The NFL has said that Jackson is not banned from the stage, 14 years after the infamous wardrobe malfunction.
Janet Jackson has said she would return to the Super Bowl if Justin Timberlake asked her, 14 years after the notorious wardrobe malfunction seen around the world.
“The door is wide open,” a source for the singer told Entertainment Tonight. “If Justin or his team did reach out, Janet would perform with him again in a minute.”
Timberlake is slated to perform at the Super Bowl Half Time Show next year, his first appearance since what many have dubbed “Nipplegate.”
During the 2004 Super Bowl, Timberlake was Jackson’s special guest and as the duo performed on stage, the “Rhythm Nation” singer's right breast was exposed during the performance.
In the immediate aftermath, Timberlake apologized but seemed to blame Jackson.
"I got a call prior from the show from Janet and her choreographer saying they wanted to do a costume reveal," he told The Insider in 2004 days after the Super Bowl. "I got the impression that the reveal was going to be a red brassiere."
“It all turned into being about her. In reality, if you slow the thing down, it's Justin ripping off her breastplate," Timberlake told MTV in 2006: "I probably got 10 percent of the blame, and that says something about society. I think that America's harsher on women. And I think that America is, you know, unfairly harsh on ethnic people."
Timberlake nor Jackson have performed at the Super Bowl since.
On Sunday, the “Rock Your Body” singer was announced as the Half Time Show act and received major blowback on social media.
The hashtag #JusticeForJanet became a trending topic on Twitter.
"JT keeps getting free pass while Janet remains banned. She took all the heat,” one tweet read.
Timberlake's career soared after "Nipplegate" with hit records and Grammy wins, as well as starring roles in Oscar-nominated films like The Social Network.
Jackson still continues to put out music but it has not achieved major award recognition. In 2015, BET named her an "Ultimate Icon" and earlier this year she had a child at age 50.
Timberlake assured viewers on Sunday Night Football that there will be no “wardrobe malfunction” during his performance on this go-around.
The NFL has said that Jackson has not been barred from performing following the social media attention about Timberlake’s booking.
“There is no ban [on Jackson],” they told Entertainment Weekly in a statement. They would not comment on if Timberlake will bring out a special guest.
