Wissam Al Mana: 5 Things To Know About Janet Jackson’s Ex-Husband
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Janet Jackson was married to Wissam Al Mana, with whom she shares five-year-old son Eissa, for five years before they split in 2017. Find out more about the billionaire who once called the talented songstress his ‘wife.’
Janet Jackson, 55, is getting set to release a highly-anticipated documentary about her life and career on Lifetime and A&E on Jan. 28 and at least some of it will feature the various men she’s loved over the years. One of those includes Wissam Al Mana, 47, who she married in 2012. Her romance with the billionaire CEO was pretty private, but the “Rhythm Nation” crooner shocked everyone when fans realized they welcomed their son Eissa together in 2017. Just three months later, the lovebirds called it quits and Janet announced the news herself in a rare video she posted to Instagram, which can be seen below.
After raving about their “beautiful, sweet, loving” son in the clip, she said, “I just want to keep it real for you guys for a second – yes I separated from my husband.” She went on to talk about how their figuring out details of their divorce in court and added, “The rest is in God’s hands.”
So who exactly is Wissam and what was his background with Janet like? Find out more about him below.
Wissam was born in Qatar but raised in England.
His family moved to London when he was just two-years-old and he spent his childhood and teenage years there.
He loved fashion and style from a young age.
He credits growing up in London with his fashion obsession, applying at nearly every shop on the city’s posh Kings Road before getting a weekend job at a store there when he was just 14.
Wissam operates a Gulf Region fashion brand empire worth $1 billion.
His family’s Al Mana conglomerate fashion portfolio includes retail holdings for such brands as Hermès, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Sonia Rykiel and Agent Provocateur. The company is also major shareholder in the Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait as well as having vast retail real estate holdings in the region.
Wissam and Janet married in 2012 but kept their marriage secret for over a year.
The couple dated for several years before tying the knot in 2012. The ultra-private Janet kept the news from the world until finally revealing the union in a 2013 interview. She said, “The rumors regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true. Last year we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony.”
He claims Janet had always been his “dream woman.”
The couple met at a Dubai hotel opening in 2010 and he always knew she was the one for him. He told Harper’s Bazaar Arabia in 2011 that, “I’m fortunate enough to be dating my dream woman,” Awww, and now he’s going to be a new daddy with her as well!