While the latest New York Times documentary Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson has everyone talking, Jackson is reportedly “not interested” in the FX/Hulu original.
The New York Times and FX/Hulu made major headlines earlier this year when they premiered their The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears highlighting the conservatorship the pop star had endured for more than a decade. The documentary may have led to Spears finally being released from this conservatorship earlier this month.
The new documentary specifically highlights Jackson and the controversy surrounding her infamous Super Bowl performance from 2004. Jackson was publicly criticized after what was described as a “wardrobe malfunction” led to Justin Timberlake briefly exposing her breast onstage.
Timberlake apologized for the gaffe, but many felt he left Jackson to bear the brunt of the public outrage.
Per the official Deadline description, the documentary specifically details the fallout of what was deemed “Nipplegate,” examines “the racial and cultural currents that collided on the Super Bowl stage, and explores how the incident impacted one of the most successful pop musicians in history.”
Jackson, however, wants no part of the doc, per Page Six.
Wayne Scot Lukas, Jackson’s former stylist who designed the now infamous costume she wore for the Super Bowl performance told the outlet: “She wants that documentary to go away. She didn’t ask for a ‘Free Janet’ documentary. She’s not interested.”
Jackson reportedly has major issues with the notion that the Super Bowl performance in any way “ended” her career. A source told Page Six, “It didn’t end her career. She still broke records with albums, and she was just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
As theGrio has previously reported, Jackson’s refusal to be involved in this documentary could also have something to do with her own doc scheduled for Lifetime next year. Her documentary event, JANET. — “promises to offer unprecedented access to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s life, and an intimate, honest, and unfiltered look at the untold story of one of the highest-earning artists in music history,” per Variety.
The project will include exclusive documentary footage from the past three years. Variety also reports it will spend time on the Super Bowl, the loss of her brother Michael, her father Joseph, and more. The documentary event is produced by both Janet and her brother Randy Jackson, and is directed by Ben Hirsch.
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