Why were Madonna and Janet Jackson feuding? Singer wishes longtime rival a speedy recovery after health scare
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Janet Jackson has reached out to Madonna to mend fences and extend her well wishes for a speedy recovery after the Material Girl's recent health scare, as per reports. Last month, Madonna's family and friends were deeply concerned when she contracted a bacterial infection, leading to hospitalization. Although the 64-year-old star is on the road to recovery, the incident has impacted her upcoming Celebration World Tour, which has been rescheduled to October from its original start date this weekend.
Janet, who is 57 years old, reportedly contacted Madonna to express her concern and urge her to take care of her health. Despite past rumors of rivalry between the two iconic musicians, they have both achieved legendary status and share a mutual respect for each other as last-standing megastars from their era of music. The source also mentioned that Janet can understand the pressures of touring, having experienced them herself throughout her career.
‘Last megastars from their generation of music’
While rumors of a longstanding rivalry between Madonna and Janet have persisted for decades, sources said, “Janet heard Madonna was unwell so reached out. They haven’t always seen eye to eye but they respect each other as they are two of the last megastars from their generation of music”.
Janet's brother, Jermaine Jackson, previously wrote about Madonna's past relationship with the late singer Michael Jackson, who passed away in June 2009 at the age of 50. Despite any past tensions, it's encouraging to witness artists coming together in times of difficulty to support one another.
According to Jermaine Jackson's memoir, titled ‘You Are Not Alone: Michael: Through a Brother's Eyes’, Madonna and Michael Jackson briefly dated in 1991. However, their romance ended abruptly during a dinner when Madonna criticized Janet, Michael's sister. This seemingly disrespectful remark from Madonna about Janet is said to have reached Janet herself, which triggered a feud between the two iconic musicians. The incident apparently led to strained relations between Madonna and Janet, contributing to the long-standing rumors of rivalry between them.
‘You don't have to show nipples to be interesting’
Over the years, both Madonna and Janet Jackson have engaged in occasional jabs at each other, adding to the perception of a rivalry between the music giants. Janet once claimed that her music possesses "more class" compared to Madonna's.
One notable incident that fueled the feud was Janet's controversial 2004 Super Bowl performance, during which Justin Timberlake accidentally exposed her nipple. Madonna took a low blow at Janet ahead of her own Super Bowl performance in 2012 by stating, "You don't have to show nipples to be interesting. It doesn't necessarily mean you're cutting edge if you do, right?"
Recently, it came to light that Madonna's children, including her 26-year-old daughter Lourdes, intervened to encourage her to scale back her ambitions for her tour. This revelation highlights the impact of Madonna's health scare and its effect on her touring plans.