ASM: Having a relationship end is bad enough, but I'm sure that having one end with the entire world watching is a real treat. Is it safe to say that the worse part is seeing your kids dragged into it?
Jackson: I just had to take my oldest son out of school and put him on independent study, just because it got so stupid at school with everyone wanting to comment on it, and everyone wanting to know, and teachers asking. It was just insane, so I had to take to my child out of school and put him on independent study. It's a mess, and that's the type of stuff that I'm not happy about at all.
ASM: Why do you think people are so fascinated with pop culture?
Jackson: You know, it's crazy that you ask that, because I think about that every single day. I don't know if it's just that we're bored with our own lives, so it's more exciting to read about somebody else's. I think it's unfortunate, though. We only want to read about negative stuff. That I do not understand. I can't figure it out why it's like that. But, unfortunately it is, and people love to hear about other people's heartache and that they're struggling. Maybe it makes us feel better about ourselves and make us go, 'Well, actually my day really wasn't all that bad, because this person's day was horrific.'
ASM: Well your story seems to be a doozy, because it just won't end.
Jackson: That's the saddest thing about it. You know, my friends and my family, everybody was like, 'Don't worry about it, give it a couple of weeks, it will blow over.' Here we are two years later... the wind's still blowin'!
ASM: I'm sure that there were times when you just wanted to run away and hide.
Jackson: Definitely. I was very content with the way that my career was going, because why, I HAVE A CAREER. You know what I mean. I don't like it when people become huge stars. That was never my goal. I never wanted to be a huge star. I just wanted to entertain people and have a career. I didn't want to have a moment. And sometimes when you get all this hype and all this press, that's what happens. Something that you planned on doing for your entire life winds up just being cut into a moment, because you can't stay at the top forever.
ASM: Well instead of running, you really seemed to take control of the moment and show your strength.
Jackson: You know, you can't run from it, because if you do, it makes it worse. It's like now when people call and they want to know, 'Well, Shar, we heard a rumor about such and such.' When you don't give them answers, like if you just think it's stupid and you don't even want to talk about it and you just go, 'No comment,' they're going to make up their own story, and then that's going to piss you off to a point where you're going to go and defend yourself. And they know it, so that's why it happens like that. So it's, 'We're going to get you to talk, one way or another.'
ASM: There's a large crowd out there that would argue that fame comes with a price.
Jackson: It's a Catch-22, and that's why I said that I was very content with working steadily, and to me, that was being successful. I was being successful, content, happy, all that stuff. I had a steady job, and I was doing what I love to do. All the hoopla, all the extra stuff, I didn't need. And that's when it does get scary, because, like you said, everybody feels like you're an open book. And unfortunately, whether you want to be or not, you kinda are.
ASM: So I hear that you are following in the footsteps of one of your old castmembers on "South Central," Jennifer Lopez, and starting a solo music career as well.
Jackson: Oh my God, yeah, she was doing music too at that point. I think, God, had she even done "In Living Color" yet? I don't remember, wow. Yeah, we did "South Central" together. Full circle... always. But yes, I'm working on my solo stuff, which I'm very excited about, because my first single drops Feb. 14.
ASM: Dare I ask what the name of the single is?
Jackson: It's so amazing, the song is called "Make Me Feel Good." And that's exactly what it is. Definitely a make you feel good type of song.
ASM: So when should we expect that first album?
Jackson: The album is probably going to drop around July. So we have the single now, and then probably another single in April, and then the album in July.
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