internet is NOT having it. Because Janet was blackballed and treated so poorly and Justin was seemingly unscathed - NO ONE is willing to let him off the hook!

There were a few missing elements in the documentary like: what was really supposed to happen during the Super Bowl performance, the Bobby Brown storyline, and there was no appearances from Jackie, Marlon, Latoya or Jermaine šŸ’šŸ½‍ā™€ļø Even in their absence, it was an excellent trip down memory lane! If you missed it on Lifetime or A&E. You can catch “Janet” on Hulu Live TV. The streaming service offers a seven-day free trial for eligible subscribers. So sign up today and catch every rare moment. 


 


[Updated on February 2, 2022]

 
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Sondra Roney
Multi Media Personality - Sondra Roney is a Lifestyle Correspondent and National Voiceover Talent.

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