Janet Jackson’s self-titled documentary aired this weekend, and one of the issues addressed was her notorious 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Justin Timberlake. During their performance, a wardrobe malfunction caused Janet’s breast to be exposed, sparking backlash as well as an FCC investigation. Janet specifically addressed how Justin, who’s often been criticized for how he handled the incident, responded to the controversy.
“We talked once, and he said, ‘I don’t know if I should come out and make a statement,’” Janet recalled. “I said, ‘Listen, I don’t want any drama for you. They’re aiming all of this at me.’ So I just said if I were you, I wouldn’t say anything.” She also took a moment to deny rumors that suggested there’s been tension between her and Justin since the Super Bowl incident.
“Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion,” she says. “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.” Janet added, “Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends. We spoke just a few days ago, and he and I have moved on, and it’s time for everyone else to do the same.”
Elsewhere in the documentary, Janet reveals that she turned down an offer from Justin’s team to perform with him during his 2018 Super Bowl Halftime Show. “When I think about it, would it be nice to be able to perform? Yes,” Janet said. “Our family, we love entertaining. But on the flip side of it, it’s stretching out the past, reliving something that happened over 10 years ago.”