Janet Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction was allegedly deliberately planned as part of her 2004 halftime performance.
That’s according to her longtime fashion designer.
Challenging the account of the incident that sparked one of pop music’s biggest controversies, Wayne Scot Lukas, 61, claimed in an interview with TMZ Sports the singer’s outfit was altered just two days before the Super Bowl XXXVIII half-time show in Houston, Texas, to allow Justin Timberlake to expose her breast during their performance.
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The designer said the original plan had been changed to create a more provocative moment, although Jackson, 60, has consistently maintained that the exposure was accidental.
Speaking about the incident, Lukas disputed the description of what happened as a wardrobe malfunction, arguing the clothing had been specifically constructed to allow part of it to be removed.
He told TMZ Sports: “(Justin Timberlake) coined the term wardrobe malfunction, which blamed it on me.”
“So, you have to understand my mother’s bible study group was watching the show and they’re all excited to see Wayne’s big project and then Justin goes, ‘It’s just a little wardrobe malfunction. We want to give you something to talk about’,” he said.
That infamous “wardrobe malfunction” wasn’t an accident, Janet Jackson’s designer says. (EPA PHOTO) Credit: AAP
The incident occurred during the closing moments of the halftime show on February 1, 2004, when Timberlake, now 45, joined Jackson on stage for a performance of his hit Rock Your Body.
As the song reached its final moments, he pulled away part of Jackson’s black bustier, exposing her right breast to an estimated television audience of more than 140 million viewers.
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The exposure lasted only a fraction of a second but prompted widespread complaints, intense media scrutiny and a debate about broadcasting standards in the United States.
According to Lukas, the original plan had involved Jackson briefly exposing part of her backside rather than her breast.
The designer showed TMZ a G-string he claimed had been intended for the initial version of the performance.
He said the concept was subsequently altered following discussions about making the show more provocative.
The designer said the fallout affected his career as well as Jackson’s, with the incident prompting questions about who had been responsible for the exposure.
“He never kind of made up with any of us,” he said.
“We all lost a lot of work. I had morals clauses in my contracts, I was losing jobs. I just had to stay quiet and supported my friend Janet, and I did.”
Janet Jackson maintains the exposure was accidental. Credit: AAP
He described the outfit as the “most functioning wardrobe in history” and claimed that production decisions had left “Janet out hanging.”
The designer’s comments represent his account of the incident and do not establish that Janet had agreed to the exposure.
The singer has previously maintained the incident was accidental.
Following the performance, Jackson faced considerable professional repercussions, including the withdrawal of an invitation to attend the Grammy Awards later that month.
The incident also led to a lengthy dispute involving the US Federal Communications Commission and CBS, the network that broadcast the Super Bowl.
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