Janet Jackson Tells Radio Host To Stop Asking Her Questions: “I Don’t Like Speaking”

Janet Jackson, in her characteristic forthright manner, asked a radio host to halt the interview questions during a recent conversation for Heart Evenings with Dev Griffin. The pop legend was upfront when Griffin inquired if repetitive questions annoyed her.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be honest with you,” Jackson responded. “Please stop asking me questions… I’ve never thought I give a good interview. I really don’t like speaking, so I’d rather stay quiet and listen to other people talk, and that’s always been me.”

As the interview concluded, Jackson humorously said, “Don’t ask me questions….are we finished?”

The “Rhythm Nation” icon is currently captivating audiences on her Together Again Tour across North America. Despite her tendency to shun interviews, Jackson opened up about her musical inspirations, crediting her family and other renowned musicians for sparking her interest in the industry.

“I have to exclude family because obviously that spoke to me first, seeing my brothers, my sisters, my cousin Stevie [Wonder]- seeing him perform was a huge inspiration,” shared the 58-year-old artist.

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Reflecting on her musical journey, Jackson described her formative experiences. “My brothers would often take me with them when they would go to concerts, and I remember seeing Earth, Wind & Fire as a kid – just unforgettable. I’ll never forget that. Really blew me away, the musicianship, and then the body of work. I absolutely loved it,” she said.

She also reminisced about watching Prince perform during her early 20s. “He did some songs that I wasn’t that familiar with and didn’t do songs that I was familiar with, and I thought, ‘If I ever perform on this level, I don’t want to do that. I want to at least do songs that people are familiar with, for sure.'”

Jackson’s candid honesty and reluctance toward interviews underscore her preference for expressing herself through music rather than words. Even as she tours the country delivering memorable performances, her reflections on family and musical legends continue to shape her career.