Some members of the Jackson family have weighed in on Justin Timberlake’s public apology to Janet Jackson — which took nearly two decades to happen — and their response may shock you!
On Wednesday, Marlon and Jackie Jackson spoke on Andy Cohen Live about how they were appreciative of the 40-year-old singer’s expression of regret but also were ready to move on from the scandal. Marlon explained:
“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. But we’d like to move forward.”
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The 64-year-old then looked back on the “negativity” surrounding the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, where Timberlake exposed Janet’s breast (albeit with a highly adorned pastie) for a few seconds. Over the years, many fans have criticized the Palmer actor for not standing up for the 54-year-old performer, who faced a ton of media scrutiny and hate for the wardrobe malfunction. It got so bad that her career had been deeply impacted by the incident for years, while Justin seemingly carried on with barely any consequences … until now… somewhat.
Despite all of this, Marlon tried to remain positive about the messy ordeal, saying:
“You know, as they said in the old days, as long as they’re talking about you — good or bad — you’re still in the public’s eye.”
It definitely has not left the pop culture zeitgeist, even though it has been 17 years! But we don’t think having your nipple unexpectedly revealed to the world and having your career take a hit is a “win.” Jackie also added how the apology “means a whole lot” because the incident had “hurt” his sister so much.
Of course, there are still plenty of people who believe the entire “malfunction” was a stunt, especially since there was such a lovely pastie underneath, but who knows!
Following the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears‘ release, Timberlake came under fire for his misogynistic treatment of Britney Spears and Janet in the early aughts. When people started to call for his cancellation, the father said he was “deeply sorry” for how his “actions contributed to the problem” for both women. He wrote in an Instagram statement at the time:
“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.”
Ch-ch-check out the full note (below):
While the Nasty musician has not directly acknowledged Justin’s apology, she did share an emotional video thanking fans for their love and support a couple of days later. Janet also subtly recognized the controversy after Tinashe tweeted:
“Anyone who knows me knows Britney Spears and Janet Jackson are literally my two biggest idols in the whole universe and I just hope they know how much they mean to me/us.”
The icon then responded with a black heat and a hug emoji.
Well, we weren’t expecting that kind of response from the brothers, especially since they had been a tad salty towards him in the past. While we didn’t think they would outright bash him, we still weren’t expecting some words of praise. Are U surprised by Marlon and Jackie’s response to Justin’s apology? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via Brian To/WENN, DJDM/WENN, Lia Toby/WENN]
The post Janet Jackson’s Brothers Address Justin Timberlake’s Apology: ‘It Takes A Man To Step Up And Do That’ appeared first on Perez Hilton.
