Janet Jackson under pressure from family to speak out against Leaving Neverland and defend late brother Michael

Janet Jackson is reportedly feeling the heat from relatives for not speaking out against Leaving Neverland and in defence of her late brother Michael. Photo / Getty Images.

Michael Jackson's family have been busy fighting people over child sex abuse claims against him but the controversy has now seen them turn on each other.

The Sun reports that Janet Jackson has come under fire from relatives for refusing to speak up in defence of her late brother in the wake of new accusations in the controversial documentary Leaving Neverland.

The superstar singer has been reluctant to comment in the past in an effort to keep her career untarnished, but is coming under increasing pressure from her family to make a public statement in support of the late pop star.

"In the past week there have been discussions among the Jacksons about the documentary and how it will affect Michael's legacy," a source close to the family told The Sun.

"Everyone wanted Janet to release a statement condemning the documentary because she is the most senior member of the family after Michael.

"They feel she could have done more to support him against the allegations.

"Several relatives have made their feelings clear to her in the past few days and tried to put pressure on her to say MJ was innocent.

"But Janet's career has always been separate from her family's and she'd like to keep it that way. The family feel like her silence speaks volumes but she just does not want to go there.

"Ultimately, she doesn't know what went on and doesn't feel like it's her place to say anything."

Janet, who enjoyed tremendous success with a run of top ten hits in the 80s and 90s, is busy preparing for the launch of her 15-date Las Vegas residency in May.

She is not the only one eager to create distance from any scandal, with Drake cutting his posthumous 2018 Michael Jackson collaboration Don't Matter To Me from his Assassination Vacation tour performance in Manchester on Sunday.

He also removed a cover of Jackson's Rock With You from his set list after including it in performances as recently as November, after shocking claims made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the documentary.

It remains to be seen whether Janet will also shun her 1995 collaboration with her brother, Scream, when her schedule of concerts get underway.