Janet Jackson Channels Michael on the BET Awards Red Carpet (but Not in That Biopic)
Photo by Arbolitobellui via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Resized.
Here we go again: Janet Jackson showed up at the BET Awards looking like she time-traveled straight from the early ’90s. At a ripe 60, she decided to allegedly honor her late brother Michael with an outfit that screams Black or White. Remember that Panther Walk? Yeah, it’s like she raided the video archives for this one. How unique.
Draped in a black shirt emblazoned with '2Pac' (because, obviously, why not nod to her Poetic Justice co-star?), she paired it with a white dress shirt and baggy pinstripe gray pants. Oh, and she topped it off with a black hat featuring a feather and veil—very The Addams Family meets Thriller, if you catch my drift.
But wait, there’s more. She accessorized with a belt decked out in silver embellishments; because, clearly, every tribute needs a little bling. And speaking of high-profile moments, our girl Janet presented Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year award. You know, because that’s what everyone tuned in for.
Now for the gossip: Janet was allegedly invited to portray her brother in his biopic but graciously passed. Smart move, darling. Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua even said he has “so much respect and love” for her. Right, sure—respect only goes so far when everyone’s trying to cash in on the Jackson legacy.
At least she’s cheering on her nephew Jaafar, who’s taken on the title role. Good for him, I guess. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of Janet channeling her inner MJ.
—Kit