Janet Jackson broke her silence on child abuse allegations against her late brother Michael Jackson and said with their last name comes “a great deal of scrutiny.”
“Mother, how do you feel talking about Mike?” the 55-year-old pop star asked her mom Katherine Jackson in a trailer about a two-part documentary titled “Janet Jackson.” The clip was noted by Mediaite.com in a piece published Tuesday.
“I can’t,” Katherine replied.
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The “Control” hitmaker later in the clip discussed the allegations against her brother, the late superstar singer. (RELATED: Aaron Carter Claims Michael Jackson Did One ‘Inappropriate’ Thing)
“There’s a great deal of scrutiny that comes with having that last name,” Jackson said, before someone asked her if the allegations against the “Thriller” star affected her career-wise. (RELATED: Wade Robson Says Whether Or Not People Keep Listening To Michael Jackson’s Music ‘Isn’t Really A Concern’)
“Yeah, guilty by association,” she added. “I guess that’s what they call it, right?”
“They build you up,” Jackson continued in the trailer. “And then once you get there, they’re so quick to tear you down.”
In 2019, an HBO documentary titled “Leaving Neverland” documented allegations of Michael Jackson sexual abusing two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, an NPR article noted. The two claimed the abuse started at the age of 7 and 10-years-old.
During his lifetime, the “Smooth Criminal” hitmaker faced numerous alleged sexual abuse accusations and police investigations as well as criminal and civil lawsuits against him. Jackson’s estate has denied the allegations, like Michael Jackson did when he was alive.
The trailer for the film has been in the works for more than three years, according to a description shared by Lifetime on YouTube. The four-hour event comes out Jan. 28, 2022 and will air on Lifetime and A&E.