Janet Jackson was finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Friday night, after three nominations. But, unlike other inductees, Jackson didn’t perform.
The show was filmed to be broadcast later on HBO, which may be why, according to Variety. HBO is the same network that aired Leaving Neverland, the two-part documentary that focuses on Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, two men who claim they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson, Janet’s brother..
Jackson declined to perform a customary musical number and though Variety and Refinery29 reached out to her reps for comment as to why, they have not yet responded. The Rock Hall of Fame also did not respond to Refinery29’s request for comment at press time.
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Ahead of the documentary airing, the Jackson family released a statement expressing how upset they were by the doc, even calling it a “public lynching,” and saying that the allegations were 100% false.
Despite not gracing viewers with a performance, Janet did offer some powerful words.
“I witnessed, along with the rest of the world, my family’s extraordinary impact on popular culture. Not just in America, but all around the globe, the entire globe,” Janet said of her family legacy. The Jackson 5 were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997, and Michael was honored again as a solo artist in 2001, making her one of the last musical members of her family to make it in. “As the youngest in the family, I was determined to make it on my own. I wanted to stand on my own two feet,” she continued, “but never in a million years did I expect to follow in their footsteps. Tonight, your baby sister has made it in.”
After thanking everyone from her family to her record labels to her choreographers like Paula Abdul and show biz icons like Dick Clark, she ended her speech with an ask for the Rock Hall.
“And Rock and Roll Hall of Fame please, 2020: Induct more women,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
Of the 888 people inducted, only 69 have been women — a mere 7.7%.
Stevie Nicks was the only other woman inducted this year, and in her speech she also made a call for giving more women a seat at the table. “I’m hoping…that what I am doing is opening up the door for other women to go like, ‘Hey man, I can do it!’” she said. “It’s gonna be hard. But I know that there’s somebody out there that will be able to do it because I’m going to give you all the instructions.”