What Michael Jackson Thought Of Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy

Nine children in the Jackson family went on to be entertainers, making it a uniquely successful entertainment dynasty. No doubt the biggest name in the family is Michael Jackson, who began his career as the cherubic lead vocalist in the Jackson 5. He went on to have a scintillating career that made him one of the most famous people on the planet before his tragic death in 2009. But the second-most successful member of the Jackson family wasn't in the Jackson 5 at all. That honor goes to the youngest of the children, Janet Jackson, born May 16, 1966. Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 1982, she has become a hugely influential R&B icon, with megastars including Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears citing her as an influence.

Janet Jackson's enduring appeal was such that she was invited to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2004, a prestigious gig for any artist. The set featured a guest spot with her collaborator, ex-N'SYNC star Justin Timberlake, who was then at the height of his popularity. However, it became notorious after a so-called "wardrobe malfunction" saw Timberlake tear Janet's costume to reveal her right breast, causing an enormous backlash from critics over what some considered intentional public indecency.

Janet was forced to apologize continuously in the months following, and it remained a major talking point in the mainstream media. Of course, her big brother Michael was himself no stranger to controversy, and he thought the incident was overblown. "Actually I was looking right at it, and I didn't see it," he told Giraldo Rivera in a 2005 interview on Fox News (via YouTube).

Janet and Michael Jackson's habit of standing up for each other in turbulent times wasn't unprecedented. In fact, it had previously been the basis of a commercial and critical high point in both artists' careers. In 1995, Michael's career had been sullied by years of what he considered intrusive tabloid press attention, which only increased in 1993 when he faced sexual abuse allegations. Though the case was settled out of court and no criminal charges were filed, Michael remained embittered by his press treatment, which seeped into his music. 

His hit single "Scream," the first to debut in the Hot 100 Top 5, was accompanied by a memorable space-age music video that featured zero-gravity effects and slow motion. Most notably, it featured Janet and Michael smashing objects and spitting venom about the "injustice" and "schemes" of those who had damaged his reputation. "It was his song, and I was there to support him," she remembered in 2022. "I think he needed the support that I was trying to give him," she later added. However, Janet has admitted that her career has been damaged by accusations against her brother, particularly when Michael was put on trial after facing charges in the 2000s. He was subsequently acquitted.

Though footage from their writing sessions shows the siblings seemingly having a fun time together as they pen a future classic, Janet says the reality of the creation of "Scream" was quite different. While the shooting schedule for the big-budget video ballooned, the label also seemed eager to draw out the competitiveness of the two performers. "I wanted it to feel like old times, between he and I, and it didn't," Janet admitted. "Old times had long passed."

Despite feeling as though he had been thrown under the bus by the press a decade earlier, Michael Jackson did publicly address the Super Bowl halftime show scandal in the aftermath of the incident. Speaking to Fox News' Geraldo Rivera in 2005, Michael said he gave Janet Jackson some words of advice after the incident. "Be strong, this too shall pass, don't worry about it, I've seen worse things," he recalled telling his sister, referring to the 1974 Oscars scandal in which a streaker made it onto the stage. Michael noted that it was later laughed off by the public as nothing more than a joke.

Michael claimed to have been watching the event at the home of a friend when the incident occurred. Despite watching it live on a huge TV, he says he was unaware that any wardrobe malfunction had taken place until news reports the next day alerted him to the furor. He also refused to be drawn on whether Janet's connection with her controversial brother in any way exacerbated her press treatment, but Rivera himself stressed that he believed the scandal was amplified by the press as a result. For more details of the backlash, read what really happened after Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction.