Joe Jackson writes an open letter to Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson's father Joe Jackson took to his personal website to pen an open letter to her telling her even though he's never said it, he's very proud of her. See the letter after the cut...

Janet, the youngest in the family is very very smart. She was more like a tough kid. She was real rough. I mean she was rough. What do they call them… yes … tomboy. She was a tomboy. She could whop all the girls. Really rough and really really smart. She is really easy nowadays. She has mellowed. She is now married and living a good life with her husband.

I always felt that she was a natural when it came to acting. She did that movie, with the late Tupac Shakur. I thought it was a very good movie, and I was very proud of her performance. As great and known as a singer as she is, I think the world has yet to recognize her extremely great talent as an actress that surpasses her singing.

She wants to have a good part in a strong action movie. I can’t wait to see her in one.

She did surprise me once, picking me as her date to the premiere of the movie she did with Eddie Murphy. Now Eddie is a great friend and I consider him one of this generation’s greatest comedians, but right in the middle of watching the movie, as proud as I was of Janet, I never let her know that. She asked me what I thought and I remember telling her “You should be bigger than this. You should be the lead actor in the movie and carrying it”. I know the comment upset her, because she became quiet and I knew it. But i know her so well, that I knew she was going to channel that anger to prove that she could do better and was right. She came back even stronger with greater movies. And you have not seen the best of her yet. That’s my girl.

When I suffered 4 strokes last year, and was in the hospital recovering, only two people in my family traveled all the way to see in the hospital. My granddaughter Brandi (Jackie’s daughter and my baby girl Janet. She sat right next to me as I lay in bed, spent time with me, talking about a lot together. It meant a lot to me. I lay there listening to her as she talked about how she was going to get married. I am happy for her and wish her nothing but the best ! I never tell you this, but I am proud of you Janet.