Justin Timberlake is distancing himself from a seriously awkward comment his manager made to Janet Jackson recently.
The 40-year-old Can't Stop The Feeling singer has revealed he was "completely unaware" that his manager Johnny Wright asked Jackson, 54, to forgive the star for exposing her breast during their infamous 2004 Super Bowl performance.
"Justin was not aware of his comment to her. Johnny did this all on his own," Timberlake's camp told Page Six, as reported yesterday (April 2).
Screenshots have been shared online of the comment that Wright – former manager to Jackson and Britney Spears – wrote under one of the All For You singer's posts.
In a comment that appears to have been deleted, the 60-year-old was responding to an inspirational quote Jackson had posted on Instagram last weekend.
Jackson's very profound post read: "Always choose to heal, not hurt. To forgive, not to despise. To persevere, not to quit. To smile, not to frown. And to love, not to hate."
In response to the poignant words, Wright commented: "You should take this advice and to apply it to your relationship with Justin [sic]."
However, at the time of their 2004 Super Bowl performance, Jackson – rather than Timberlake – caught a lot of flak for the wardrobe malfunction from the press. This was highlighted by fans in the fallout from the recent documentary Framing Britney Spears.
Wright's comment comes several weeks after Timberlake made a public apology to Jackson and Spears in February for not speaking up in an industry in which he benefits "from a system that condones misogyny and racism."
"I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the time in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right.
"I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.
"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.
"I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be part of and grow from."
Featured image credit: MARKA / Alamy Stock Photo
