Sophia Michaels
It was a scandal that happened on the biggest television event of the year in the United States, the Super Bowl. In 2004, Janet Jackson was one of the halftime acts, before being joined onstage by Justin Timberlake. At one point, the former *NSYNC singer ripped off a piece of Jackson’s top, which exposed one of her breasts. Per E! News shows, Jackson’s rep suggested a “wardrobe malfunction” had occurred and that a red lace bra was supposed to be exposed, instead.
Regardless of the explanation, the Federal Communications Commission got nearly a half million complaints and Jackson received an unprecedented level of backlash. Notably, the superstar’s scheduled Grammy performance that year was canceled, while Timberlake was presented with two major awards at the ceremony — many people thought he got away unscathed considering was the one who tore off the top.
But over time, heads cooled, because Jackson began making public appearances again and there were no protesters or picket signs when she did it. After the scandal, she also released three more albums, toured, and sold out arenas. In 2021, Timberlake also apologized to the singer on Instagram for failing to stick up for her during the scandal. During Lifetime’s “Janet Jackson” documentary (via CNN), the star reflected, “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. Of course, it was an accident … But everyone is looking for someone to blame, and that’s got to stop.”
It was a scandal that happened on the biggest television event of the year in the United States, the Super Bowl. In 2004, Janet Jackson was one of the halftime acts, before being joined onstage by Justin Timberlake. At one point, the former *NSYNC singer ripped off a piece of Jackson’s top, which exposed one of her breasts. Per E! News shows, Jackson’s rep suggested a “wardrobe malfunction” had occurred and that a red laced bra was supposed to be exposed, instead. Along with that new term, the scandal also birthed the word “Nipplegate.”
Regardless of the explanation, the Federal Communications Commission got nearly a half million complaints and Jackson received an unprecedented level of backlash. Notably, the superstar’s scheduled Grammy performance that year was canceled, while Timberlake was presented with two major awards at the ceremony — many people thought he got away unscathed considering was the one who tore off the top.
But over time, heads cooled, because Jackson began making public appearances again and there were no protesters or picket signs when she did it. After the scandal, she also released three more albums, toured, and sold out arenas. In 2021, Timberlake also apologized to the singer on Instagram for failing to stick up for her during the scandal. During Lifetime’s “Janet Jackson” documentary (via CNN), the star reflected, “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. Of course, it was an accident … But everyone is looking for someone to blame, and that’s got to stop.”
