Justin Timberlake is once again facing backlash over what happened to Janet Jackson at their 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
In the latest New York Times documentary, Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson, fans and viewers got a clear picture of Jackson’s amazing career leading up to one of the biggest controversies in music history. Although there were no big reveals, the documentary does paint a vivid picture. It covers how the culture reacted to the brief wardrobe malfunction that exposed Jackson’s nipple on primetime TV, and how it changed the entertainment industry forever.
In the new documentary, it’s suggested that only three people know what happened leading up to the halftime show. Those three are Jackson, Timberlake, and her costume designer. The three spoke alone before the performance without any producers present.
The Criticism of Justin Timberlake
Following the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary in February, Timberlake not only received criticism for his actions against his former pop star girlfriend but against Jackson as well. That behavior is once again highlighted in Malfunction, which shows Timberlake’s post-performance interview in stark contrast with his apologetic statements after the fact. Eventually, he circles back to joking about the incident years later.
Since both documentaries aired, social media made sure to voice their opinions on Justin Timberlake.
JT responds
Following the original criticism in February, Timberlake apologized to Jackson and Spears in a lengthy Instagram post.
“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 on Instagram nearly 20 years after the fallout of his relationship with Spears and 17 years after the Super Bowl moment. “I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others”, he continued. “And benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
Janet Jackson did not respond publicly to Timberlake’s apology. Moreover, she was not interviewed for Malfunction. However, she will discuss the incident in a two-part, four-hour documentary that will air in 2022 titled, Janet.
Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson is available to watch on Hulu.