It was a moment that well and truly stole the attention of the 2004 Super Bowl, and now the infamous ‘nipplegate‘ drama is set to get the documentary treatment from those who created Framing Britney Spears.
In case you missed the defining moment in pop culture history, pearls were clutched over a saucy halftime performance starring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, which culminated in JT removing Janet’s breast plate to reveal – shock horror – her nipple.
While the moment was blamed on a ‘wardrobe malfunction’, Janet copped the majority of the backlash while Justin seemed to get off scot-free, a double standard that has enraged fans ever since the incident first kicked off.
CBS, who broadcasted the show, later copped a whopping US$550,000 – the largest fine ever given to a broadcaster.
According to the New York Post, the doco sounds like it’s going to be juicy as hell, with an insider telling the publication: “It’s going to be all about the fallout and the suits who fucked over Janet [at] Viacom.”
“They’re reaching out to everyone who was involved: dancers, stylists, directors. Everyone,” the source continued.
Following the success of Framing Britney Spears, which also took a look at Justin Timberlake’s relationship with the star, JT released an apology amid growing criticism of his treatment of the ‘Lucky’ singer.
Love Pop?
Get the latest Pop news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns [on social media] and I want to respond,” he wrote at the time.
“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,” he wrote on Instagram. “I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
The apology drew renewed interest in the 2004 ‘nipplegate’ incident, with the creators of Britney’s doco choosing to jump on board in examining the incident in another documentary.
“They did the Britney doc without [Spears], and there’s been more interest in the Super Bowl since that documentary premiered and Justin apologised to [both Spears and Jackson recently],” the source said.
It comes following tea was spilled by Janet Jackson’s former stylist Wayne Scot Lukas, who designed her costume for the halftime show.
He recently claimed that Timberlake had basically set up the entire wardrobe malfunction in order to outdo ex-girlfriend Britney.
“He insisted on doing something bigger than [when Spears kissed Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards]. He wanted a reveal,” Scot Lukas said.
He also slammed the now-famous term ‘wardrobe malfunction,’ which he said Timberlake had coined.
“I wouldn’t call it a wardrobe ‘malfunction’ in a million years. It was the most functioning wardrobe in history. As a stylist, it did what it was intended to do,” the designer said.
For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer and the Pop Observer.
Watch Timberlake perform with Jackson below:
