Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana faced off in divorce court this week.
This week, the pair appeared in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where they kicked off their divorce proceedings, multiple outlets reported. Sources tell E! News, that while the 51-year-old singer, accompanied by her assistant and her legal team, looked to be “in great spirits.” The 42-year-old Qatari businessman exited a lone wolf and appeared “somber.”
As previously reported, in April, Jackson announced she was moving on from her marriage to Al Mana after just five years. A source told the Daily Mail, who was first to report the news, “Sadly, Janet and Wissam have decided that it wasn’t working and to go their separate ways. They’re both busy people but determined to be good parents, even if they’re apart. It’s amicable and Eissa will stay with his mother, who is basing herself in London.”
The pair who married in 2012, welcomed a son, Eissa Al Mana, earlier this year. An insider claims Jackson has “been under stress” since her split. Adding that, one of the main reasons they called it quits, is that she disagreed with how Wissam “wanted to raise their child.” Fortunately, “She has the support of her family and has a crazy good legal team behind her.”
Just last month, the “Rhythm Nation” singer addressed her breakup via YouTube, telling fans, “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.”
This was Jackson’s third marriage. In 1984, she was briefly married to singer James DeBarge; they split a year later and their union was later annulled. Then, in 1994, she secretly married backup dancer-turned-music video director René Elizondo Jr., but they split up in 2000.
