Tom Brady Called Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction Good Thing for NFL, Gets Lambasted

Words spoken cannot be taken back, and retired NFL star Tom Brady proved it right. Regret or no regret, Brady's remark still echoes when he called the 2004 wardrobe malfunction of Janet Jackson by Justin Timberlake a "good publicity" for the NFL. The 45-year-old former footballer is being slammed for his "ignorant" comment to date.

If we go back in time, the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show was a shocker for millions of viewers, including Jackson. The Any Time, Any Place singer suffered a shameful moment on stage while performing the song Rock Your Body. Timberlake accidentally ripped a piece of her top, revealing her bosoms, per Daily Mail.

After the embarrassing show, the 57-year-old singer took most of the blame upon herself, and unfortunately, her musical career plummeted; however, Timberlake's professional life skyrocketed from there. She suffered the loss to the extremes where some people speculated her music was being 'blacklisted' from radio and MTV. 

Brady, who was playing at the time, spoke to Let's Go! Podcast in February 2023 about the whole on-stage scandal. But his perspective on the issue disappointed several people, with some saying his remark over it was 'ignorant' and 'insensitive.' 

He said, "I think in the end, it was probably a good thing for the NFL because everyone got to talk about it. It was just more publicity and more publicity for halftime shows. Is any publicity bad publicity? That's what they say, so who knows?" 

Several people blasted Brady and criticized him on Twitter. A Twitter user, @yayacastro9, slammed, "Janet was humiliated & shunned by the industry. Have some respect." A second user, @BeautifulGhostz, questioned, "Does he not think before he says such weird things?" 

A third user, @nextpopboy, retorted, "Funny that after that Janet Jackson became an eternal villain for the North American media and her albums had low performance, but JT continued to sell a lot and even had his own solo show on the Halftime Show sometime later." @slyjooo, corrected, "Maybe for the NFL, but for Janet? Justin Timberlake destroyed her career." 

In 2021, Timberlake apologized to Jackson for tearing apart her clothing at the 2004 Super Bowl. On the surface, it was a mere accident, but Jackson was crucified despite being innocent. Although she was wearing a nipple cover, still her "exposed self" shocked everybody.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Timberlake 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." He added, "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited a system that condones misogyny and racism."

He continued, "The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It's designed this way." He concluded, "I have not been perfect in navigating all of this throughout my career. 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." 

Both MTV and Viacom clarified in a statement that it was not scripted or a part of the plan to gain attention. Both Jackson and Timberlake referred to it as a 'wardrobe malfunction.' Despite this, the All For You singer was banned by Viacom and was refrained from attending the Grammy Awards.