Janet Jackson Says Michael Jackson Bullied Her Over Weight
Janet Jackson is reliving the pain she experienced as a child.
In her upcoming documentary, “JANET JACKSON.,” the pop icon reveals that her late brother Michael would bully her over her weight when they were young.
“There were times when Mike used to tease me and call me names. ‘Pig, horse, slaughter hog, cow,'” she said, according to the Daily Mail.
Although they both laughed at the time, Janet admits that it took a toll on her. “He would laugh about it and I’d laugh too, but then there was somewhere down inside that it would hurt,” she added. “When you have somebody say you’re too heavy, it affects you.”
Jackson said her issues with her weight began when she joined the cast of “Good Times” when she was 11.
“I did ‘Good Times’ and that’s the beginning of having weight issues and the way I looked at myself,” said Janet, who played Penny on the 1970s sitcom. “I’m an emotional eater, so when I get stressed or something is really bothering me, it comforts me.”
In the two-part documentary, which was filmed over the course of five years, Janet also opens up about the molestation accusations against her brother. “It was frustrating for me,” she said. “We have our own separate lives and even though he’s my brother, that has nothing to do with me. But I wanted to be there for him, to support him as much as I possibly could.”
She ended up losing the biggest brand deal of her career with Coca-Cola amid the allegations. “When that came out, Coca-Cola said, ‘No, thank you.’ Guilty by association. That’s what they call it, right?”
The four-hour docuseries, which premieres Friday on Lifetime and A&E, also features appearances from Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Ciara, Jermaine Dupri, and Q-Tip.