Tom Brady Said Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Wardrobe Malfunction ‘Was Probably a Good Thing for the NFL’

Icon of the NFL and recently re-retired quarterback Tom Brady waded into muddy waters and found himself at the center of some backlash. He said Janet Jackson’s 2004 wardrobe malfunction was “probably a good thing for the NFL,” and that statement caught attention since she faced significant repercussions in her iconic career.

Janet Jackson and the 2004 Super Bowl halftime introduced us to the term wardrobe malfunction

In 2004, Jackson hit the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage with Justin Timberlake, who — long story short — ripped off part of her costume during their choreography. Her breast was then exposed in front of an audience of more than 140 million.

Some people suggested Timberlake planned the stunt for publicity, hoping to top his ex Britney Spears’ triple kiss with Madonna and Christina Aguilera. For instance, stylist Wayne Scot Lukas told Page Six that Timberlake “insisted on doing something bigger than their performance. He wanted a reveal.”

Timberlake called it a “wardrobe malfunction” in his apology, but Lukas said, “I wouldn’t call it a wardrobe ‘malfunction’ in a million years. It was the most functioning wardrobe in history. As a stylist, it did what it was intended to do.”

In fact, according to him, it was plan B. “Janet was going to be in a Rocha dress, and [Justin] was going to step on the back of her dress to reveal her butt in this pearl G-string,” he told Page Six. But “the outfit changed a couple of days before …”

Jackson’s career suffered for the incident, though Timberlake’s didn’t.

Tom Brady said Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction probably benefited the NFL

On an episode of the Let’s Go podcast, Brady recalled the atmosphere at the Super Bowl after Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, which he said he did not witness himself. However, he was at the game, competing for the New England Patriots.

“We came off the field and that was when we had the wardrobe malfunction with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson,” Brady said. “And they were asking me about that. I couldn’t even understand what they were telling me about.”

He explained, “They said, ‘Did you see the halftime show?’ and I said, ‘I didn’t see anything.’ I was thinking about the game.”

Though it took some time for Brady and his teammates “to figure out exactly what had gone on,” he said it was ultimately a benefit to the league. “I think, in the end, it was probably a good thing for the NFL,” he offered. “Because everyone got to talk about it, and it was just more publicity and more publicity for halftime shows.”

He then asked, “Is any publicity bad publicity?” before noting, “That’s what they say, so, who knows?”

Tom Brady faced backlash for his comment about Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction

Since Jackson’s career had such a downturn after the 2004 incident, Brady’s take was slammed by people like Star Trek alum George Takei, who tweeted a link to an article on Twitter and wrote, “He can’t be serious.”

Though Jackson didn’t address Brady’s comments, she shared a message of gratitude and positivity for fans on Instagram. She wrote, “I just want to let you know how much I love and appreciate YOU! Thank [you] for all of the love and support — every day.”