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What the beef between Janet and Paris Jackson? Inside the frosty relationship between Michael Jackson’s sister and daughter, from the Billboard Awards show ‘snub’ to that phone-grabbing incident

Paris Jackson (Left) and her aunt Janet Jackson (Right). Photos: Instagram/@janetjackson, AP
Paris Jackson (Left) and her aunt Janet Jackson (Right). Photos: Instagram/@janetjackson, AP

  • Though Janet had a close relationship with her brother before he passed, the same can’t be said for her and MJ’s daughter, Paris
  • The two stars have got into quite a few squabbles over the years, perhaps most notably was when Janet was seen slapping a phone away from her niece

The Jacksons are one of the most iconic clans in showbiz history and, just like all big families, they come with drama. And while there have been plenty of fights, rivalries and even a “kidnapping” (we’ll get to that in a bit), it’s the behind-the-scenes drama between young Paris Jackson and her aunt Janet that has intrigued fans the most in recent years.

So are they feuding? Have they become close? Here’s what we know so far …

Their emotional first appearance

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Janet Jackson and Paris Jackson on stage at the memorial service for music legend Michael Jackson, in July 2009. Photo: AP
Janet Jackson and Paris Jackson on stage at the memorial service for music legend Michael Jackson, in July 2009. Photo: AP
Throughout all of Michael’s media controversies and abuse allegations, Janet stayed close to MJ and acted as a pillar of support to her brother until his death in 2009.
Superstar Michael Jackson with his sister Janet Jackson acknowledge fans during a lunch break at a pretrial hearing at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in California, 2004. Photo: AFP
Superstar Michael Jackson with his sister Janet Jackson acknowledge fans during a lunch break at a pretrial hearing at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in California, 2004. Photo: AFP

So when we all watched Janet support Michael’s young children, Paris, Prince Michael Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II (Blanket), at his funeral, it was a certified moment – it was the children’s first public appearance for a heart-wrenching occasion, and their superstar aunt was there to comfort young Paris as she broke down during her emotional speech.

While the tender moment looked like an image of unity, sadly, that hasn’t been the case over the years.

South African-born Andre joined SCMP STYLE’s Hong Kong office as Senior Digital Content Manager in 2020 after working at some of the world’s biggest media companies in the UAE, Singapore and the UK. When he’s not behind the velvet rope rubbing shoulders with the A-list, you’re likely to find him sampling local beers and searching for Insta-hot spots during his travels.