Study Time: 3 minutes
Janet Jackson has been married and divorced many times during her famous career.
There are many ways to end a marriage.
Not all of Janet’s husbands went through the divorce process.
Here’s a look at his complicated personal history – and where things stand today.
Janet Jackson was 18 when she slept with James DeBarge
When Janet Jackson was 16, she began dating 19-year-old singer James DeBarge.
(That’s a big age gap and it may not be legal in some places, but it’s probably fine in its own right)
Two years later, on September 7, 1984, the two cried.
Janet had only confided in sister LaToya Jackson about her plans.
In 1985, she and James got an annulment. According to Janet, this was caused by James’ alleged drug use.
Inductee Janet Jackson attends the 2019 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center on March 29, 2019. (Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)His second marriage was a secret until it ended
The following year, in 1986, Janet started dating René Elizondo Jr.
She and the dancer, songwriter, and director married – in secret – in March of 1991.
Although Janet is part of one of the most famous families of the 1990s, they managed to keep their marriage a secret until 2000.
In January 1999, they separated. Only the divorce made their marriage public.
René filed a lawsuit, seeking massive multi-million dollar damages. In October 2003, he and Janet Jackson officially divorced, and reached an agreement. In accordance with Forbeswas up to $10 million in spousal support.
Producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri and singer and actress Janet Jackson arrive at the after-party for “We Own The Night” presented by the Cinema Society at The Bowery Hotel on October 9, 2007. (Photo Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri never married, but it was a long and important relationship
During those contentious divorce proceedings, Janet Jackson dated Jermaine Dupri.
They apparently met backstage at one of his shows.
Jermaine, too, was a music producer, rapper, and songwriter – continuing his pattern of difficult relationships in the entertainment industry.
Reports differ on the exact timeline, but they started dating in 2002, and broke up in 2008 or late 2009.
(2009 is the year Janet’s infamous brother died, but without a clear understanding of the timeline it’s hard to tell how life events affected others)
Janet Jackson attends the opening of the British Museum Ball at the British Museum on October 18, 2025. (Photo Credit: Lia Toby/Getty Images)Her marriage to Wissam Al Mana was not a secret, but the marriage was
In October 2006, Janet Jackson had her first introduction to Wissam Al Mana, a businessman from Qatar.
However, they didn’t start dating until years later – in 2010.
They remained a private couple, getting engaged and married in 2012 without the usual media circus.
That doesn’t mean it was a small or private event.
Wissam spent an estimated $20 million on weddings, flying in 500 guests for the event in Doha, Qatar.
Wissam al Mana and Janet Jackson attend the Giorgio Armani fashion show during Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2013/14 on February 25, 2013. (Photo Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)Today, Janet Jackson is divorced
In January 2017, five years after their high-profile (but secret) wedding, 50-year-old Janet Jackson gave birth to the couple’s son, Eissa Al Mana.
Unfortunately, the marriage itself ended quickly.
In April – a few months after welcoming Eissa – reports shared that Janet and Wissam had split.
The following month, Janet confirmed that the marriage was over.
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana went through a controversial breakup, but now they are officially divorced.
