Who is Janet Jackson’s brother, Randy Jackson – what does he have to do with the singer’s controversial comments about Kamala Harris, and is he really ‘controlling’ her career?

Sep 25 , 2024

Randy Jackson and his sister Janet Jackson have always been close, but some worry he has too much say about her career in recent years. Photo: @janetjackson/Instagram

Fans are concerned about Janet Jackson after the singer questioned Kamala Harris’ racial identity in a recent interview – and some are pointing the finger at her brother Randy Jackson

Fans are concerned about Janet Jackson, after the singer made some controversial comments about US presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ background last week.

In an interview with The Guardian published on September 21, Jackson was asked about Harris and how America could be on the verge of voting for its first Black female president. “Well, you know what they supposedly said?” she shared. “She’s not black. That’s what I heard. That she’s Indian.”

Jackson added, “Her father’s white. That’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days. I was told that they discovered her father was white.” Harris’ father is a Jamaican economist, while her mother is Indian, the newspaper clarified.

Some are concerned that Janet Jackson’s older brother Randy Jackson has too much control over her. Photo: @randyjackson8/Instagram

According to US media, it has caused a PR nightmare for Jackson – and some netizens believe that her Trump-supporting brother Randy may be behind the comments. “[Randy’s] sabotaging her legacy because he’s not [savvy]. She’s giving Randy control, and no one understands how he’s managing her, when he’s never had a career. She pays for everything,” a source told Page Six. “Janet’s bubble is small, and she listens to Randy. She does peddle in conspiracy theories,” they added.

Here’s what we know about him:

Randy Jackson wasn’t an original member of The Jackson 5

The Jackson Five, which Randy Jackson was not originally involved in. Photo: Handout

Although he has appeared in a number of concerts and performances with his siblings, Randy Jackson, 62, was not an original member of The Jackson 5, per the bio on his own website. He didn’t join the family band until 1975, when he replaced his older brother Jermaine. After the group was renamed as The Jacksons, he helped co-write or produce 15 of their hits, including “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” with his brother Michael, per the source.

He had a life-changing car accident

Randy Jackson has 53,000 followers on Instagram at the time of writing. Photo: @randyjackson8/Instagram

According to his website, Jackson was injured in a serious car accident in 1979 that left his legs and feet “completely crushed”. According to the source, doctors said he would never walk again, but he recovered over time, and by 1981, he was able to dance in his family’s Triumph Tour.