Too Little, Too Late?

Ahhh…the infamous ‘Nipplegate’ Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy of 2004 has returned. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Well, on second thought, in Justin Timberlake’s case it ‘gives,’ but in Janet Jackson’s case it dually ‘took’ a whole lot from her, and possibly for her NOT to wanna go upside her Super Bowl co-performer’s head after he threw her under the bus years ago. Welp, fast forward to today and Janet’s big brothers are speaking out about the apology Justin  recently gave Janet regarding his tactics at that time, as well as the seventeen years it took for Justin to finally acknowledge his wrongdoing.

When Tito, Marlon, and Jackie Jackson appeared on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM radio show Wednesday, May 12, 2021, they expressed that they were glad Justin finally apologized to their baby sis’…even though it took him damn near twenty years to do so.

Marlon stated, “First of all, I just want to thank Justin Timberlake. It takes a man to step up and do that, so we do thank him.” Stating that they’d like to “move forward” from the negativity, Marlon continued, “…but you know, as they said in the old days: ‘Long as they talking about you – good or bad – you still in the public’s eye.”

Justin Timberlake’s Apology To Janet Jackson

The apology the Jackson brothers are referring to, is the one issued to Janet and singer, Britney Spears (Justin’s ex), that Justin randomly posted on social media in February of this year. Not quite sure what prompted it, guess he did a lil’ soul searching…but for whatever reason, here’s what Justin wrote:

“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.

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.”

 

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What Really Happened?

For those who need a quick recap of how Justin did Janet dirty ever the since 2004 incident, here it is. Janet agreed to allow Justin to share her stage during the MTV-produced Super Bowl Halftime set, which aired on CBS. Depending on who you ask – Janet, Justin, CBS execs, MTV, etc. – ‘operation Nipplegate’ was either a planned ‘publicity stunt’; or the most-often-used excuse, a “wardrobe malfunction.” Soon after ‘Nipplegate’–  when Justin exposed Janet’s nipple-shielded breast as he sang the final lyrics, “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song,” Janet was getting ALL the backlash, while Justin pretty much received none. In an interview at that time, Justin said it was a “wardrobe malfunction.” However,  just days earlier Justin told Access Hollywood, “Hey man, we love giving you all something to talk about.”

In the months, years, and nearly two decades following ‘Nipplegate,’ Janet’s career and reputation continued plummeting within mainstream media, while Justin’s soared…all while he remained profusely silent as he witnessed Janet get publicly thrashed over THEIR (as in both of them) scandal. Janet even stated two years after ‘Nipplegate,’ that she felt like Justin threw her under the bus, by allowing media and fans to solely blame her “as opposed to us.”

The FCC also hit CBS with a $550k fine for indecency.

The Control” music icon’s career may have bee negatively impacted, while Justin Timberlake’s flourished, but the upside – if any – in all of this is that after Justin’s seventeen-years-too-late apology, Janet’s “Control” album sales instantly skyrocketed, becoming the 8th most downloaded album on Apple iTunes and #1 on Apple’s Top 40 U.S. Pop Album Chart . Ain’t that something?

By the way, Justin Timberlake’s apology sure did put a whole new spin on the Old School saying, ‘You’re a day late and a dollar short.’