THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES

Janet Jackson Spotted Holding Hands With Grammy-Winning Singer

Eight years after the beginning of Jackson’s messy divorce with her third husband, the singer was seen cheesing with a potential new sweetheart.

Eight years after separating from her third husband, Wissam Al Mana, singer Janet Jackson is sparking romance rumors after being spotted in London with her rumored new beau: Gerald Maxwell Rivera, better known as Maxwell, the R&B sensation behind the hit singles “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)” and “Sumthin’ Sumthin.’” Jackson, 59, and Maxwell, 52, turned heads as they held hands walking into London’s Playhouse Theatre on Monday, Page Six reports. The pair, who were on their way to see Cabaret, were spotted wearing complementary outfits: Jackson, a five-time Grammy winner, was wearing a white pantsuit while Maxwell, a three-time Grammy winner, was clad in a black pinstriped suit. Jackson went through a messy divorce with Al Mana, a Qatari businessman, four months after giving birth to their son, Eissa Al Mana, after five years of marriage in 2017. Tension had built up between the couple during Jackson’s pregnancy, according to Page Six. Jackson reportedly felt that Al Mana had taken on a controlling role in her life, having already influenced her appearance and the way she performed at concerts. In a 2024 interview with The Guardian, Jackson said she hoped her time being single allowed her to “have different lenses on these eyes than I did before.” Jackson has previously been married to singers René Elizondo Jr. and James DeBarge.