Janet Jackson said Monday (Feb. 25) that she is married to 37-year-old Qatari billionaire and retail entrepreneur Wissam Al Mana. Rumors have been circulating for many months now that the couple was engaged and was planning to get married later this year.
Jackson admitted she and her beau have tied the knot. She said they held a quiet, private ceremony last year and put worldwide rumors to rest about a speculated upcoming $20 million star-studded wedding.
Al Mana is a wealthy Middle Eastern investor and a shareholder in Saks Fifth Avenue stores located in Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Kuwait. His company, the Al Mana Luxury Company, represents luxury brands around the world including the Armani brands, A/X Armani Exchange and Giorgio Armani. It also represents Balenciaga, Roberto Cavalli and Hermes. The billionaire business mogul runs Al Mana Luxury along with his three brothers.
This is the third time the 46-year-old entertainer has quietly exchanged vows. Jackson was briefly married for three months to singer James DeBarge when she was just 18 years old; the two eloped in 1984. In 1991, she secretly married Rene Elizondo Jr. and the couple separated in 1999. Elizondo filed for divorce in 2000 and it was only then that the marriage became public knowledge.
As reported by Entertainment Tonight, "Our wedding gifts to one another were contributions to our respective favourite children's charities. We would appreciate that our privacy is respected and that we are allowed this time for celebration and joy. With love, Wissam and Janet," said the couple in a joint statement.
