Justin Timberlake’s ex-manager tells Janet Jackson to take her own advice, forgive singer
Both artists were part of the Super Bowl controversy in 2004
Justin Timberlake appears to be desperate to repair his relationship with Janet Jackson, as his former manager wants the music icon to forgive the singer for exposing her breast during their infamous Super Bowl performance in 2004.
When Jackson shared an inspirational quote on social media urging her fans to “always choose to heal, not to hurt” and “to forgive, not to despise,” Timberlake’s ex-manager Johnny Wright fired back, suggesting the songstress follow her own advice.
“You should take this advice and apply it to your relationship with Justin,’ he allegedly wrote under Jackson’s Instagram, per Daily Mail. Screenshots of his comments were shared by Jackson’s followers on Twitter.
Read More: Justin Timberlake apologizes to Janet Jackson, Britney Spears for past actions
As theGrio previously reported, Timberlake and Jackson were part of the Super Bowl controversy in 2004, where he ripped a pastie off of her attire and exposed the “Control” singer’s nipple.
He dubbed it a “wardrobe” malfunction, but Jackson’s career suffered, whereas Timberlake’s continued to soar and did not publicly stand up for the star.
In recent years, #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay has become prominent on social media during Super Bowl Sunday to highlight Jackson’s artistry and influence.
theGrio’s Matthew Allen said of Timberlake that, “like most white Americans fascinated with Black culture; he feels like he wants to participate in it based on how cool it makes him feel. But when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan, he hides his head in the sand like a dancing ostrich.”
“Justin Timberlake is not a culture vulture. Justin is just a coward. A dense coward at that,” Allen added.
Last May, Timberlake posted a photo of Ahmaud Arbery to his Instagram page after a video of his murder went viral. “If you’re not outraged, you should be. Justice for #AhmaudArbery,” he wrote. While his intentions may have been good, he sparked outrage by turning off the comments on the post.
In February, Timberlake finally acknowledged his problematic attitude about his fallout with Jackson in an Instagram post and admitted he benefited from misogyny and racism.
“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond,” he wrote. “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. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
Read More: Janet Jackson two-part documentary set at Lifetime and A&E
He continued, “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.”
His apology to Spears was related to Timberlake’s 2002 breakout song and video “Cry Me A River” which he dropped after his breakup with the “Toxic” superstar. The song’s lyrics accused Spears of cheating on him.
He used a Spears look-alike in the visual for the song, which peaked at #3 on Hot 100.
Timberlake’s apology concluded with him declaring that he felt a need to respond, especially in light of the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary. It shed light on Spear’s rise and fall, including how Timberlake is perceived to have taken advantage of for his own benefit even as she suffered a public breakdown.
“I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be part of and grow from.”
Meanwhile, Jackson fans replied to Wright’s comment by noting that the five-time Grammy Award-winning superstar “don’t owe Justin a damn thing.”
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