3…2…1! Janet Jackson’s countdown clock finally ran out of time on Monday, May 1, at 9 p.m. ET, and fans were rewarded with a special video from the singer herself.
“Hey, you guys, it’s me, Jan — just in case you don’t recognize me, ’cause I have put on quite a few since I had the baby,” she began, smiling. “But I thank God, I thank God for him, you guys. He is so healthy, so beautiful, so sweet, so loving, such a happy baby.”
She went on to address her recent split from her husband, Wissam Al Mana, saying, “This message was supposed to be about something else, but I’ll get to that in a minute. I just want to keep it real with you guys for a second. Yes, I separated from my husband. We are in court and the rest is in God’s hands.”
The pop superstar then got to the real purpose of her video: the announcement that she plans to continue her tour. “I’m so excited, you guys, so excited. I decided to change the name of the tour — State of the World Tour,” she shared. “It’s not about politics, it’s about people, the world, relationships and just love. … I cannot wait to see you on stage. September 7th.”
Jackson, 50, launched the countdown clock over the weekend but offered no clues as to what the clock was counting down to. Her last message to fans was on April 14, when she shared a picture of herself with her newborn son, Eissa.
“My baby and me after nap time,” she captioned the sweet photo.
Prior to that, her most recent message was from November 19, 2016. “Hey you guys.. It’s been awhile.. but I’m still listening..” she wrote. “I feel your love and prayers.. Thank you.. and I’m doing well.. Al hamdu lillah”
A few weeks after that message, Jackson gave birth to her first child with Al Mana. And three months after that, she and the Qatari business magnate split. Since then, she has kept a relatively low profile, both online and in public, though she was photographed shopping in London in early April.
