It’s been well over a decade since Janet Jackson’s career took a massive hit during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show when she was performing with “Summer Love” singer Justin Timberlake. According to Esquire, Jackson and her stylist were allegedly working on a unique costume stunt that was intended to reveal a red bustier, but instead, showed the recording artist’s nipple on national television.
The Hulu documentary is one hour long, and although it doesn’t provide much insight into how the fashion faux pas came to be, it does offer up a deep dive into the impact it had on both performer’s careers.
As reported by TMZ, the then-top dog at CBS, Les Moonves, “demanded a face-to-face apology from both Justin and Janet, implying if they didn’t, there’d be trouble.” The Social Network star reportedly stopped by the CBS office in L.A. at the time, offering up a metaphorical “kiss of the ring” to his superior.
Jackson, on the other hand, refused to apologize. Seeing as Moonves was “deeply embarrassed and furious” over what had happened on stage, the documentary seemingly points fingers at him having something to do with the downfall of “That’s the Way Love Goes” hitmaker’s career. While she was banned from the Grammys, Timberlake went on to perform, and win Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Following the incident, the Indiana-born starlet faced harsh headlines from the media, who seemingly made her the butt of a long-lasting joke that she wanted no part of. In the years since, Timberlake has apologized several times, including earlier this year when he addressed both Janet and his ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears.
“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. 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,” the 40-year-old shared from his notes app in February. “I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
He continued, “I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these woman and I know I failed…The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up fo success. It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position I have to be vocal about this.”
As for Moonves, he left CBS in disgrace some time ago. Jackson has still not recovered from the hit that her career took in 2004, but the new documentary helps shed light on some of the music industry’s pitfalls so that it can grow and get better in the future.