Janet Jackson In the Spotlight With Robin Roberts (Full)

Janet Jackson opens up to GMA’s Robin Roberts in this emotionally wrenching interview. She discusses life after her brother Michael’s death and her childhood with an abusive father who regularly whipped his children with belts and tree branches.

Of the beatings, which would now be considered child abuse, Janet said:

“I think it’s old school and that may extrapolate into being abusive… He’s my father and he’s very strong, he’s very stubborn, has his own way of doing things. That’s Joseph.”

Janet said Joseph ordered his children to call him by his first name. She said she always called him “daddy” until he corrected her:

“I remember when I had called him daddy and he said, ‘No, you call me Joseph, I’m Joseph to you.’ I never said it again. I was very young, younger than 10… I’ve never questioned it, it is what it is and I’ve just let it go.”