Justin’s “nightmare” over new Janet backlash
After being condemned for his treatment of ex Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake prepares to come under fire once again, as Janet Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl ‘wardrobe malfunction’ is examined in a new documentary
Hot off the back of the explosive Framing
Britney Spears documentary, the makers are now said to be working on a new show about Janet Jackson – and sources say it’s a cause of major concern for singer Justin Timberlake.
The investigation will focus in particular on the infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, during which Justin dramatically tore off her top and exposed her breast – sparking outrage among her fans.
The incident has been thrown back into the headlines since Framing Britney Spears was aired in February, as fans attacked Justin for his treatment of both his pop singer ex and Janet, as it was shockingly claimed he’d orchestrated the stunt in retaliation for Britney kissing Madonna on stage at the MTV VMAs just months earlier in 2003, which he denies.
Now it looks likely the 40-year-old could be the target of further criticism when the new documentary is released.
DEEPLY SORRY
A source tells Closer, “Justin is aware this documentary is being made, but it’s not known if he’ll be asked – or ask – to participate. In short, it’s a nightmare situation.
“What happened back then was so long ago; Justin was a kid, he barely even remembers the details any more. But he is truly, deeply sorry if anything he did ever caused any harm, because he’d never want to hurt anybody.”
Celebrity stylist Wayne
Scot Lukas – who worked with Janet, 54, during the Super Bowl appearance – recently alleged that Justin had been responsible for planning the wardrobe malfunction, which the star has denied.
Although at the time both performers apologised, it was Janet who had to deal with the bulk of the negative publicity, while Justin’s career flourished.
But since Wayne’s new revelations, Justin has suffered a severe backlash. In a lengthy statement on Instagram, he acknowledged this and wrote, “I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments and concern and I want to respond... I specifically want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”
And PR expert Nick Ede believes that Justin – who has new music coming out with Justin Bieber and DJ Khaled – is right to be concerned.
Nick says, “From a long-term point of view, I think this new documentary could be even more detrimental to not only his career, but also his cleancut family image, because it could potentially portray him as quite ruthless.
“In the same way, the Britney documentary exposed him as less of the sweetheart boy-next-door that we all thought he was.
“The Janet Jackson stunt was contrived and the fallout from it was very difficult for Janet at the time. The question will be
asked how it was acceptable for that to ever happen, and why he let it happen.”
‘NO BAD BLOOD’
It’s not yet been revealed whether Janet herself will participate in the new documentary. She has yet to speak out about the incident, but it’s believed she hasn’t forgiven the pop star. However, last month, she shared a quote about forgiveness – and Justin’s former manager, Johnny Wright, urged her to “apply it to your relationships with Justin.”
Meanwhile, sources recently confirmed to Closer that Britney – who dated Justin between 1999 and 2002 – has “no bad blood” with her ex, who is now married to actress Jessica Biel, with whom he shares sons Silas, six, and nine-month-old Phineas.
Framing Britney Spears had highlighted how Justin indirectly accused Britney of cheating on him when he hired a lookalike actress to appear in the video for his single, Cry Me A River, and made light of their sexual relationship in an interview, casually discussing how she lost her virginity when she’d previously claimed she was a virgin.
But a source said, “Britney was heartbroken when they separated, but it’s not something she dwells on.
She’s happy now and she’s happy for him.”
● Sunday Lunch with Nick
Ede starts on 16 May on www.charitable.radio