Teyana Taylor Breaks Down in Tears as Janet Jackson Surprises Her with BET Icon of the Year Honor

Teyana Taylor was overcome with emotion after music legend Janet Jackson made a surprise appearance to present her with the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BET Awards, delivering one of the night's most memorable moments.

Taylor, who said she had no idea Jackson would be presenting the honour, became emotional as she walked on stage to accept the award.

"Oh my God. I'm gagging," Taylor said, adding, "They did not tell me Janet was coming and it's so crazy because when Kehlani said, 'Janet is here,' I said, is that the surprise? I wasn't sure!" as quoted by the Hollywood Reporter.

She immediately thanked Jackson, calling the global superstar her "biggest inspiration."

"I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you for always seeing me. Thank you for every text, every hug, every talk. You are my biggest inspiration," Taylor said while accepting the award.

"Everybody who knows me know how I feel about you, the fact that you even took up the time to be here to celebrate with me, this is crazy. I love you so much. Like, you don't even understand," she said, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Reflecting on receiving the Icon of the Year title after two decades in the entertainment industry, Taylor admitted she initially questioned whether she was ready to embrace the recognition.

"But no, I worked really hard 20 years for this," she said, adding, "So I'm not accepting what I've earned with arrogance; I'm accepting what I've earned with gratitude. And this year alone, I continue to give the world the artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer and chef!"

Taylor concluded by thanking her parents and dedicating the honour to her daughters, Junie and Rue.

"To my greatest masterpiece, my babies, Junie and Rue. If one day people remember me as an icon, I pray the two of you always remember me simply as home," she said. (ANI)

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