Justin Timberlake has for years been on the receiving end of criticism for his handling of his breakup with Britney Spears and the wardrobe malfunction his co-headliner Janet Jackson experienced at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.
Fans of both Spears and Jackson have ridiculed the “Cry Me a River” singer for lacking empathy and refusing to stand up to defend either of the women, who both faced public backlash in relation to Timberlake. The former NSYNC member has been under the microscope after some of the revelations in the FX documentary “Framing Britney Spears.”
The film, which was produced by The New York Times, alludes to Timberlake falsely placing blame on Spears when the couple parted ways in 2002, which became the fodder for celebrity magazines. That media spin led to public perception of Spears as an adulterous heartbreaker, the documentary purports. Some also have given credence to that sentiment due to the Grammy Award winner’s “Cry Me a River” as an example of Timberlake’s efforts to imply Spears caused their breakup.
“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.
“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 failure with Jackson, many commentators have said, was when her nipple was exposed during their halftime performance. Though both, according to footage, were involved with the moment of exposure, Jackson was criticized and some insinuated she purposely revealed her breasts as a part of a stunt. Timberlake remained quiet as those murmurings stirred online and in publications. Jackson has not returned to perform at any Super Bowl shows, but Timberlake was invited back as a solo halftime performer in 2018.
On Saturday, Jackson posted a video on her Twitter giving thanks to her fans for their support. Draped in a scarf and wearing sunglasses, she explained how she began to cry for the recent jolt in digital record sales of her legendary album “Control.” The album rose to No. 1 last week, 35 years after it debuted. She never named Timberlake or spoke to the apology, but many took her response as an indirect acknowledgment of Timberlake’s apology.
After nearly 20 years of Timberlake not speaking on these mistakes, some on social media were not receptive to Timberlake’s public apology. Some painted it as an act of obligation after his Instagram and Twitter accounts were flooded with posts from angry fans this week.
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