Tom Brady says Janet Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl incident was ‘probably a good thing for the NFL’
‘Is any publicity bad publicity? That’s what they say, so, who knows?’ NFL star said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NFL star Tom Brady said that Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show was “probably a good thing” for the sport.
During the 2004 performance, Justin Timberlake ripped off a piece of Jackson’s clothing and exposed her breast to millions of viewers while the two performed “Rock Your Body”.
Brady recalled the incident during a recent episode of his Let’s Go! podcast with former NFL player Larry Fitzgerald and sportscaster Jim Gray.
“I didn’t see much. I’d much rather not see it when I’m playing,” Brady said about the famous halftime shows.
“Even I remember when we beat Carolina… We came off the field and that was when we had the wardrobe malfunction with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. [The media was] asking me about that. I couldn’t even understand what they were telling me about. They said, ‘Did you see the halftime show?’ and I said, ‘I didn’t see anything.’ I was thinking about the game.”
He continued: “It took a while for us to figure out exactly what had gone on,” Brady continued. “I think in the end, it was probably a good thing for the NFL because everyone got to talk about it, and it was just more publicity and more publicity for halftime shows. Is any publicity bad publicity? That’s what they say, so, who knows?”
The Independent has contacted Jackson’s representatives for comment.
Jackson, who dubbed the incident a “wardrobe malfunction”, had her songs banned from radio and her career permanently scarred by the episode, which was dubbed “Nipplegate”. Meanwhile, Timberlake escaped with little criticism and his career went from strength to strength.
Timberlake issued an apology to Jackson and Britney Spears in 2021, as scrutiny over his past “missteps” intensified following the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary.
“I care for and respect these women and I know I failed,” he wrote.
The incident is further explored in Jackson’s 2022 Lifetime documentary. In it, the “Better Days” singer revealed they had “moved on” from the incident, adding that “it’s time for everyone else to do the same”.
“Justin and I are very good friends, and we will always be very good friends,” she told fans in a clip recorded in Miami last year.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments