Tom Brady Says Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction 'Probably a Good Thing' for NFL
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Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Kevin Mazur/WireImage
They do say there's no such thing as bad publicity, right? Newly-retired NFL star Tom Brady seems to think so, anyway.
Brady, 45, shared his thoughts on the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show that shocked the world when Janet Jackson suffered a wardrobe malfunction at the hands of Justin Timberlake. The former NFL star was competing in the big game that year and went on to lead the New England Patriots to a title over the Carolina Panthers.
During Monday's episode of his SiriusXM podcast, Let's Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray, Brady said, "It took a while for us to figure out exactly what had gone on."
The seven-time Super Bowl champ recalled that he "didn't see much" when the wardrobe malfunction happened. "I'd much rather not see it when I'm playing," he added.
Brady told his co-host that ultimately, the moment brought in more views for the NFL. "I think in the end, it was probably a good thing for the NFL because everyone got to talk about it, and it was just more publicity and more publicity for halftime shows. Is any publicity bad publicity? That's what they say, so, who knows?"
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Brady recalled the infamous halftime performance, but said he wasn't able to answer reporters' questions about the moment afterward because he was too focused on the game.
"[The media was] asking me about that," Brady remembered. "I couldn't even understand what they were telling me about. They said, 'Did you see the halftime show?' and I said, 'I didn't see anything.' I was thinking about the game."
KMazur/WireImage Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at Super Bowl XXXVIII
In 2021, Timberlake, now 42, offered a belated apology to Jackson. "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism," Timberlake said at that time. "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."
Immediately after the halftone moment, controversy ensued. Timberlake and Jackson issued apologies, and the Federal Communications Commission charged CBS — the network that broadcast the game that year — with a $550,000 indecency fine for the incident, dubbed "Nipplegate."
During a 2006 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson stated that she felt "all the emphasis was put on me" following the controversy "as opposed to us."
Asked if she felt like Timberlake had "left her hanging," the singer replied, "to a certain degree, yeah."
RELATED VIDEO: Janet Jackson's Brothers React to Justin Timberlake's Apology for Super Bowl Incident: We 'Thank Him'
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"The industry is flawed," Timberlake said in his 2021 mea culpa. "It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It's designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this."
"I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be part of a world that uplifts and supports," Timberlake said then. "I care deeply about the well-being of the people I love and have loved."
