Janet Jackson is opening up about the child sexual abuse allegations made against her late brother Michael Jackson.
Guilty by Proxy?
In episode three of her A&E and Lifetime docuseries, Janet, the 55-year-old entertainer, talked about how the allegations against her brother affected her career, and revealed if she ever believed they were true.
Janet recalled how back in 1993, she was close to signing a “mega-million dollar contract” with Coca-Cola when the first molestation allegations against Michael were reported.
“When that came out, Coca-Cola said, ‘No, thank you,’” Janet recalled.
When asked if the allegations against Michael impacted her life and career, Janet said,
“Of course. My brother would never do something like that, but I’m still guilty by association. Guess that’s what they call it, right?”
Stood by Her Brother
Janet was then asked if there was “any moment” in which she believed her brother was guilty of the allegations.
“Never. I know my brother. He didn’t have that in him,” Janet responded, adding that she and her whole family stood by Michael.
However, with all the negative publicity surrounding Michael, Janet recalled how everyone had their eyes on her too.
“It was frustrating for me,” she said. “But you can’t let it stop you and I didn’t. You keep pushing, forging ahead. [But] I just knew that I wanted to be there for him, to support him as much as I possibly could.”
The investigation against Michael was closed after he and the family reached a financial settlement, but Janet believe that it made him look “guilty.”
“I really wish my brother really would have let the world know him better,” Janet added.
