"I know where the bodies are buried": Janet Jackson's designer Wayne Scot Lukas claims Super Bowl incident was no wardrobe malfunction

Janet Jackson's longtime fashion designer Wayne Scot Lukas is disputing the long-standing explanation for her infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime show incident, claiming the reveal of her breast was planned as part of the performance.

The celebrity designer discussed the controversy during a discussion on TMZ Live with hosts Charles Latibeaudiere and Harvey Levin on Tuesday, Nov. 3, ahead of Justin Timberlake's upcoming four-part documentary series about his career.

The Super Bowl incident is expected to feature in the series, but Wayne Scot Lukas said he was not asked to participate despite his involvement in the performance.

The designer also claimed the Cry Me A River hitmaker never apologized to him and the team, adding that the controversy seriously damaged his career.

“He coined the phrase ‘wardrobe malfunction,’ which blamed it on me.”

Wayne Scot Lukas rejected Timberlake’s description of the incident, saying the outfit was designed to reveal Jackson's breast.

“He never kind of made up with any of us. We all lost a lot of work. We lost … I had, you know, morals clauses in my contracts. I was losing jobs. And I just had to stay quiet in support of my friend Janet. And I did.”

According to his account, the original plan was for Janet Jackson to expose her backside, and he brought a G-string as evidence of the initial concept. The team later changed the idea to a breast reveal days before the Super Bowl performance.

Wayne Scot Lukas said the cameras were supposed to cut away and the screen was meant to go black immediately after the reveal. He blamed the producers for failing to carry out that part of the plan.

Wayne Scot Lukas reveals “nobody asked” him to be part of Justin Timberlake’s documentary

Janet Jackson, however, has maintained for years that the exposure was accidental and not an orchestrated stunt. Wayne Scot Lukas' account differs from her explanation of the incident.

The designer said he does not need an apology from Justin Timberlake, but believes the singer should use his upcoming documentary to tell what Wayne Scot Lukas considers the true story behind the controversial performance.

When Latibeaudiere floated the idea that Timberlake wants to “put forth a heartfelt apology” to Lukas and the team, the designer answered:

“No, because remember, when I read the news about this documentary, nobody asked me to be in it. Nobody asked me to speak about it. And I’m the only one who really knows what happened because I designed the outfit. I made the outfit. I changed the outfit two days before the actual production.”

He went on:

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“I know all the stories and all the secrets, and I know where the bodies are buried.”

Justin Timberlake’s documentary is scheduled to premiere on Apple TV+ in December.

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