Justin Timberlake may be returning to the Super Bowl halftime show 14 years since being involved in a wardrobe malfunction scandal with Janet Jackson.
UsWeekly reported that, according to an insider, the 36-year-old musician is finalizing his deal to perform at the 2018 show at Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium.
In 2004, Timberlake’s performance with Jackson, in which he ripped off part of her outfit to reveal a pasty but instead revealed her right breast, led to weeks of discussion and controversy. It ultimately led to a rule change, and the Federal Communications Commission required a five-second broadcast delay during live performances.
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Fallout from the malfunction disproportionately affected Jackson. Rolling Stone reported that the malfunction at the show, which was produced by MTV, led to an essential blacklisting of the singer by CBS and MTV's parent company Viacom. The singer's music videos were kept off of MTV, VH1 and radio stations under the umbrella. The blacklisting was blamed by Jackson's fans for the underperformance of her album that was released five weeks after the Super Bowl performance.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for EIF
Christopher Polk/Getty Images for EIF
The report of Timberlake's involvement comes after rumors that Jay-Z turned down the slot.
In a Sept. 14 radio interview, Kelly Clarkson said she wouldn't do the halftime show because she'd have to pay to do it.
“I’m not paying; you pay me,” she said. “I heard that and I’m like, ‘Wait. I’ve been doing this too long, y’all. I ain’t paying people.’”
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