Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Scandal: What to Know

A memorable performance. While many Super Bowls have showcased entertaining and jaw-dropping halftime concerts, few have spurred as much discussion as Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s joint effort at the Super Bowl XXXVIII.

During the February 2004 number, the two music stars performed chart-topping hits for the enthusiastic crowd until the now-infamous wardrobe malfunction occurred. At the time, the former ‘NSync crooner ripped off a piece of the “Rhythm Nation” songstress’ costume, revealing her mostly uncovered breast. Since the athletic event is seen by millions each year, broadcasters were notably upset, leading to a lengthy investigation and censorship changes.

Shortly after the wardrobe malfunction occurred, both musicians were shocked during the broadcast before the televised gig cut to commercial. However, days later, fans and critics alike speculated what really happened and who was actually to blame.

“The tearing of Janet Jackson’s costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance,” MTV wrote in a February 2004 statement. “MTV regrets this incident occurred and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”

Jackson, for her part, opened up in her own statement one day later.

“The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my halftime show performance was made after final rehearsals,” the Indiana native said at the time. “MTV was completely unaware of it. It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended — including the audience, MTV, CBS and the NFL.”

Years later, following the success of their The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears documentary discussing Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle, its filmmakers dove into the Super Bowl scandal next with Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson.

“In 2004, a culture war was brewing when the Super Bowl halftime show audience saw a white man expose a Black woman’s breast for 9/16ths of a second. A national furor ensued,” a press release for the documentary read. “‘If the culture wars could have a 9/11, it’s February 1st, 2004,’ said one observer. The woman was Janet Jackson, and her career was never the same. The man was Justin Timberlake; his stardom only grew.”

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The program aimed to chronicle the 2004 incident, noting how the Poetic Justice star’s career never fully recovered whereas the Tennessee native’s continued to flourish, as well as touching on the racial and cultural implications of the event. The filmmakers weaved together rare footage from the time and interviews with executives from both the NFL and MTV to break down the now-infamous event.

Meanwhile, Jackson later shared more insight into the incident in Janet, a two-night documentary event, which premiered on Lifetime and A&E on January 28, 2022.

Keep scrolling for everything we know about the scandal.

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Who Was Involved?

It was announced in December 2003 that the Fame alum would headline the MTV-produced show. She noted her excitement in a statement at the time, “There is no bigger spectacle than the Super Bowl. It’s a unique and exciting experience that I have looked forward to for many years.”

During the performance, the “Mirrors” crooner surprised the audience when he joined her on stage to duet on his song, “Rock Your Body.”

What Happened?

During their duet, as Timberlake sang, “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song,” he ripped off his singing partner’s top, revealing her nearly bare breast (save for a piece of nipple jewelry). Shortly after the incident, the performance abruptly ended when the broadcast cut to commercial.

How Did the FCC Handle the Scandal?

Following an investigation into the scandal, the Federal Communications Commission fined CBS $550,000 over the incident, which was eventually voided by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Additional TV networks and radio stations even blacklisted Jackson’s tunes as a result.

Amid the investigation, an MTV employee claimed the event was entirely the “All For You” musician’s responsibility. Her team noted via a statement at the time that the “SexyBack” singer was only supposed to pull away the top layer of her costume, revealing a bustier underneath.

How Did Justin Timberlake React?

The Palmer star has since apologized for his actions, the first of which occurred during his Grammy victory speech that February.

“I know it’s been a rough week on everybody,” he said at the time. “What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable and I apologize if you guys are offended.”

Years later, he doubled down on his apology, issuing a statement to both Jackson and Britney over their past relationship.

“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond,” Timberlake wrote via Instagram in February 2021. “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. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”

What Has Janet Jackson Said About the Incident?

In the 2022 docuseries Janet, the “Together Again” singer revealed that she told Timberlake not to put out a statement about the incident at the time.

“We talked once. And he said, ‘I don’t know if I should come out and make a statement,’” Jackson told her brother, Randy Jackson. “And I said, ‘Listen… I don’t want any drama for you. They’re aiming all of this at me.’ So I said, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t say anything.’”