Janet Jackson Breaks Silence About Her Father Joe’s Death

Janet Jackson paid tribute to her late father, Joe Jackson, for the first time since his death.

The singer took to Twitter Tuesday to share an emotional throwback photo from her childhood, which served as a heartwarming memorial to her dad.

The black-and-white image shows a toddler-aged Janet sitting on her father’s lap as the pair posed together for a sweet family photo.

Janet captioned the photo, both on Twitter and Instagram, with a simple heart emoji.

The tribute posts to the Jackson family patriarch mark the first time the 52-year-old “Together Again” singer has publicly mourned her father’s death.

On Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight reports Janet posted once again, this time sharing a video message for her fans, where she thanked them for their support during the difficult time her family’s history.

“Thank [you] for all your love and support,” Janet said. “Means so much to me during this time.”

“It’s been a pretty rough week,” she admits in the video, noting that she’s looking forward to being with her fans when she returns to touring, beginning with her headlining slot at the Essence Festival this coming weekend. “But we’re excited, I’m excited, we can not wait to see you, it’s been too long.”

Janet was reportedly among the many family members who gathered on Monday for Joe’s private memorial service and burial at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale, California.

Forest Lawn is also the final resting place of Joe’s son, pop icon Michael Jackson, who died in 2009. The “Thriller” artist is entombed in Forest Lawn’s private Great Mausoleum, which is inaccessible to the general public.

Joe, who leaves behind a controversial legacy, died on June 27 after a long battle with terminal cancer. He was 89. He spent his final week in a Las Vegas hospital, after his health took a turn for the worse.

Michael’s estate also released a statement following the patriarch’s death.

“Joe was a strong man who acknowledged his own imperfections and heroically delivered his sons and daughters from the steel mills of Gary, Indiana to worldwide pop superstardom,” the statement continued.

“Mr. Jackson’s contributions to the history of music are enormous,” the estate’s statement continued. “They were acknowledged by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 in a proclamation naming him as Best Entertainment Manager of All Time; he was inducted into Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 and his son Michael acknowledged him with a Joe Jackson Day at Neverland.”