Janet Jackson: Family Not Naive About Michael's Drug Addiction

Nov. 18, 2009— -- In an exclusive interview, Janet Jackson told ABC's Robin Roberts that her family was not naive about Michael Jackson's drug problem, saying that she reached out to her brother throughout the years, but was unsuccessful.

"I did," she said. "Of course, that's what you do. Those are the things that you do when you love someone. You can't just let them continue on that way. And we did a few times. We weren't very successful."

Jackson, who stood by her brother through the low points in his life -- the molestation trial and his addiction to painkillers -- shared her private thoughts about the death of her beloved brother in an exclusive interview to air Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. ET.

Jackson said Michael understood that the family's motives for the interventions were out of love.

"How do I say this? Understanding. I guess that will be the best way to -- understood that it was out of love, because of caring. But when it's something like that, people can tend to be in denial," she said.

When asked if her brother was in denial about his addiction, she replied, "Possibly."

"I wish he could answer this question for you and not me," she said. "I felt that he was in denial."

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"You can't make 'em drink the water. ... I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer -- but it's, it's something that you can't do for them. Something they have to do for themselves," she said.

Toxicology results have shown that Jackson had lethal amounts of propofol -- a powerful sedative typically used in operating rooms -- in his system when he died, along with a cocktail of other prescriptions. His death was ruled a homicide.