Janet Jackson is pregnant with her first child, the singer has officially revealed with a photo to PEOPLE.
Though she had been spotted sporting a baby bump exiting a baby furniture store in London last month, the “Rhythm Nation” singer is only just announcing her pregnancy.
“We thank God for our blessing,” Jackson, 50, said.
Back in April, Jackson revealed in a video that she posted on Twitter that she and her husband since 2012, Wissam Al Mana — a 41-year-old businessman of Qatari origin — intended to start a family. In the video, she also announced the postponement of her Unbreakable world tour.
“We’re in the second leg of the tour, and there actually has been a sudden change,” Jackson stated in the video. “I thought it was important that you be the first to know. My husband and I are planning our family. So I’m going to have to delay the tour.
“Please, if you can try and understand it’s important that I do this now,” she went on. “I have to rest up, doctor’s orders. I have not forgotten about you. I will continue the tour as soon as I possibly can.”
A source close to the Jackson family described the singer to PEOPLE as being “super excited about her pregnancy,” adding that she “is doing extremely well.”
“She actually feels very good about everything,” the source said.
Since the video announcement, there has been no shortage of Janet Jackson pregnancy rumors.
In an article that was published on May 4, a source close to Jackson’s family stated to PEOPLE that family members had confirmed the singer’s pregnancy.
“Family members say she is pregnant,” the source said.
The May 4 report also mentioned that a source had informed E! News that Jackson was “reportedly in her second trimester of pregnancy after successfully working with a fertility specialist.”
Janet Jackson confirms she’s pregnant — at age 50 https://t.co/sZ2qKJNLE3 pic.twitter.com/yK1FF7HWhj
— CNN (@CNN) October 12, 2016
Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana got married in 2012, but their marriage had not been known to the public until February of 2013. That month, the couple issued a joint statement confirming their marriage to Entertainment Tonight .
“The rumours regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true,” the couple stated. “Last year, we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony.
“Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favourite children’s charities. We would appreciate that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed this time for celebration and joy. With love, Wissam and Janet.”
Oh cool Janet Jackson is trending…she must have released a new s-………. pic.twitter.com/WGAD0Ex8oq
— Eight Screens (@eightscreens) October 12, 2016
On June 15, E! News put together a list of several facts it knew about Janet Jackson’s pregnancy , most of which are listed below:
- While it is now obvious, the site reported that Jackson was not using a surrogate mother to bring her child to term, which is a common practice in the world of celebrities.
- At the time, Jackson did not know whether she was having a boy or a girl. She was simply hoping “for a healthy baby,” Tito Jackson, Janet’s older brother, said in an interview on Andy Cohen Live .
- Discussing what kind of parent he expects Janet to be, Jermaine Jackson said that his younger sister would “be a great mother because she is tough, very strict.”
- The R&B and soul singer has always wanted to be a parent, telling Harper’s Bazaar in a 2009 interview, “Sure, I’d adopt and I think that if I’m really supposed to have kids, it will happen, if that’s God’s plan for me.”
Janet Jackson’s expectant motherhood comes after a distinguished career in music spanning more than three decades — and it will resume, going by what she stated in the April video, once the time is right.
In the meantime, we welcome you to tell us how you feel about Janet Jackson being a soon-to-be-mom below.
[Featured Image by Vincenzo Lombardo/Getty Images]