Sept. 14 (UPI) — Janet Jackson‘s brother Randy says the singer’s marriage to Wissam Al Mana was “abusive.”
Randy, 55, claimed in an interview with People published Tuesday that Al Mana was verbally abusive and controlling toward Janet during the 51-year-old pop star’s pregnancy.
“There’s a lot of pain. Janet’s been through a lot with her divorce. I’ve been through a lot, we all have,” Randy told the magazine.
“It was quite an abusive situation,” he said. “It came on later in the relationship, verbal abuse and being [made to feel like] a prisoner in her own home. No pregnant woman needs to go through being called a bitch everyday. There were things like that. That’s what she went through.”
Janet confirmed her split from Al Mana in April after five years of marriage. She and the 42-year-old Qatari businessman had welcomed their first child, son Eissa, just three months prior.
“She thought he had become too controlling during the pregnancy and she had already allowed him to dictate her appearance and even the way she performed at concerts,” a source told Page Six in April.
Al Mana’s attorneys told People the businessman won’t “dignify” Randy’s “particular and deeply hurtful allegations” with a response.
“The breakdown of his marriage to Janet Jackson is a cause of great sadness to Mr. Al Mana, and it is the wellbeing and privacy of their son, Eissa, that remains his sole focus,” the lawyers said.
Janet and Al Mana have yet to settle their divorce and custody of Eissa in court. Janet’s friend and fellow performer Missy Elliott tweeted her support for the singer following Randy’s allegations about Al Mana.
“#WeLoveYouJanet u know I got ya back through thick & thin sis as u have always been there for me! Stay up u are a LEGEND! keep slaying,” the 46-year-old rapper wrote.
