Superstar singer Janet Jackson gave birth to her first child, a son, late on Tuesday at the age of 50.

In a statement to People magazine, a representative for the pop star said "Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world," adding that "Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably."

Jackson has typically been quiet about her private life, and did not immediately publicize her marriage to Qatari businessman Al Mana in 2012. She shocked fans in April by cutting short a world tour, saying she and her husband were "planning our family."

Although natural pregnancy is unusual for women past their early 40s, procedures like in vitro fertilization can extend that time window. Jackson is hardly the first celebrity to give birth later in life. Actress Halle Berry had both her children in her 40s, and singer Gwen Stefani gave birth to her third son at the age of 44.

Growing up the youngest in the clan that produced two music sensations - The Jackson Five and the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson - Janet became a star in her own right in the 1980s when her albums Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 hit number one on the Billboard charts. She released her eleventh studio album, Unbreakable, in 2015, to critical acclaim.

es/kms (AFP, Reuters)