Janet Jackson‘s brothers say Justin Timberlake’s apology “means a lot.”
The “SexyBack” hitmaker issued a lengthy statement addressing his past conduct, in particular around his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, and also to the 54-year-old singer, whose breast he accidentally exposed during their infamous Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2004.
Although Janet hasn’t issued a response to Timberlake’s statement, her siblings Tito, Marlon and Jackie praised him for speaking out but insisted it’s time to move on from the incident.
Speaking to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show, Marlon said: “You know, it takes a man to step up and do that, so we do thank him for doing that.
“But we’d like to move forward because that was out there, the negativity about it.
“But…as they say in the old days: Long as they’re talking about you, good or bad, you still in the public’s eye.”
Jackie added: “It kind of hurt Janet in the past. For him to step up and say that, it means a whole lot.”
Timberlake — who is now married to Jessica Biel, the mother of his two sons — issued his apology after he came under fire for scenes aired in the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary after it seemingly suggested he had used the music video for his 2002 single “Cry Me A River” to accuse Spears of cheating on him.
In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, Timberlake said: “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.”
