Janet Jackson, who was hit really hard by the loss of her older brother Michael Jackson in June and then reports of her split with Jermaine Dupri in July, just relaunched her official website and has announced to fans that she is ready to move forward with her life and get back to work. In addition to announcing that she will appear in a new Tyler Perry movie and will be releasing a new book later on this year, she also reveals that she will release her next studio album during the “first quarter of 2010″:

Later this year, Janet will publish her first book, providing an intimate look at her life and how she has dealt with issues of self-esteem. Janet will reveal aspects not known before about her uniquely successful career not only in music but in television and motion pictures. The next months and new year will also bring another film starring Janet as she joins Tyler Perry in his sequel, Why Did I Get Married Too, followed by a new album slated to released during the first quarter of 2010. Summarizing her career and her incredibly raw albums, Janet has said, “Here I am. I’m coming on. Musically, I have it. You want it. And I’m giving it to you.” Continuing her growth as an artist and as a person Janet intriguingly states, “I’m proud to have stayed in the game and survived. And I’m proud that I’ve remained true to myself. But if you go back and listen to the music, you’ll hear how that self is always changing.”

I know this is great news for longtime Janet fans (my boo David, among them). I’m happy to know that Janet is focusing on her work during this tough time and hopefully she will find solace in her art. I haven’t been too fond of her last few albums but I full support her work and wish her nothing but the best. Janet joined Twitter about 17 hours ago and has already amassed over 25,000 followers with just one tweet. It really does look like she is ready to get back in the saddle again.

[Source, thanks Kevin]

Jermaine Jackson is talking these days about the possibility that Michael Jackson might’ve fathered a secret son after a one-night stand in the 80′s. After Omer Bhatti, the boy long ago claimed to be MJ‘s “secret son”, was photographed seated next to the Jackson family at Michael Jackson‘s memorial service earlier this month, the subject of the young man’s paternity began to take on new meaning. If Omer was not related to MJ, why was he seated next to MJ‘s sisters Rebbie and Janet Jackson in the front row of the service with the rest of the Jackson family? Jermaine does confess that he does not know for sure if Omer Bhatti is MJ‘s son but he does insist that if it is proven that he is, Omer will be welcomed into the family and will be treated with “the same love and care [given to] Prince and Paris and Blanket”. Here is a pic of Jermaine answering these tough questions in London, England this week along with photos of Omer Bhatti when he was a child and at MJ‘s memorial service with the Jackson family:

Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine has vowed to welcome Omer Bhatti into the Jackson clan if he proves to be the singer’s fourth child. The 25-year-old Norwegian rapper sat in the front row with the Jackson family at the singer’s memorial service in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Jermaine Jackson said he wasn’t yet sure whether Omer, said to have been the result of a one-night stand, was his brother’s son. But if he was a Jackson, he would be treated exactly the same as Michael’s three younger children, he said. “If Omer’s his son, he’s his son,” Jermaine declared yesterday. “We won’t deny it. We are going to give him the same love and care that we give Prince and Paris and Blanket. I can’t clearly say if he is Michael’s but I saw this kid around him.” Jermaine said Omer, who as a child looked remarkably like Jackson’s seven-year-old son Blanket, was moved to the family seats at the memorial service by Jackson’s eldest sister Rebbie. She wanted him closer to their mother, Katherine. “My sister went and got him during the service and got him to sit closer to my mother,” Jermaine said.

Omer is said to be seeking a DNA test to find out whether Jackson was his father. In dark sunglasses and a black suit, he looked just like a member of the family as he bowed his head while listening to tributes to the King of Pop at the July 7 service. His appearance at the memorial and his physical similarities to Blanket, has fueled speculation that he is the son of the legendary star. Omer has remained in LA since Michael’s death and has been playing with the Jackson children at the family compound in Encino, California. If he is a Jackson, Omer would be the oldest of Michael’s four children, joining Prince Michael, 12, Paris Michael, 11, and Blanket (Prince Michael II) seven. The Thriller singer reportedly told close friends several years ago that he fathered Omer after a one-night stand with a Norwegian fan in 1984.

HMMMM … interesting. I am of a mind that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. We’ve been hearing about Omer Bhatti for many, many years but nothing has ever been proven. The fact that he was seated WITH the Jackson family at the memorial service and Jermaine will not rule out that he’s not MJ‘s son seems to smell a lot like he actually is MJ‘s secret son. You may recall that earlier this week we heard from Star magazine that Pia Bhatti, Omer‘s mother, is rumored to be the biological mother of MJ‘s son Prince Michael Joesph Jackson, II a.k.a. Blanket … it would make sense that MJ would go to her to mother a child if they already shared a child together. Whether or not that report is true has NO bearing on the paternity of Omer Bhatti. It would be pretty stunning if we learned definitively, after all these years, that MJ had been a father since 1984! What do ya’ll think … could Omer Bhatti be MJ‘s secret son?

[Source]

Tragedy strikes the Jackson family again today as we learn from US Weekly magazine that Janet Jackson and her man Jermaine Dupri have pretty much ended their relationship. According to JD‘s close friends, the couple have been moving in different directions for some time now and, you may have noted, that Jermaine was NOT present at Michael Jackson‘s memorial service at the Staples Center earlier this month. By quite a few accounts, Janet and Jermaine are dunzo, y’all:

On July 7, Michael Jackson’s family ­gathered to celebrate him at his much-watched memorial service. Noticeably absent? Janet ­Jackson’s longtime music-exec boyfriend, Jermaine Dupri. (A pal says Dupri skipped the memorial because he “doesn’t attend funerals.”) And for good reason. “His friends are telling people it’s over,” a source tells the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now. Echoes another: “They have been moving in different directions for a while.” So what drove Jackson, 43, and Dupri, 36, apart after nearly seven years? “You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure,” a mutual pal explains. (Dupri produced several tracks on her last two CDs.) “Janet felt their lives were too crossed and they should have kept things sepa­rate.” Plus, the polar opposites were never too compatible. “Jermaine likes to be out there, mingling with everybody, and ­Janet’s more shy.” (And secretive: She kept her nine-year marriage to Rene Elizondo hidden until their 2000 ­divorce.) Meanwhile, Jackson is still deeply mourning the death of her big brother. “She’s devastated,” an insider says. “She’s busy caring for Michael’s kids. Janet’s the family’s backbone.” Jackson’s rep couldn’t be reached.

Janet Jackson is notoriously private when it comes to her personal relationships … she was married twice in secret (first to James DeBarge in 1984 and then to René Elizondo, Jr. in 1989) and, for all we know, is married to Jermaine as well. I’ve been hearing that the couple have been on the outs for some time now … I was not surprised at all that JD was not in attendance at MJ‘s memorial service last week. To be honest, we may never get confirmation from Janet about the state of her relationship … that girl don’t talk about her personal biz at all. We may have to wait to hear news from JD himself if we’re gonna learn anything for sure. At this point, tho, I tend to believe this report … which is really unfortunate for Janet cuz she’s already dealing with so much right now.

[Source]

Yesterday morning, here in Los Angeles, CA, thousands of family, friends and fans of Michael Jackson paid tribute and homage to the late King of Pop in a respectful, somber yet mostly celebratory memorial service at the Staples Center in downtown LA (which you may have watched online HERE). David and I were at yesterday’s memorial service and I will share my personal experience from the event a little later on today … but I will say that it was a very beautiful, very fitting tribute to Michael Jackson. Family and friends eulogized him with words and songs as his shining casket, reportedly with his body inside, stood at the front of the venue for those in attendance to pay their respects. Here are a few photos and some info about the event itself:

His was a tumultuous life and a chaotic death, but Michael Jackson’s funeral and memorial Tuesday were orderly and celebratory, moving and bittersweet, as family, friends and fans around the world joined in lamenting the loss of the King of Pop. It was one of the most-watched celebrity sendoffs in history, telecast across multiple channels and streamed across the Internet. But the predicted traffic and crowd-control nightmares did not materialize. Thousands of police officers helped keep the ticketless crowd to a minimum — about 1,000 people vs. the 250,000 feared — and the motorcade with Jackson’s hearse encountered few problems traveling blocked-off freeways to downtown. The goodbye to Jackson started early with a private service for family and close friends at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. (A crash was heard as drivers slowed to watch the procession leave the cemetery). A star-crowded memorial program followed, at the downtown Staples Center, that was spiritual, smoothly entertaining and jubilantly roof-raising as Jackson was hailed as a superstar and humanitarian. “The King of Pop has gone to meet the King of Kings,” intoned the Rev. Lucious Smith, pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena. It was a day filled with touching moments, perhaps the most poignant when Jackson’s daughter, Paris, 11, took the microphone. “I just want to say ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much,” she said, breaking into tears. That followed two hours of farewell tributes from musicians, athletes and friends of Michael Joseph Jackson, who died suddenly June 25 at age 50. The crowd of 20,000 was alternately reverent and boisterous. They watched in solemn silence as the likes of Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey sang sweetly, and older brother Jermaine crooned Smile, the theme from Charlie Chaplin’s classic film Modern Times. Usher sang Jackson’s sadly prescient Gone Too Soon as he caressed the golden casket spotlighted in front of the stage and draped in flowers. But when Kobe Bryant walked in, many jumped to their feet and started cheering and taking pictures; some reached over for high-fives. They cheered loud approval for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s fiery eulogy and laughed at a story Magic Johnson told about fried chicken. And they snapped photos with phones and rained shout-outs of “I love you, Michael!” during lulls … Other celebrities in the crowd: Cicely Tyson; P. Diddy; Rick, Kathy and Nicky Hilton; Lil Kim; Chris Brown; and Tatum O’Neal. Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela sent messages. Also absent: Jackson’s longtime pal Elizabeth Taylor, who said in a Twitter post she couldn’t bear to be part of the public hoopla, and Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s ex-wife and mother of Jackson’s two oldest children. Outside the Staples Center, the mood was festive. Vendors hawked T-shirts, buttons, photos and other memorabilia … As the memorial service ended, Jackson’s three children and eight siblings — his brothers were all wearing one beaded white glove in his honor — gathered onstage to say thanks. “We will never understand what he endured … being judged, ridiculed,” said brother Marlon, choking up. “Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone.” The Rev. Smith closed by noting: “All around us are people of different cultures, different religions, different nationalities. And yet the music of Michael Jackson brings us together.” After the memorial, the family went to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for a private reception. It was unclear whether Jackson’s casket would be returned to Forest Lawn for burial or taken to another final resting place.

I have to tell you that I was touched by the service more than I thought I would be. As I’ve tried to make clear, I’m not the biggest Michael Jackson fan in the world (there are plenty of uberfans all around the globe who are more fitting of that title than I) but I really wanted to pay respects to such an icon of pop culture. I didn’t count in being as affected by the memorial service as I was. Mariah Carey‘s performance brought the first tears to my eyes … Brooke Shields‘s eulogy brought them back. When Paris Michael Katherine, MJ‘s 11 year old only daughter, spoke at the end of the service I absolutely burst out crying. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in our vicinity. Paris‘s comments were so heartfelt, so honest … so raw. I’m sure it was difficult for most to keep from crying as she declared her love for her daddy. She said, “I just want to say… ever since I was born…. daddy has been the best father you can imagine. And I just want to say I love him so much.” In case you missed it, you can watch Paris‘s short speech after the jump …

Last night the 9th annual BET Awards were handed out at the Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles, CA and earlier today we saw video of Janet Jackson‘s appearance on the awards show where she delivered a statement to fans of her late brother Michael Jackson. As I noted earlier, the entire BET Awards were a tribute to Michael‘s memory. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals from last night’s awards show:

I LOVED seeing the cast of Bravo TV‘s The Real Housewives of Atlanta … including alums NeNe Leakes (FTW!), Lisa Wu Hartwell, Sheree Whitfield and new castmember Kandi Burruss. I am really looking forward to the return of the Atlanta Housewives in August :) I also love the photo of Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols (who both portrayed the Star Trek character Uhura) together on the red carpet … beautiful, beautiful ladies. The show itself was very entertaining … in between award presentations and live performances, host Jamie Foxx made sure to remind the audience that this year’s BET Awards was a true celebration of Michael Jackson‘s legacy. Here are a few pics from the show itself and a rundown of what went down:

Michael Jackson’s sister Janet thanked the crowd at the BET Awards Sunday night for paying tribute to her late brother. “My entire family wanted to be here, but it was just too painful,” she said, holding back tears. “To you Michael is an icon. To us Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts.” The star-studded BET Awards was an appreciation of Michael Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50. He was “the greatest star in the world,” Joseph Jackson, father of the late entertainer, said on Sunday night. “I wish the world had recognized him when he were living,” Joseph Jackson told CNN’s Don Lemon outside the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. “Right now he’s bigger than ever. But I wish he was here to see all this, to hear all this.” When asked about circumstances surrounding his son’s death, he said, “I have a lot of concerns but I can’t get into that. … I don’t like what happened.” The awards opened with a fleet-footed New Edition, with Bobby Brown, performing an energized version of the Jackson 5 hit “The Love You Save,” to raucous praise. Host Jamie Foxx wore a red, leather “Beat It” jacket for his opening monologue and did his best to imitate Jackson’s backward glide across the floor. In addition to Foxx, presenter Jeremy Piven mixed praise for Jackson with comic relief. “If it wasn’t for Michael Jackson, people like Justin Timberlake would be selling curly fries in the valley,” the actor said. “I mean that with love.” This year’s performers included, Beyonce, Keyshia Cole and R&B artist Neyo who performed a hard-hitting tribute to the 1990s with appearances by acts Keith Sweat, Guy and Bell Biv Devoe. The presenters included the past and present Uhura of “Star Trek”: Zoe Saldana, who starred in the film, and Nichelle Nichols of the TV show. The show also honored the soulful Ohio trio, The O’Jays, who were presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. Tevin Campbell performed a rendition of The O’Jays classic “Forever Mine.” Johnny Gill, Tyrese and Trey Songz performed a rumbling, soulful medley of The O’Jays hits that had some in the audience wondering if Songz was older than his years. Among the award winners, Atlanta, Georgia-based singer Keri Hilson, who was nominated in four categories, received best new artist and Beyonce won best female artist. Debra L. Lee, chairman and chief executive officer of Black Entertainment Television, said Jackson’s death both saddened and energized the awards organizers. “When we heard the news of Michael Jackon’s passing we knew immediately we’d have to change the nature of this show,” she said. “We put the show together in a matter of three or four days. It’s truly been a labor of love for us,” Lee said.

I was able to watch the show myself and it really was a very celebratory event. Except for a few touching moments, it really looked like everyone was having a great time. To be honest, I think that is the best way to honor someone’s passing. It was said many times during the BET Awards show last night — Michael Jackson was directly responsible for last night’s awards show. His trailblazing legacy as an African American performer paved the way for all of the African American artists who are enjoying successful careers today. I think it was right that his contributions were honored … and celebrated. Congrats to all of this year’s winners of BET Awards.

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin, Wireimage; Source]

Janet Jackson, along with her father Joseph Jackson, made an appearance at the BET Awards (which took place at the Shrine Auditorium here in LA last night and was broadcast around the world on BET) to deliver another Jackson family statement to fans. (the first Jackson family statement came over the weekend). Janet was brought out to close the BET Awards which was a bona fide tribute show to the memory of the late Michael Jackson. Here is a photo of Janet at last night’s award show along with some deets of her appearance on the show:

At the close of the ceremony, Janet Jackson spoke publicly for the first time since Thursday about Michael. “My entire family wanted to be here tonight but it was too painful,” she told the BET audience, including her father who stood and applauded from his seat. “To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. He will forever live in all of hearts. Tearing up, she added, “On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much.”

If you were able to watch Janet deliver her statement on the BET Awards last night, you could see how important it was for her to deliver the right message in the right tone with the right sense of reverence. It is widely known that Janet and her big brother Michael were very, very close. It is heartbreakingly sad that she had to speak on the occasion of her brother’s death. After the jump, check out video of Janet‘s appearance on the BET Awards last night to watch her deliver her statement …

Contrary to rumors and reports going around the Interweb, Jermaine Dupri reveals that Janet Jackson is not pregs on his official blog. He also clarifies that the couple are still very much together. Speculation about the couple, who have been together for the past few years, was that they were expecting their first child together after Janet canceled a few concert dates due to a “mysterious illness” that was later explained as vertigo … so Jermaine took it upon himself to clear the air:

TO ALL THE JANET FANS,

AS YOU ALL KNOW JANET IS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON THE ONLY REASON YOU SEE HER AS MUCH AS YOU DO ON MY YOUTUBE VLOG IS BECAUSE OF ME LOL BUT I HEAR YALL AND YOUR QUESTIONS. SO HEAR YOU HAVE IT … NO SHE IS NOT PREGNANT AND YES WE’RE STILL TOGETHER. IT BAFFLES ME HOW YALL LET THESE BLOG AND MAGAZINES CONTROL YOUR LIFES THAT’S WHY I CREATED GLOBAL14.COM SO WHEN EVER HEAR SHIT ABOUT ME YOU CAN COME RIGHT HERE AND GET THE TRUTH.

JD…HOLLA

I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY JD FEELS THE NEED TO YELL but I’m glad to hear that he is willing to clear up any misconceptions and erroneous reports by blogging about them on his site. Truth be told, Janet is the only Jackson that I would like to see spawn so it’s unfortunate that she’s not pregs but … mebbe someday. Keep at it, Jermaine … mebbe you can get a baby in her sometime soon ;)

[Source]

Janet Jackson, who was forced to cancel a couple of concert appearances and be hospitalized last week, has been forced to cancel a couple more appearances due to, what her folks are calling, an “undisclosed illness”. While Janet‘s people will not specify what malady Jackson is suffering from, they do insist that she is “recuperating” in the hopes that she will be able to return to the concert stage at some point:

Janet Jackson has canceled her fourth show in less than a week because of an undisclosed illness. A statement from Jackson said she arrived in Greensboro, N.C., hoping to perform there Saturday, but a local doctor advised that she not perform after it became “evident” she was not fully recovered. Representatives for the 42-year-old singer say she became “suddenly ill” and was hospitalized Monday night in Montreal shortly after she arrived for a show. She also canceled concerts in Boston and Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday. Jackson’s publicist did not elaborate Saturday, only saying she was “recuperating.” Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

While I hope that Janet gets better soon, I can’t help but wonder if the poor gal has bitten off more than she can chew. She had only been on tour for a few days and she’s already unable to to get thru even a single live performance. It’s entirely possible that this “undisclosed illness” (Janet‘s brother Randy Jackson says that she is suffering from a case of vertigo) just happened to come at the most inopportune time but, I can’t help but wonder if she just isn’t ready to take on a live concert tour of this magnitude. Rest up and get well soon, Janet. Here’s hoping that she recovers from her illness very soon.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Janet Jackson, who is currently on her Rock Witchu Tour, was suddenly struck ill during her soundcheck yesterday evening in Montreal, Canada and had to be rushed to the hospital, needless to say she did not take the stage for last night’s performance:

Janet Jackson has been hospitalized, a rep said Monday. The singer “got suddenly ill during the sound check” before her concert in Montreal and had to be rushed to the hospital, according to a statement released by W&W Public Relations. Jackson, 42, is being monitored at the hospital, and hopes to reschedule the show. No further information was given about Jackson’s condition.

Because there is very little official info about this hospitalization, there isn’t much to go on other than speculation and conjecture. While I would assume that her illness would have to be pretty severe to warrant a trip to the hospital, my hope is that her affliction isn’t serious and that she will be back on the road again soon. Get better, JJ … there are hordes of fans out there wishing you well and awaiting your return to the concert stage.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Here are a few pics from Janet Jackson‘s LA tour stop last night at the Staples Center on her just launched Rock Witchu Tour. I must admit that these photos, much like the first photos released from this tour last week, are terribly disappointing and entirely unsexy. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Janet (Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty) but the costuming on this tour is utterly ridiculous and the highly sexualized themes of sadomasochistic bondage in the show have not only been done to death before (like in the Velvet Rope Tour) but have also been done so much better in previous tours (like in the Velvet Rope Tour). Take a look:

Granted, I admit that judging a live concert tour merely on photos is not entirely fair but in all honesty, I’ve not seen anything thus far that has come close to impressing me. People magazine reports that Janet‘s Rock Witchu Tour opened to rave reviews in Vancouver, BC last week and perhaps my opinion will change if and when I see the show for myself. David is a huge Janet Jackson fan so we may yet see the show somewhere along the way. I am impressed that Janet is performing 30 songs each night on this tour … but I just can’t get past the ill-fitting costuming. If any of y’all have seen the show already, please set me straight. I suppose I can reserve judgment, despite my disappointment with what I’ve seen thus far.

[Photo credit: Splash News]