Janet Jackson is setting the record straight on where she and Justin Timberlake stand today during the four-part documentary that aired on Lifetime and A&E. From here, it looks like the two pop stars are better than ever despite being connected by one of the most infamous moments in pop culture history.
“Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion,” Jackson said in in the fourth part of her doc that aired on Saturday night. The "All For You" singer is referring to the moment when her nipple was exposed during her 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance with Timberlake.
"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," Jackson 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."
At the time of the infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” Jackson suffered significant backlash and fallout while Timberlake went unscathed. A FX documentary that came out last year — that Jackson did not participate in — shed light on the incident in great detail.
“I think it just became an explosive powder keg,” director Jodi Gomes explained during an interview on TODAY in 2021. “And in the middle of that was this woman who had pioneered her image, and she was punished for it.”
Last year, Timberlake issued an apology to Jackson and Britney Spears after the halftime controversy came under new scrutiny following the documentary “The Framing of Britney Spears” in which he was also prominently featured for his role in the “...Baby One More Time More” singer’s life.
“I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism,” he wrote in a February 2021 post to Instagram. “I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”