Oprah dumps Janet Jackson

New York (ANI): American pop and R B singer Janet Jackson's dreams of playing music legend Lena Horne were dashed after Oprah Winfrey took over the project, and picked Alicia Keys for the part instead. Lena herself had been involved in the casting of her life story as she had asked Janet to remove herself from the project following her wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl.

During an interview for her new film, The Great Debaters, Oprah revealed that while she's never going to act again, she's taken to producing like a billionaire fish to water. "We're going to start filming next year," New York Post quoted Oprah as saying of her Lena Horne biopic. "And we've got Alicia," she added. Oprah had told Alicia in 2005 that she would love for the 27-year-old to slip into the legendary singer's shoes.

The casting makes perfect sense since Lena and Alicia share more than a passing resemblance. Both were born in New York, both conquered the music industry quickly and both share a passion for philanthropy. Alicia is a spokesperson for several AIDS organizations, while Lena dedicated her life to the civil rights movement.