Michael Jackson’s sister and father, Janet Jackson and Joe Jackson, attended the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Sunday night.
During her brief appearance at the event, Janet gave an emotional statement on her brother, Michael Jackson, who passed away Thursday June 25 at the age of 50.
"My entire family wanted to be here tonight but it was too painful… To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much," the 43-year-old singer said tearfully.
After that, host Jamie Foxx performed a duet of the Jackson 5's I'll Be There with singer-songwriter Ne-Yo to pay tribute to the late pop icon.
R.I.P Michael Jackson, The King of Pop!
Janet Jackson BET Awards Michael Jackson Tribute video (June 28)