Janet Jackson Splits With Arab Husband
BY: Julia Jahanpour/Contributing Writer
Janet Jackson, 50, split with her Qatari husband of five years, Wissam Al Mana, 41, just three months after the arrival of their child. Jackson has told friends and family that Al Mana was too controlling and forced his strict religious traditions on her.
She says she wasn’t allowed to be outside of the house while nursing the child, and had to be modest during her last concert, modifying her trademark outfits to be less revealing. The American pop star was also allegedly told she had to tone down her dancing. This really upset the younger sister of the late Michael Jackson.
The final straw for Jackson came after Al Mana showed little concern for her abused aunt. Loved ones have commented that he has never shown much emotion, and his religious and cultural traditions were very restrictive and controlling.
During their marriage, Janet Jackson often spoke lovingly of Islam and Arab culture. She included Arabic words into videos to her fans and gave her son an Arabic name, Essa.