Image Source: Wikipedia, MSN
Think of two words - wardrobe malfunction - and of course, Janet Jackson instantly pops up into your mind. The singer was the first person who's very public tearing down of costume had led to the coining of the term, which has since been used pretty frequently when it comes to outfits of the A-Listers in Hollywood. And yet, there is still too much about the original incident that is not very clear to the audience.
Janet Jackson was and continues to be a prominent name in the Hollywood industry. Still, a few scandals like the Michael Jackson allegations of sexual abuse crime and massively failed costume reveal at the Super Bowl with Justin Timberlake made her notorious. While not many got to listen to the end of these scandals, Janet Jackson is now again opening up about all that followed these allegations in her upcoming documentary. The series holds the key for everything from the death of Michael Jackson, Janet's brother, and the allegations marred against him.
Offering a much-needed insight into her famous life, which was dragged to dregs after her Super Bowl scandal, the docuseries show a side of Janet Jackson's story never shared before. The project 'Janet Jackson' will include interviews of the star, along with many videos of her home life, how the Jackson family fared after the famous Michal Jackson was dead, and also the alleged child sexual abuse crime that followed Jackson to his death and even beyond.
Lifetime TV shared an extended trailer of the documentary series, where Jackson is seen talking about what it means to bear her last name. She is heard saying in the trailer, "There's a great deal of scrutiny that comes with having that last name." The clip continues to show deceased Pop King's Neverland Ranch estate and another video where he is accompanied by Janet and their mother, Katherine Jackson, as they head out of a court following a hearing into Jackson's allegation regarding child abuse.
When Janet is asked if the "allegations" labeled against her brother also had an impact on her career, she replied, "Yeah" and added, "Guilty by association. I guess that's what they call it, right?"
At the end of the 2005 trial, Michael was found innocent, and all charges against him were dropped, which previously claimed that he had sexually abused a young boy of 13. Back in 1993, he was convicted of abusing another teenage boy, also of 13, but those charges were dismissed, too.
And yet, more allegations followed him to his grave as two other alleged victims accused Jackson of molesting them when they were children. The cases filed against the star who died at 50 were also ruled in Jackson's favor. The two accusers sat down with HBO later in 2019 and talked about the abuse they had to suffer at the hands of Michael Jackson in a documentary, Leaving Neverland.' Yet the surviving Jacksons have always denied all the claims.
While Janet Jackson never openly talked about any of the allegations, the singer has always supported her family and her brother and was seen with him during hearings at times.
Janet Jackson suffered a wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl performance; Credits: Medium
Nevertheless, there was another career mistake just waiting to happen, which would then bring the singing career of the pop star to an immediate halt. Janet Jackson had succeeded her brother to rule the pop industry back in the 2000s, but one memorable Super Bowl event turned the wind against her. This time, she was performing with Justin Timberlake when the singer went on to pull down Janet's costume, only to tear at it and reveal a little too much.
The 2004 event became known as the first predecessor of a massive wardrobe malfunction event. Both Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson apologized for the massive mistake that was to choreograph such a risky stunt, and while they had initially only planned for a costume reveal, the moment had led to tearing down of Janet's shirt, exposing her all the way to her nipple shield.
Not many people were sympathetic for Janet after the tragedy, and a lot of people noted that while Janet was being dragged down from the heights of her career after the disastrous show, Justin Timberlake only got to enjoy immense success.
The documentary that Janet produced along with her brother Randy Jackson follows along the line of the series synopsis, which reads: "Janet has enjoyed immense success but also seen incredible tragedy." It continues, "She has endured a tumultuous private life in the face of extraordinary public scrutiny. With no stone left unturned, Janet Jackson lifts the lid on her private life for the very first time and reveals the most intimate moments of the star ever caught on camera."
The synopsis further read, "The documentary details Janet's return to the world stage following a sudden break from music. Speaking like never before, Janet also discusses everything, including her Super Bowl appearance with Justin Timberlake in 2004, the death of her brother Michael and becoming a mother later in life. And with her own romantic relationship having broken down, she starts to look back at her own life and reflect on her fight to the top."
Another documentary about the drastic 2004 Super Bowl performance aired last year in 2021 November. The New York Times documentary 'Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson' showed how the audience at the event, the show, and TV producers, along with the media, criticized only Janet for the dress reveal mishap, while it was Justin Timberley who had made the mistake. Needless to say, he particularly profited off of the situation. The singer later apologized to Janet in 2021.
Janet Jackson talk about her famous life in Lifetime documentary; Credits: Variety
"They build you up," said Janet of her experience, "and then once you get there, they're so quick to tear you down."
