Music
15 Feb 21

Justin Timberlake apologises to Janet Jackson and Britney Spears

“I want to take accountability for my own missteps,” Timberlake wrote.

Justin Timberlake has issued a statement in light of the Framing Britney Spears documentary via Instagram. The documentary, which focuses on Spears' controversial conservatorship, outlines the part Timberlake had to play in damaging the public perception of Spears, following their very public breakup in the early 2000's.

During that time, Spears was vilified by the media while Timberlake went on radio shows where he boasted about sleeping with her.

"I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or I did not speak up for what was right," Timberlake said in his statement. "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism,” he wrote. “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.”

Timberlake has been criticised for years for the way he handled a situation during the 2004 Superbowl Halftime Show, where he exposed Janet Jackson's nipple in what was later reported as a wardrobe malfunction. The incident resulted in the Grammy's rescinding Jackson's invitation that year, and the blacklisting of her music videos from MTV.

Timberlake was allowed to perform at and attend the Grammy Awards that year after issuing an apology. In an interview with Zane Lowe back in 2018, Timberlake said he “stumbled through” what happened with Jackson, and that “I had my wires crossed and it's just something that you have to look back on and go, like, ‘Ok, well you know, you can't change what's happened but you can move forward and learn from it.’”

Read Timberlake's full apology below.