Janet Jackson reveals her famous family ties that ‘not a lot of people know’ about
Janet Jackson is unveiling the lesser-known branches of her star-studded family tree.
In addition to her crew of musical siblings, the “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer shares ties with Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman and Samuel L. Jackson, she claimed Tuesday on BBC 2’s “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.” Her radio appearance comes on the heels of the North American leg of her Together Again tour, which is headed to Europe this fall.
Janet Jackson added 35 shows to her Together Again Tour, launching the new leg in Palm Desert on June 4 and stopping at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on June 8.
“Not a lot of people know that. [Wonder is] our cousin on my mother’s side,” Jackson told BBC host Scott Mills, who replied, “That’s blown my mind.”
She also called Chapman and Jackson “cousins,” adding, with a laugh, that despite sharing her last name, Jackson is “not my brother.” Notably, the “Pulp Fiction” actor previously denied that he and Michael Jackson were related in a 2017 interview with Wired.
Online records don’t immediately show links between Jackson and her “cousins.” However, the Jackson 5 alum’s publicly available family tree did list a paternal uncle named Samuel Jackson.
TMZ reported that Wonder is the Jacksons’ third cousin, once removed, though the outlet doesn’t cite a source.
Representatives for Janet Jackson, Wonder and Samuel L. Jackson did not reply immediately Wednesday to The Times’ request for comment. A representative for Chapman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Our panel of experts discuss this weekend’s flawed but engrossing ‘Janet’ docuseries.
Users were shocked by Jackson’s claims after Mills re-shared a clip from his interview with the singer on X on Tuesday.
“Woah!! What a dynasty,” one person commented.
“I need to visually see a family tree cuz WHAT?! I knew of Stevie as I got older and still shocked about that but Sam & Tracey [sic] too?? LEGACY!” another wrote.
Genealogically or not, the Jackson family has ties to Wonder dating back to his 1980 collaboration with Jermaine Jackson on his song “Let’s Get Serious.” Wonder also sang alongside Michael Jackson in two duets: “Get It” and “Just Good Friends.”
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
