Wayne Scot Lukas is speaking out against Janet Jackson’s reported involvement in Justin Timberlake’s upcoming Apple TV docuseries.
The veteran stylist, who dressed Jackson for her infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance, said in an exclusive interview on Friday that he is “disappointed” by the news. “I’m disappointed because she’s cooler, and she’s smarter, and knows better, so I don’t know if she is going to be in it,” he said.
“I don’t think she should do it. I think she was treated dirty during this,” Lukas added.
Reports said earlier this week that Jackson, 58, will appear in Timberlake’s four-part docuseries, set for release on Apple TV in December. The outlet claimed she will discuss the “wardrobe malfunction” — a phrase Lukas says Timberlake himself coined — that occurred during their Super Bowl XXXVIII performance in February 2004.
Lukas has carried the professional fallout for two decades. “Who wants to hire a stylist who’s known for doing the wardrobe malfunction — especially when it was the most functioning wardrobe in history?” he told the outlet.
He recalled being silenced in the immediate aftermath. “The wardrobe malfunction comment was shocking, and I went to fix it, and my attorney said, ‘You can’t speak,'” he said.
According to Lukas, the stunt was choreographed to play out very differently than it did on live television. “They keep throwing me under the bus. It’s like, no, honey, it was supposed to rip, grab, [cameras] cut to black and fireworks,” he explained of the production plan. He claimed Timberlake was meant to rip off Jackson’s bra to briefly expose her breast, but only for a split second before the broadcast cut away.
Lukas further alleged that Timberlake’s absence from rehearsals was used to shift blame, when in fact the pop star had practiced the move repeatedly. “Janet was left hanging there, bouncing… and they pushed the blame. They said Justin wasn’t there to rehearse it. Justin rehearsed it several times before we went on the air,” he claimed.
The stylist said he had hoped to finally tell his side when he was interviewed for Jackson’s 2022 Lifetime docuseries, but the singer shut him down. “She said, ‘Don’t talk about it. I’m going to handle it.’ And I thought she was… I’m watching the documentary, and I’m lauding how much I love her and at the end, she takes a cellphone and goes, ‘Oh, just get over it.’ That wasn’t what was supposed to happen in her documentary,” he recalled.
In that documentary’s closing moments, Jackson appeared in a self-recorded video calling the incident an accident and revealing she and Timberlake remained “very good friends.” She stated: “Honestly, this whole thing was blown way out of proportion. And, of course, it was an accident that should not have happened, but everyone is looking for someone to blame and that’s got to stop.” The “Control” singer added that both she and Timberlake had moved on and encouraged “everyone else to do the same.”
Lukas hopes any discussion in Timberlake’s docuseries finally acknowledges the planning behind the stunt. “Guys, we made a plan. It didn’t work as we wanted it to. It went a little messy. We’re sorry we lied for 22 years because you fans have believed in us and trusted us, and you’ve attacked everybody around us as if they were lying,” he said, outlining the mea culpa he wants to hear.
“But it was never us. It was covering for celebrity and loving the two of them, because they’re very talented and kind,” Lukas concluded.
The 2004 Super Bowl halftime show featured Jackson and Timberlake performing his hit “Rock Your Body.” During the finale, Timberlake reached across Jackson’s chest and tore away part of her outfit, exposing her right breast to an estimated 140 million viewers. The incident triggered a record $550,000 FCC fine against CBS, though it was later overturned on appeal, and fueled a cultural firestorm that many observers noted fell disproportionately on Jackson while Timberlake’s career continued largely unscathed.
Timberlake’s four-part Apple TV docuseries is scheduled for release in December.