Janet Jackson Opens Up For The First Time About Brother's Death

Written By: Jacob E. Osterhout
Daily News Staff Writer

Dealing with her older brother's death hasn't been easy for Janet Jackson, but she's finally ready to talk about it.

In the 43-year-old singer's first interview since Michael's June 25th passing, Janet opens up in the October issue of Harper's Bazaar about her pain, the grieving process and how the ordeal made her a stronger woman.

"People can have rhinoceros skin, but there's a point when something's going to hurt you," she tells the magazine. "Not everyone is stone, stone. I haven't watched the news in weeks. I had to ask my chef, 'How's Obama doing?' I haven't read a newspaper."

The last time Janet saw her brother alive was on May 14 at a family event two days before her birthday.

"We had so much fun that day," she says in the interview. "We kept calling each other after and saying how great it was."

Janet was in Atlanta, on the set of her upcoming Tyler Perry movie, when she heard the tragic news of her brother's death.

She immediately flew back to Los Angeles to grieve with her family and was on hand for the memorial service at the Staples Center during which Michael's daughter spoke.

"I was really proud," she says. "People said to me that Michael's daughter speaking really gave them a sense of how he was as a father, in her words. Paris is incredibly smart; they are all so smart. She's a sweet girl. The kids are doing well. They're with all their cousins; that family love will keep them going."

In order to properly mourn the loss of her brother, Janet took a three day beach vacation and then threw herself into her new movie.

The grieving process taught Janet about her own strength too, which she attributes to her mother Katherine.

"Now at least I know that I can step up to the plate and not crumble when I'm needed," she says. "When it comes to something like this that is so, so serious, so painful, so traumatic, I can handle it."

Janet will honor her late brother Michael during a special appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.

Get a sneak peek at one of the photos from the photo shoot that Janet did for Harper's Bazaar-Peep This!