Janet Jackson Honors Mary J. Blige with Icon Award at Billboard Music Awards 2022

Janet Jackson was on hand to honor her longtime friend at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards!

The 56-year-old entertainer made a surprise appearance at the music awards to present Mary J. Blige with the Icon Award on Sunday (May 15) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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“Mary J. Blige represents truth,” Janet said on stage as she introduced Mary. “Her work has always given us comfort because she sings me, she sings you.”

Mary then took to the stage to accept the honor.

“What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for having influence over a multitude of people, and that is what I’ve always represented,” Mary said in her acceptance speech.

She then went on to reflect on the the long journey she has gone on to get to this point.

“I was ghetto fabulous, and I still am,” Mary jokingly said, adding, “So ghetto, so fabulous, and people were threatened by that.”

Mary added, “The message in my music has always been that we are not alone in our struggles. And I’m not alone now. For so long, I was searching for a real love, but I finally found my real love. And that real love is me.”

FYI: Janet is wearing an outfit by Thom Browne.

Click through the gallery for 20+ pictures of Janet Jackson honoring Mary J. Blige…