A day after Twitter damn near went up in flames at news the NFL and the Super Bowl Halftime Show sponsor Pepsi confirmed Justin Timberlake would be the 2018 headliner [click here to read more about that], the sports league is combatting reports that Janet Jackson was blacklisted from appearing at the spectacle.
Could there be #Justice4Janet after all? Details inside:
Three years after confirming to TMZ the pop icon was still “blacklisted” from the Super Bowl as a headliner (thanks to her 2004 “wardrobe malfunction”), the NFL is clarifying they never said she couldn’t come AT ALL.
According to TMZ Sports:
Now, with JT getting the SB52 halftime show, it’s clearly water under the bridge when it comes to his relationship with the NFL. But what about Janet?
We reached out to the league and we’re told straight-up, “There’s no ban.”
So, does this mean Timberlake will bring Janet on as a special guest?
An NFL spokesperson tells us, “We are not going to comment on any speculation regarding potential guests. There may be no guests. Along with Pepsi, we’re excited to have Justin Timberlake.”
*****
Opting not to expressly say “no” means that “yes” is still a possibility. The news only adds fuel to existent rumors the NFL, alongside headliner Timberlake, will use next year’s platform as an apology space for the professional and personal damage Jackson suffered as a result of the incident.
Here’s hoping so.
Your thoughts?
![Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025: Janet Jackson, Eminem, N.W.A., & Rodney Jerkins Nominated [Full List]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/janet-jackson-eminem-nwa-songwriters-hall-fame-tgj-464x260.jpg "Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025: Janet Jackson, Eminem, N.W.A., & Rodney Jerkins Nominated [Full List].")
B*******! They getting some heat now and just trying to save face! Whatever NFL! We are on to y’all!!!
who is we? a bunch of black fomos and single mothers?
The we is Janet Jackson fans obviously you dumb mfer
Shut the hell up. U sound dumb asf
Considering all the drama they put her through and didn’t put Justine through. Also all the protests going on with the NFL. Her best clapback is to not perform. Justin will not be a ratings draw and this will hurt the NFL where it counts, in their wallets.
This as actually a genuis move on behalf of the nfl. It will be a rating draw, but not because of JT. Screw him. It will be a ratings draw because ppl will be watching just to see if janet will make an apperance. In which cause she does she needs to stay 100 feet away from JT so he cant touch her. Lmao.
Exactly. This is rating baiting and they will have all these people anticipate a Janet appearance and there will be none and they will be a ratings winner.
I say don’t bother watching for the 30sec to 2 minutes you’ll get of Janet if she does appear, just start a new trend for Janet to have a show in 2018.
P.S. I reckon Justin will have Jay-z and Pharell as guests anyway
I agree Chasin Time! I wouldn’t give them the time of DAY!
Janet deserves a 15min apology by the entire network, NFL, Superbowl committee and everyone!
The Queen is back, and I expect them to roll out the red carpet for Janet Jackson
Ok let’s not run out, she still was wrong for stunt but they did her dirty.
She didn’t pull it off herself so how do we know JT was a stunt. Janet doesn’t need stunts or fashion shows…
This just confirms that there was never a lifetime, forever ban against Janet. The NFL will do whatever they feel is best marketing wise at the time.
lol stop drinking the koolaid and use google. they’re lying, they said there was a ban LAST YEAR when they announced gaga as the performer. theyre just trying to get ratings now lol.
If Justin wants to regain the black community support, he better bring Janet on stage….and redo that performance. How epic would that be?
They should never attempt to redo that performance it would be tacky. If anything they need to perform Rhythm Nation which is still as relevant today as it was when it was originally released.
Overall though this statement just seems like an attempt to save face.
Thats exactly what it is. They know damn well they said she had a lifetime ban, they’re just lying for ratings.
Rhythmic Nations isn’t relevant anywhere
@Angello
Put down the Doritos, get off the internet, and turn on the news. Everything that was going on then when Janet wrote this is unfortunately still going on now. Rhythm Nation is still very much relevant and to think other wise is to sit in ignorance.
But that’s the sad thing about all this. He never lost their support, Janet did. She took all the bullets & arrows while he took the pats on the back & the elevation of his career.
The black community turned their back on Janet. The black community needs to learn from this as we elevated Justin while ignoring and attempting to diminish the legacy of this black woman in doing so. Justin not only ignore
The black community turned their back on Janet. The black community needs to learn from this as we elevated Justin while ignoring and attempting to diminish the legacy of this black woman in doing so. Justin not only ignored and didn’t defend Janet but he went on to duet and perform with Madonna. The same woman who during her Super Bowl campaign maligned and talked about Janet as a negative. The so called feminist. He really showed no respect for Janet. I hope Janet doesn’t perform as she has already acknowledged that she doesn’t need the media or that spotlight with her latest album and tour. I hope she denounces the performance by letting everyone know that she won’t be performing. She doesn’t need to play this game of white privilege/white supremacy as she is above it. She should rightfully separate herself from Justin and be selective as she has been. If anything she should have learned about this from the last performance. She doesn’t need it and her community she not support Justin Timberlake.
You make good points but your timeline is kind of off. Madonna performed the super bowl in 2012 and JT performed with Madonna back in 2008.
This will be the ULTIMATE PR stunt if Janet performs – a good look for her, a great way to set up a 2018 album of new music, hysterical chatter and publicity for her that will only serve to elevate her profile once again to its rightful place amoung the greats of the stage. Of course, the flip side is JT gets to milk the publicity of making a public gesture of supporting one of the greats on a platform to promote his new Mcdonals pop album. Time will tell if the Urban community will buy into him in the same way they did back in the day…
Um, no. Janet Jackson is nobody’s pawn. And she is not gonna let them use her to make themselves look good, so forget it.
Exactly. Janet is not Madonna. She is not going to sell herself.
Y‘all act as if Justin has lost some audience, fans or fame due to what happened to Janet. When, in reality, no one really cared that he has not been blamed as she had been. And I did not see him lose fans in the black community either. With that being said, I would love seeing him bringing her up on that stage as an at least somewhat apology.
THEY ARE F*CKING LYING. THIS IS A RATINGS SCAM. They said again just last year that Janet was banned when they introduced Gaga as the halftime performer. Even the former NFL commissioner confirmed that there WAS a ban, stated that he had to fake his outrage along with the NFL over the whole incident which he also admitted they blew out of proportion. They’re telling this lie because they know folks nowadays have short memory spans & are too lazy to do research for the truth. They want ratings that’s why they’re telling this lie, and Janet is too much of an Iconic Queen to let them use her to make that boy b*tch look good.
Janet is extremely old I’m sorry. I’d rather have Rihanna or even Cardi B
Did you say Cardi B? You really wanna hear Bodak Yellow that bad? lol
TYPICAL HATER.. YOU CANNOT SAY ANYTHING POSITIVE?, THEN DON`T COMMENT ON JANET, AND YOUR MOTHER IS OLD
I’m so tired of these Stan’s of the talentless coming for legends!! Shut up!!
Janet is only 51, younger than a lot of people who played at the super bow in the last 10 years. And Cardi B has one hit. Nobody plays the super bowl with one hit.
@Angello Shut the f u c k up B****. You are jealous of Janet and that is why your troll a z z goes on every Janet post just to hate on her. You are an undercovet Janet fan
I am absolutely furious with Stella dahhling! It was supposed to be my Super Bowl this year! It would have totally been a festive moment for the fans. Maybe next year my #Lambily ?
lol, luh ya Mimi
Shut up fat troll
Of course they say now she wasn’t banned. That’s not what they were saying a few years ago.
I still wonder why he should apologize to her, let me guess, for being part of her publicity stunt?, or maybe because the stunt didn’t go as planned so she has to pretend it was an accident?, if anything she should apologize to him for letting people believe that he is responsible for something that was planned by herself, she’s a coward that won’t admit that she cannot pull a controversial act without destroying her career, she’s aint Madonna, I hope he doesn’t bring her back so that y’all explode in rage, you don’t know how pathetic y’all look defending her, if not he’s fault that we live in a society where women aren’t treated equally, he has no power or control over how people reacted to this, he’s a man, he will always get a pass, same thing if this was Usher or any other man, women are dragged for this kind of immoral act, unless you’re an unapologetic bicth like Madonna, there’s no place for a b**** who plays the victim, America knew that, and couldn’t stand her hypocrisy, deal with it.
YOU ARE UGLY
We know she’s not Madonna because she doesn’t move like there’s sawdust in her joints! Have several seats!! ?
Janet is not going to do the show even if Justin asked he. Janet is the queen of pop and music. She doesn’t bows down to anyone. Dont confuse your blonde ambition material girl Madonna who would sell herself out if this happened to her for Ms Jackson if your nasty (which you are!) . We all saw/see how desperate Madonna was for fortune and fame from the start of her career to the end! And yes Justin should have defended Janet as they evidently had a plan that went wrong unless Justin planned to strip Janet. He was the force that pulled at her bustier so clearly that was an agreed upon act. To incite that Janet a woman who grew up in a Fame and an extremely private person wanted to cause a publicity stunt only echoes Fox News and racist ignorant conservatives ready to vilify a powerful black woman. Why must Janet even be guilty. Why must Janet be evil or have ill intentions in your book? How did she or her prior work give any indication that she would do such a thing? So the fact that you don’t understand the reason why Justin should apologize doesn’t surprise any of us. Especially during the era of trump. If anything your speaking volumes and it’s no surprise you’re gunning for another black woman if not one of the most powerful in pop history. They clearly wanted to tarnish this woman’s fabulous legacy that sought to make social change as opposed to exploitation like Madonna.
Shut tge F U C K up up you racist f a g g o t!
Usher would not have gotten away with this stunt. He would not have been able to so easily apologize and walk away, especially had it been say Britney Spears instead of Janet Jackson.
Now I see your game, you don’t even believe half the sh*+ you say yet you do it cause you sadly live to get a rise out of people. It’s so pathetic it’s hilarious.
I’m trying to figure out why he’s on an urban blog. I could just picture his meth head looking ass ??
The damage has already been done! They tried to destroy the career of a legendary black superstar! They black listed her for over a decade and caused her music sales to suffer from lack of radio and video play. Unless the NFL pays Ms. Jackson 250 mil they can shut the f u c k up!
If any of you think that this was NOT the plan from the beginning. Your dumb. JT is smart and so is the NFL. Bringing him into the fold obviously would mean VIEWERSHIP GOLD. People will be watching JUST to see if he brings her out. If he does and they slay the stage together it will be the most talked about/sought out performance in Super Bowl History. Janet gets white america/pop status again…JT looks like a savior and they both drop new singles/material. THIS IS A WIN FOR EVERYONE!
Keep on dreaming. I bet Janet purposefully has a concert scheduled overseas the same day so everyone knows she won’t be there. Janet is not going to reduce herself to being this heshe’s special guest for superbowl nor is she going to overlook how was she was black balled by the NFL and Viacom for over a decade. JT performing at halftime means ratings decline.
The best thing for Janet to do, if she isn’t going to perform, is to release a statement and confirm she will not be performing.
Therefore the NFL can’t use the possibility of a surprise Janet cameo as a ratings draw for Justin TimberFAKE!
I agree 100%
That’s so true
I agree but with the superbowl not airing till next year she should use the media attention on her tour promotion. No reason for her to rush and make a statement right now.
@Jasmine: this is genius! Take the show to Japan and announce the dates on December 18th as a way of saying “I won’t be there”.
This is cool but if Janet says her epic line if you dont hear it from me line then im not going to watch it I dont want to see him. He should bring out britney spears lol
Wait no chris brown and usher since he wants to be like them so bad.
They’re LYING! The Janet ban talk didnt come from nowhere!! Now, they’re both
A.) Saving face, among the colin K scandle
B.) Getting folks watching to see if Janet show up
This would be two wins for them, but all fake. If Justin does have a special guest, watch it the other members of NSYNC, “Beyonce style”. I called it here first! Meantime, I hope Janet releases an official statement confirming, she will NOT be the guest to keep folks away from this telecast & back to protesting! Plus performing for the NFL period is NOT a good look right now anyway.
If I were Janet, I’d get that money and pull my thirty out again!!!
Say what you want about Janet not needing to be anyone’s pawn, but she already allowed that to happen when she apologized on TV and accepted responsibility for what happened. I can understand why she did it, but people were determined to hold the incident against her. Janet’s career is still suffering, unfortunately. Her choreography and music is still great, so there’s really no other excuse for the steep decline in music and ticket sales other than what happened at the Superbowl. I’ve seen Janet in concert 4 times. The arenas were always full until after the Superbowl. Last week in Kansas City, the entire upper level of the arena was closed off; they made no attempt to sell tickets in that space because they know Janet isn’t selling like that anymore. CBS promoted graphic content then as they do now, so what they did to Janet is not OK. I won’t be tuning in to watch Justin next year. Why should he continue to have a platform to build on while Janet’s has been snatched away?
I’m over Janet’s whispering soprano!!
Im over your repetitive Janet disses. Re-tards say the same thin over and over. You must be re-tarded.
I DON’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE HATERS OR ANYONE WHO IS IN THEIR MID 3O’S & UNDER . THEY CAN’T TELL ME A THING ABOUT JANET OR MUSIC IN GENERAL. I DON’T EVEN CONSIDER THEM TO BE ON ANYKIND OF LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.