Janet Jackson’s focus these days is entirely on her 7-year-old son, Eissa. She gave birth to Eissa on January 3, 2017, when she was 50 years old, alongside her then-husband Wissam Al Mana. Unfortunately, the couple parted ways just three months later, bringing an end to their five-year marriage.
Embracing motherhood came naturally for Jackson, who shared in a June 2019 interview with The Sunday Times that she was in a wonderful space, deeply grateful for her son’s presence in her life. “My friends call me Superwoman,” she said, though she credited her energy and motivation to the inspiration she draws from Eissa.
Janet Jackson revealed she handles motherhood without a nanny, drawing inspiration from her own mother’s example
Jackson has largely kept her son out of the public eye since his birth, rarely posting pictures of him online. However, over the years, she has shared a few touching stories about him.
In a September 2024 interview with The Guardian, she described becoming a mother as the most important and monumental experience of her life. She emphasized how everything changed after having her son, and how nothing could make her give it up.
Let’s take a closer look at Janet Jackson’s son, Eissa Al Mana.
Eissa was born on January 3, 2017. On that day, Jackson and Al Mana became parents, welcoming their son Eissa into the world. At the time, Jackson’s representative told PEOPLE that both parents were overjoyed with the arrival of their new son. The rep also confirmed that Jackson had a healthy delivery and was resting comfortably.
The Jackson family expressed their joy as well. La Toya and Jermaine Jackson, Janet’s siblings, celebrated the news online, while their father Joe Jackson also shared his excitement through social media and his personal website.
At 14 weeks old, Eissa appeared on social media for the first time. The first glimpse of Eissa came shortly after Jackson and Al Mana separated when Jackson posted a picture of him at 14 weeks old. In the adorable image, the baby can be seen yawning while his mother kisses his forehead. Jackson captioned the tender moment, “My baby and me after nap time.”
Eissa calls London home.
Though Jackson grew up in Indiana and later Los Angeles, her son is spending his childhood in London, where she and Al Mana are co-parenting.
Music seems to be in his blood.
Eissa is already displaying signs of inheriting his family’s musical talent. In a February 2020 interview on The Tonight Show, Jackson told host Jimmy Fallon that her son had already begun showing interest in music. Jackson also revealed that Questlove of The Roots had gifted Eissa a drum set, which he loves. When Fallon teased about giving him a harmonica, Jackson laughed and responded that her son already had one, calling him incredibly musical.
Eissa has taken up the cello.
During the same interview, Jackson mentioned that her son initially started with the violin at age 2 but quickly shifted to another instrument, the cello. “He loves classical music,” she explained, recounting how he took a violin to school at first but soon requested to bring a cello instead. Jackson’s assistant, Terry, ingeniously attached a straw to his violin to create a makeshift cello. Since then, Jackson shared that Eissa now owns a real cello and thoroughly enjoys his lessons.
Bruno Mars is one of Eissa’s favorite musicians.
Shortly after his first birthday, Eissa had already developed a favorite artist: Bruno Mars. Jackson shared in a May 2018 interview with Billboard, before receiving the Billboard Icon Award, that Bruno Mars was the first artist her son truly responded to.
She explained how she had listened to Brazilian jazz to relax during and after her pregnancy, but once Eissa began crawling, Bruno Mars’ music attracted them both.
Eissa enjoys imitating his late uncle Michael Jackson.
Eissa’s connection to music extends beyond his favorites; he’s also been imitating the legendary moves of his late uncle Michael Jackson. In a November 2019 appearance on the Australian show Carrie & Tommy, Janet described her son as incredibly musical, adding that he enjoyed watching her band and gravitated toward drums, violin, guitar, and piano.
Jackson was proud to share that her son not only carries a tune but also mimics some of Michael Jackson’s signature moves, including the march and hand gestures from “They Don’t Care About Us” and the iconic head movement from “Smooth Criminal.” Though she is supportive, Jackson is open to whatever career path Eissa chooses, even if it’s not in music.
Eissa has a special friendship with Ciara’s son. When he was still an infant, Eissa enjoyed a playdate at Disneyland with Ciara and her son Future Zahir. Jackson’s former backup dancer, James Collins, shared a photo of the group, showing both mothers holding their children. Ciara also posted a selfie from the fun day and shared a video of herself and Future on a roller coaster ride.
Eissa adores Paw Patrol.
The animated series Paw Patrol is a favorite of Eissa’s. In December 2019, Jackson shared on Instagram that the show had sent her son and his classmates stuffed animals as gifts.
Jackson thanked the show for the generous presents, noting how much the children loved the toys as they proudly showed them off in a group photo. Janet Jackson prefers to handle motherhood without a nanny.
Although she’s a global superstar, Jackson manages her role as a mother without a nanny. In several interviews, including one with the Daily Telegraph’s Stellar magazine in August 2019, she opened up about the challenges of being a working mom. While someone helps look after Eissa when she’s working, Jackson explained that she does most of the parenting herself.
In another interview on Carrie & Tommy, she discussed how her own mother, Katherine Jackson, raised nine children without a nanny, which influenced her choice. Although Jackson admitted that it could be exhausting, she expressed her love for the bond she shares with her son.
She described how Eissa often wakes her up in the morning, calling for her to get up, and how motherhood has taught her to be more patient than she ever imagined. Jackson emphasized that her son always comes first in her life, shaping everything she does.
