RUMOR OR REAL: JERMAINE DUPRI NOT TOO KEEN ON JANET JOINING HER FAMILY ON NEW WORLD TOUR.

The bolded text in the following next paragraph is from the New York Post's Page Six gossip column. I'm having a hard time believing its contents for a couple of reasons: 1. Janet and Jermaine Dupri aren't engaged unless someone forgot to email me the official memo! 2. JD would never ask Janet, nor would she ever agree, to disassociate herself from Michael, bad press or not.

Ever member of the Jackson family - Michael included - is trying to put together a 40-city world tour. Except, that is, for Janet Jackson. A music industry insider told Page Six, "Janet said she would be willing to participate in a few select shows next year, but [her fiancé?] Jermaine Dupri is holding her out of it. He wants Janet to go back in the studio and record another album, and he's also wary of having her be associated with Michael because he's gotten such bad press and is just freaky."

As previously reported, Jermaine Jackson confirmed a reunion tour during an interview last week with the BBC in London. At the time, Jermaine said his sisters and brothers, including Michael, are in the planning stages of a 40-city world tour. "Michael will be involved. He has to be...He is a Jackson. He was at the meetings," the singer/guitarist said. "We feel we have to do it one more time. We owe that to the fans and to the public." The group has not performed live together since the 1984 Victory tour, which took place in the wake of MJ's mega-platinum solo album, Thriller. The band, which officially broke up in 1990, released a final album in 1989, 2300 Jackson Street, which only featured Michael on the title track. Jermaine also stated that there might be some new songs to go along with the tour, saying the band is "in the studio at the moment."

The Jackson 5 featured the five eldest Jackson sons: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. Beginning in the late 1960s and through the mid-'70s, they scored a series of huge hits for Motown, including I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save and I'll Be There, mostly propelled by preternaturally talented pre-teen Michael's thrilling falsetto vocals and stunning dance moves. The group later added brother Randy to the mix and was renamed the Jacksons.