Music producer Jermaine Dupri is speaking out about his past relationship with Janet Jackson.
He and the “Rhythm Nation” singer dated for nearly eight years before breaking up in 2009 after he cheated on her.
Dupri spoke on the former couple’s relationship during an appearance on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast after he was asked how he managed to date the megastar.
“I wasn’t about no music s—t,” he said. “I never wanted to produce her. We got into an argument about me not producing her because she was around me watching everybody else get hit records,” he continued after being asked why he never produced her records.
“I never wanted her to think that’s what my agenda was, because so many people were saying that,” said Dupri. “When Janet met me, she got picked up at the airport in a Continental T [Bentley], you know what I mean? I’m just sayin’.”
The 50-year-old said he respected who Jackson was working with at the time, which he tried to explain to her.
“It was actually a thing where I didn’t really know how to say it,” he said. “Because everybody else I was producing, but I was, I was at a point where I was like, ‘I’m not getting ready to do this with you because I don’t want to be the person that mess it up, and I respect [producers] Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.’
“Those guys are like gods to me, so I’m like, ‘You don’t need me,’ but in her eyes, in what she saw everybody else doing, that didn’t sound right,” he explained.
The So So Def CEO went on to say that the argument caused a rift in their relationship. He said he would mention if he saw other producers making mistakes and Jackson would reply, ‘Then why the f— you ain’t doin’ it?'”
Although he has not produced her music, Dupri made an appearance in her “Gotta Getcha” music video in 2005. He also was a featured guest on her track “Someone to Call My Lover (So So Def Remix).”
The Jasmine Brand shared a clip of Dupri’s interview on Instagram, and fans reacted harshly to his remarks. One fan replied, “I still can’t believe THE Janet Jackson gave his gremlin looki-nevermind.”
“She really loved him and he cheated. Damn,” added another. “And he still messed it up,” noted a third.
“Lol I still Can’t believe he fumbled Janet Jackson ..like see ladies don’t give the boogawolfs a chance,” noted one.
Dupri and Jackson met backstage at one of her concerts in Atlanta. After sending messages through her stylist, he bought her a pager to communicate with him directly. She contacted him, and the rest is history.
Their relationship ended in 2009 mainly because “she wasn’t willing to move to Atlanta,” said Dupri, adding that she was only willing to visit for weeks at a time.
