Janet Jackson Reveals Her A-List Celebrity Cousins and You'll Never Guess Who They Are

In the iconic Jackson family, Michael and Janet Jackson are very popular globally for their groundbreaking solo careers. Both are the titans of pop and R&B. However, apart from these iconic siblings, the Jackson family tree also has several other stars that you might be surprised to know. During a recent interview on BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show with Scott Mills, Janet dropped a bombshell. She confirmed a long-running rumor that the legendary Stevie Wonder is her cousin.

She said, “He’s our cousin. Not a lot of people know that. He’s our cousin on my mother’s side.” If that wasn’t enough, Janet also dropped another bombshell, confirming Tracy Chapman and Samuel L. Jackson as her cousins too. “So is Tracy Chapman. So is Samuel L. Jackson. He would be a cousin too. I mean, he’s not my brother,” she said. Several social media users also expressed how surprised they were after knowing this. One person wrote on X, "And now Samuel L. Jackson?! I need to visually see a family tree cuz WHAT?! I knew of Stevie as I got older and still shocked about that but Sam & Tracey too?? LEGACY!"

Another one commented, "What?!!!!!!!!!!!..... I knew about Stevie Wonder. Tracy Chapman and Samuel L. Jackson? My jaw is on the floor right now." Comparing Janet with Tracy, an X user said, "YESSS I KNEW ABOUT STEVIE, not Sam or Tracy, but I can see Tracy and MRS. Jackson have the same PRETTY SMILE, high cheekbones, SHY WAY OF TALKING! So does JANET." Another X user guessed, "I suspect Samuel L Jackson is a paternal cousin, but if they are all maternal cousins, can you imagine the first common ancestor they all share? What a genetic powerhouse."

Janet, the youngest of the Jackson clan, has a total of 9 siblings. They include Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, LaToya, Marlon, Randy, Brandon, and the legendary Michael. Her brothers were already popular with their pop group before she was born. Therefore, some of her most memorable moments were in the family’s home music studio. In a 2022 documentary series, she said, “I would go in there and just watch my brothers rehearse all the time. Everything I could I would try to be in the middle of my brothers.” As reported by E! News, she recalled, "We always had fun and I loved being around them. So, when they had to work and travel, I missed them.”

Meanwhile, although Janet and Michael were close as kids, she mentioned that things changed between them after his groundbreaking Thriller album was released. She said, "I remember really loving the Thriller album, but for the first time that's when I felt it was different between the two of us, that a shift was happening. He would always come into my room and we'd talk, and this particular time, he came into my bedroom. Neither of us said a word to each other, and then he got up and left. That's the time Mike and I started going our separate ways. He just wasn't as fun as he used to be," as reported by Entertainment Tonight.