Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri Split After 7 Years

They were long considered a perfect match for each other, despite a relatively small age gap. At one point, there was even talk that Jermaine Dupri had asked Janet Jackson to marry him and she had said yes, putting the wedding off only for a little longer. Now, Us Weekly is reporting that the two have actually split because they made the biggest mistake in showbiz, namely that of mixing business with pleasure.

Often referred to as one of the strongest couples in the celebrity world, Janet and Jermaine have drifted apart in recent months. However, trouble in their relationship reared its ugly head earlier than that, at about the time when Dupri said he would produce some tracks for Janet. When two consecutive albums she put out failed to get the anticipated reaction from fans and critics, Jackson ignited pent-up frustrations, while also partially blaming Dupri for the failure, sources are now saying for the mag.

“His friends are telling people it’s over. They have been moving in different directions for a while. You shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Janet felt their lives were too crossed and they should have kept things separate.” sources reveal for the aforementioned magazine. There’s more to what has pushed them apart, though. “Jermaine likes to be out there, mingling with everybody, and Janet’s more shy. She’s devastated. She’s busy caring for Michael’s kids. Janet’s the family’s backbone.” another insider dishes.

Speculation about whether Dupri and Janet were still an item first began after Michael Jackson’s public memorial service held at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Although the two were rarely seen in public before, since they liked to keep to themselves and not be in the spotlight, whenever one made a public appearance, the other was also there. This time, however, Dupri was “notably absent,” as Us Weekly puts it. Apparently, at the time, one of his friends told the media that he “doesn’t attend funerals” in general and his absence had nothing to do with a possible breakup.

As is usual with these cases, reps for Jermaine and Janet were not immediately available for comment at the time of running this story.