Janet Jackson said she and Justin Timberlake are “very good friends" despite the infamous wardrobe malfunction that sparked controversy after their 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.
During the 2004 performance, Timberlake accidentally exposed Jackson's breast to about 140 million viewers while the two sang "Rock Your Body." Following the incident, Jackson's discography was pulled from broadcast while Timberlake's career continued to skyrocket, despite his role in the infamous incident.
The 55-year-old singer set the record straight during her highly anticipated, two-night Lifetime and A&E documentary, "Janet Jackson," which was released over the weekend.
“This whole thing was blown way out of proportion," Jackson said. "And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop."
She continued: “Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends. We spoke just a few days ago. He and I have moved on, and it’s time for everyone else to do the same.”
In a conversation with her brother Randy, Jackson also revealed she told Timberlake that he should not speak out.
“We talked once. And he said, ‘I don’t know if I should come out and make a statement,’" she told her brother. "And I said, ‘Listen… I don’t want any drama for you. They’re aiming all of this at me.’ So I said, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t say anything.’”
Among the backlash following the incident, Jackson was intensely excoriated in the media; her music was banned from many radio stations; and her invite to the Grammy Awards that year was rescinded.
A representative for Timberlake did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Timberlake's treatment toward Jackson and ex-girlfriend Britney Spears has come under scrutiny in the last year after the release of The New York Times’ documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” which focused on Spears’ career and her fight to remove her father’s conservatorship over her estate.
In February 2021, he wrote a public apology to both Jackson and Spears.
"I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right," he wrote in his Instagram post. “I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism."
Timberlake added: “I know this apology is a first step and doesn’t absolve the past. I was to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be a part of a world that uplifts and supports.”
The "Janet Jackson" four-part documentary — tied to the 40th anniversary of the singer’s self-titled debut album — follows the highs and lows of the singer’s life and career, including insights about her childhood, her brother Michael and where she stands today.
