CAP D'ANTIBES, France - Janet Jackson may have joined the ranks of diet plan celebrity spokeswomen Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey, but she insists there's absolutely no competition among the slimmed-down singers.
The 46-year-old became a spokesperson for NutriSystem in December and credits the diet company for helping her lose weight, though she's keeping quiet about the exact number she's lost.
"You know I think it's great that all the girls, or as many as possible, can stand up and try to help as many people as possible. That's really what it's about. It's not about competing with each other, not for me," said Jackson in a plunging neckline Pucci gown at amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS gala Thursday in Cap D'Antibes, France.
"I took off all that extra stuff I really didn't need and I feel really good," she said.
Carrey became the spokesperson for Jenny Craig after dropping 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) with their plan and a toned Hudson is seen singing the praises of Weightwatchers in the company's commercials.
But it wasn't all glitz and glam for Jackson, who travelled the south of France to co-share the annual amfAR charity event. The recent loss of industry legends Donna Summer and Robin Gibb still weighed heavily on her mind.
"They've brought so much joy to this world," said Jackson on the red carpet. "I remember being 11-years-old, going to New York and I was visiting Mike (Jackson), he was working on 'The Wiz' and I was on hiatus from shooting the show 'Good Times' and we would always listen to 'How Deep is your Love', that was the song of my trip, he and I. So it was such incredible memories of them."
Gibb, a founding member of the Bee Gees, died May 20 following a battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. Disco icon Summer died May 17 of lung cancer.
Right now Jackson is busy working on new music, which she says is still in the "beginning stages."
"Everything I've done, it's always been different here or there, from one album to the next, a mixture of stuff. So we'll see," she said.
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Nicole Evatt covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NicoleEvatt
