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(NewsNation) — On Friday, Justin “Teflon” Timberlake slithered out of a DWI when he was allowed to plead to a lesser charge, but the judge was appalled that Timberlake was getting off scot-free and added community service to his agreement, saying, “This proposal literally allows the accused to say a few words and walk out the door with no period of accountability.”
Prosecutor Patrick O’Connell responded that because of Timberlake’s celebrity status, the public service announcement he delivers “will be pushed out worldwide.”
Timberlake agreed to do both — public service and make an announcement — and observers were thankful the “Sexy Back” singer was forced to make public amends … something it took years for him to do with Janet Jackson after the February 2004 Super Bowl.
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Photo courtesy Sag Harbor Village Police Department -
Justin Timberlake, center, walks into court for a hearing, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Sag Harbor, N.Y. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) -
LONG ISLAND, NY – SEP 13: Justin Timberlake appears in court in the Hamptons for drunk driving hearing in Long Island, NY, United States on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images) -
LONG ISLAND, NY – SEP 13: Justin Timberlake makes statement following drunk driving hearing in Long Island, NY, United States on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and the ‘wardrobe malfunction’
For two decades, Timberlake has maintained the “wardrobe malfunction” — in which he ended “Rock Your Body” by pulling off half of Jackson’s bra, exposing a nipple cover — was allegedly unplanned.
We now know he was in on it the whole time.
Wayne Scot Lukas, Jackson’s longtime stylist who made the costume for the event, told me the boob was initially supposed to be a butt … and it was all planned to overshadow the infamous Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera/Madonna threesome kiss seen round the world at the MTV awards.
“Britney and Justin had just broken up, so Janet and Gil, her choreographer, said, ‘What can we do that’s going to be bigger than that moment?’ Anyway, they wanted to do something bigger to be more shocking at the Super Bowl,” Lukas told me. “So what was bigger was some little reveal. It was going to actually be Janet’s butt in a Pearl G-string, and Janet was going to take off the back of her skirt. Justin was going to step on it. Was going to step on it, it was going to rip off. You’re going to see her butt because butts were huge at that point, quite literally.”
But a few days before the show, the butt was changed to a boob — and the “sexy moment” was set in stone.
Timberlake practiced Janet’s ‘wardrobe malfunction’: Wayne Scot Lukas
“Justin came off the stage and said, ‘It’s just a little wardrobe malfunction; we just want to give you something to talk about.’ That was the problem, and then he ran away,” Lukas said.
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Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake during The AOL TopSpeed Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show Produced by MTV at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage) -
Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson perform during the half – time show at Super Bowl XXXVIII (Photo by J. Shearer/WireImage) -
HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 1: Singers Janet Jackson and surprise guest Justin Timberlake perform during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers at Reliant Stadium on February 1, 2004 in Houston, Texas. At the end of the performance, Timberlake tore away a piece of Jackson’s outfit. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
However, by doing so, Timberlake offloaded the blame onto Jackson, making it look like she had planned the entire thing, and he wasn’t in on the reveal.
“The truth of the matter is, Justin was there rehearsing it seven times,” Lukas said.
“(He) rehearsed it. So when he acts innocent, when he acts innocent for drunk driving … I just sit there and get shocked.”
Timberlake was allowed to perform at the Grammys later that month, and his career soared. While Jackson was blackballed from radio, TV and … that year’s Grammys. Lukas’ career was also stalled.
“The slut-shaming was so bad,” Lukas said. “(PR and CBS management) kept saying, ‘Keep your mouth shut. Keep your mouth shut.’ And I did. I lost the Grammy Awards. I was going to be the new Joan Rivers. I lost that. I lost the Fuse network. I was going to be the new fashion commentator. No. And unless I told the truth, they wouldn’t let me go on the networks, and I couldn’t tell the truth, because I can talk about this now, but I’m loyal to Janet. You’re loyal. The problem is with celebrities, you’re too loyal to them, because when it all falls apart, you’re left hanging.”
Timberlake’s team did not return emails requesting comment.
