April 11, 2017
(AFP) - Pop superstar Janet Jackson has split from her husband, the Qatari tycoon Wissam Al Mana, just months after they had a baby, reports said Monday.
Several celebrity news sites, quoting unnamed sources, said that the 50-year-old younger sister of late King of Pop Michael Jackson had separated from Al Mana, her third husband.
Jackson has kept a low profile before and after giving birth in January to son Eissa, her first child. She had repeatedly postponed dates on her "Unbreakable" world tour before stunning fans in April by announcing the late-age pregnancy.
A representative for Jackson did not immediately reply to a request for comment and reports gave different accounts on the circumstances of the separation.
British tabloid The Mail on Sunday said the split was amicable and that Jackson would live in London with their son.
But The New York Post's Page Six said that Al Mana had exercised too much -- in the words of one of Jackson's signature songs -- control.
Page Six quoted an anonymous source saying Al Mana insisted that Jackson dress modestly and tone down provocative dance moves.
Jackson -- notorious for her "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show in which she bared a breast -- was upset by the pressure and feared losing her fan base, Page Six said.
Jackson has been discreet about her relationship with Al Mana, whose company sells luxury fashion brands across Gulf Arab kingdoms and who is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
The two married in a private ceremony in 2012 but did not immediately publicize it.
Jackson won a major fan base in the late 1980s with her albums "Control" and "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814" as she brought pop music and funk together with the emerging genre of hip-hop.
Jackson lyrically identified with women's empowerment and staged elaborately choreographed live shows.