In 2004, Janet Jackson's career took a hit after she experienced one of the most visible "wardrobe malfunctions" during one of the country's biggest events.
While performing with Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl, Jackson's breast was exposed after Timberlake ripped off a piece of her costume.
The incident spiraled into one of the most infamous moments in pop culture history, and Jackson had apparently only publicly spoken about it once during a 2006 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Last year, a documentary series about the "Unbreakable" singer, “Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson,” touched on the topic, and a documentary about Jackson, that appears to suggest Timberlake invited her to perform at the Super Bowl in 2018, is set to hit Lifetime later this month.
And this week, Allure revealed Jackson as their February cover star.
While speaking to the magazine, Jackson explained how she got through that difficult time in her life — and said it had a lot to do with her faith.
“What’s really important is going back to having that foundation. Not just family, but God. That’s what really pulled me through,” the "All for You" singer said.
“It’s tough for me to talk about that time," she added.
The five-time Grammy winner quickly became the subject of many conversations about systematic racism and gender bias after fans noticed how her career tumbled while Timberlake's continued to soar.
“Whether I want to be part of that conversation or not, I am part of that conversation,” Jackson said. “I think it’s important. Not just for me, but for women. So I think it’s important that conversation has been had. You know what I mean? And things have changed obviously since then for the better.”
One new artist whom Jackson said she admires is Lizzo, who's known for embracing her body and hitting back at body-shamers.
Jackson appreciated that women these days are “comfortable in their skin, in their size, in being full-figured.”
She said that wasn't the case during the early days of her career.
“You had to always be thin and always look a certain way. And now it’s all accepted and it is all beautiful and I absolutely love that.”
When it comes to her "loyal" fans, Jackson said she believes "they will always accept me for who I am."
“Everyone would always want to stay young and this and that,” she added, “but it’s inevitable. I mean, we’re all going to get there.”