Dad’s strict upbringing still affects Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson, who yearned to call her father 'dad' as a kid, has revealed that she is still scared of her authoritative father Joe.

In an emotional TV interview with US journalist Meredith Vieira, the singer claimed that it was the lack of father-daughter bond that caused the most damage to her emotional development — and still affects her to this day.

Joe was a strict parent to his brood of nine and his most famous son Michael often spoke candidly about the beatings and whippings he suffered at the hands of his hands.

The Jackson patriarch also banned his children from referring to him as 'dad', ordering them instead to call him by his first name.

"I would see my friends interact with their dad and I would think, that's what I want to do. I want to be able to call him 'dad'. He said, 'That's my name, you call me Joseph. You don't call me dad'." the Daily Express quoted Janet as saying.

"I tried once. He said, 'I'm Joseph to you. You do not call me dad'. That affects you as a kid; it still affects me as you can see. I know my father loves me. He just has a very, very different way of showing it," she added.