Halftime show, results, last minutes and more

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004. (Credit: Jeff Haynes/AFP via Getty Images)

On February 1, 2004, the now infamous “Nipplegate” incident occurred at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, in which Janet Jackson performed with Justin Timberlake, and which resulted in a wardrobe malfunction/revelation that led to the above-named .

Since then, Timberlake has faced the wrath of many people who have blamed him for not supporting Jackson following the incident, which reportedly included his exclusion from that year’s Grammys and other professional opportunities.

Below we tell you what happened: The couple was performing Timberlake’s hit “Rock Your Body”, and with the lyrics “Bet I’ll have you naked by the end of this song.”, he was going to tear off Jackson’s top to reveal a red bustier underneath.

Instead, Super Bowl attendees, as well as more than 100 million viewers, caught a glimpse of Jackson’s bare chest, one of which appeared to have a pierced nipple. She immediately covered herself, but the damage was already done.

The results were immediate and impressive.: Hundreds of thousands of complaints were filed with the Federal Communications Commission, CBS (which broadcast the Super Bowl) was fined, and Jackson’s career was damaged.

The pop star duo was accused of staging it for publicity – both Jackson and Timberlake have denied this – and Jackson was initially mocked by everyone from comedians to some fans.

Although both artists apologized for the incident, Timberlake was widely seen as abandoning Jackson after the accident, having built his career largely on embracing black culture when it came to his R&B sound. Was favourable.

For years #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay trended every Super Bowl Sunday, with fans searching for “Justice for Janet”.

For his part, Jackson has said that the incident was “blown out of proportion”, adding in 2022 that the two are good friends, that it was an accident and that they have both moved on.