Is Janet Jackson Married? Inside the Relationship Status of the Superstar

As one of the most iconic, influential, and biggest artists of all time, Janet Jackson has entertained fans for over 40 years with her music and dance skills. However, her personal life gets considerably less attention, which is by choice, leading many to wonder what her current relationship status is.

Is Janet currently married? Let’s take a quick look at where things stand with the superstar in the romance department.

In short, no, Janet is not married — but she has been. Her most recent marriage was to Qatari billionaire businessman Wissam Al Mana, with whom she shares son Eissa. The two were married in 2012 and welcomed their child five years later in 2017. However, they split just three months later, per People.

Prior to that was Janet’s longest and most public marriage to René Elizondo, which long-time fans vividly remember, as he was a prominent fixture in her life during the 1990s before they divorced.

Back in 1984, When Janet was just a teenager, 18 to be exact, she got married for the very first time, to fellow singer James DeBarge, of the popular 80s R&B group DeBarge. However, the marriage was annulled after less than a year.

She had a light-hearted take on her multiple nuptials, saying in an interview with the BBC, "How many times have I been married now? Three, I think." Janet is currently single, following recent rumors that she was dating R&B singer Maxwell.

While fans definitely knew they were a couple, they didn’t know that they were actually married until René sued Janet for divorce, citing the official split as late 1999.

Much of her 2001 album All For You detailed the messy split. Despite having an airtight pre-nup, René attempted to go for a large portion of Janet's multi-million-dollar fortune, asking for between $10 million and $25 million.

“We don’t have a set figure we’re seeking,” René’s attorney said at the time, per Rolling Stone. “We don’t have a full financial picture yet. But Rene is not looking to nickel and dime Janet to get what he’s entitled under the law.” The couple were married in 1991 and the divorce was finalized in 2003 after an undisclosed settlement was reached.

"Back in the day they were saying that I had a child and I kept it secret," Janet said. "I could never keep a child away from James. How could I keep a child from their father? I could never do that, that's not right."

She continued, adding that the rumors picked up due to changes in her body when she joined the cast of Fame.

"A lot of the kids thought I was pregnant, 'cause I had gained weight, and I had started taking birth control pills," Janet said in the documentary. "And back then, you could pick up weight taking them, and that's what happened to me. So that rumor started going around."

As for what led to the end of teenage marriage, Janet shared that James’ heavy drug use was a large factor. "When we got married and came back to the hotel he said, 'OK, I'll be right back,'" she began while describing the former couple's wedding night.

"And I'm sitting in the hotel room in Grand Rapids, Michigan by myself, just 18, and for three hours, he never came back,” she added. “I don't know, maybe it's this person in me that wants to help people subconsciously. When it comes to relationships, somehow I'm attracted to people that use drugs."

"I was just incredibly innocent," Janet noted of her outlook on marriage at the time. "That's the thing, is the innocence. And it's just hurtful for someone to see that and just try to take advantage of it… It's still painful."