We all knew Janet Jackson‘s family was talented, but this revelation takes it to a another level!
On Tuesday (August 13), the iconic singer-songwriter and actress, currently thrilling audiences on her European Together Again tour, swung by the “BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.” During the appearance, host Scott Mills dove into her impressive family tree, and the revelation was enough to make jaws drop.
“Now someone told me this earlier, are you related to Stevie (Wonder)?” he asked.
“He’s our cousin,” Jackson, 58, replied. “Not a lot of people know that. He’s our cousin on my mother’s side. So is Tracy Chapman.”
She continued: “So is Samuel L. Jackson.”
Janet Jackson revealed her insane family tree on the Radio 2 Breakfast show this morning
— Scott Mills (@scott_mills) August 13, 2024
Listen back on BBC Sounds and I’m back tomorrow from 6.30am pic.twitter.com/lyOleo4qCv
While we’re still waiting for confirmation on Janet Jackson’s connection to Samuel L. Jackson—who swore in a 2017 Wired interview that he’s not part of the Jackson clan—there’s no denying Janet’s musical legacy.
As the sister of the late Michael Jackson, she’s got some serious star power. Michael and Stevie Wonder not only collaborated on hits like “Just Good Friends” and “Get It,” but they also performed together and sang backup for each other before Michael’s passing in 2009.
In January, Janet kicked off the new year with a bang, announcing the follow-up to her hit 2023 Together Again tour.
In a previous chat with Heart’s Dev Griffin about the trials of touring, Jackson admitted:
“It’s the hardest show that I’ve done in a very long time,” the 58-year-old revealed. “But, it’s a fun show though.”
A big part of the challenge is the constant travel.
“You live out of a suitcase being on tour, so it’s not an easy life. You have to really love it and you make it fun,” she explained. “I have a team of people that help me as well.”
The sequel to her blockbuster tour, which kicked off in June, is cruising along with “Hot In Herre” rapper Nelly. It’s already dazzled crowds in sunny spots like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago, plus a few surprises like Toronto and Brooklyn. Now, it’s heading for a grand finale in Glasgow, Scotland, on October 13.