
Hattie Collins
There are many places you might expect to find an A-list star in Hollywood, but a scruffy dance studio at the wrong end of the Walk of Fame isn’t the first that springs to mind. The homeless and the addicted hustle the star-spotting tourists who wander wide-eyed into souvenir shops selling Michael Jackson memorabilia, utterly unaware that, two floors above them, his youngest sister is rehearsing the choreography for her new single, Make Me.
“I love the natural light,” says Janet Jackson, nodding towards the huge windows that look out onto the gritty streets below. She's devoid of make-up and dressed in black tracksuit bottoms and a grey cashmere top, a low-key look that matches the location. There is no big entourage in tow, either, just her personal assistant and a publicist. It’s surprising to find such a huge celebrity in such understated circumstances, particularly given the intense scrutiny the Jackson family is under following the loss of its most famous member in June this year.
“People don’t really know, they don’t look in,” she says, staring back to the boulevard once more. “Nobody notices.” Brief respite, perhaps — since she appeared on stage with the Jackson 5 at the age of seven, all people have done is peer portentously at Janet Damita Jo Jackson’s professional and private life.
“Certain aspects [of fame] aren’t easy, but I’ve been fortunate,” the 43-year-old says of life in front of the lens. “There are always paparazzi, but there are restaurants or places that they don’t know you frequent. And the people there are loyal, so they stay quiet.”
( Music, Michael, Obama, etc, etc, ecctv )