Mathew Knowles sparked a debate in reference to the new two-night “Janet Jackson” documentary produced by Lifetime and A&E.
In an Instagram post-Sunday, Knowles said the film “for me answered a lot of questions.” The 70-year-old praised the “Rhythm Nation” singer for “telling the true story” about her father, Joe Jackson.
“The first half was dedicated to her childhood, which unveiled the curtain on how much, although a strict disciplinarian, Joe Jackson loved his kids, wanted the best for them, and was an extremely smart, strategic, and effective manager, unlike the villain that mainstream media have painted.”
It’s been over a decade since the Janet Jackson Super Bowl scandal involving Justin Timberlake that introduced the term “wardrobe malfunction.” Although Jackson faced most of the backlash for the 2004 matter, Timberlake also has been criticized for his role in tearing off a piece of her costume and exposing her breast to viewers. That same year, Jackson was disinvited to the Grammy Award ceremony, while the “Cry Me a River” singer took home two awards.
Knowles later mentioned the “Britney Spears Wardrobe Malfunction” and that other entertainers had similar incidents, “yet none were blown out of proportion by mainstream media like Janet.” More importantly, he praised Janet for her portrayal of her father, despite battling with physical and mental abuse during her childhood.
He said, “Today’s new take is focused more on the wardrobe malfunction with Justin Timberlake and Joe Jackson’s role as a loving Black father/manager is completely forgotten. Thank you Janet for stepping up and telling the true story.”
Knowles’ post ultimately ended up being reposted on The Shade Room’s Instagram page, where many criticized the father of four, who, akin to Joe, has been a major influence in the career of his daughter, Beyoncè Knowles, and fellow group members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, of Destiny’s Child.
Unknowingly, Knowles sparked a debate with dozens on social media for writing the post and for mentioning Britney Spears.
“Beyoncé come get your daddy,” wrote one person, while another confusingly asked, “What was he trying to say?”
Addressing his Britney reference, one person wrote, “You don’t need to mention Britney in your post at ALL…Stop bringing another woman down, what you need to do is talk about how Justin used his white privilege to get ahead and how he disrespected a BLACK woman.”
In an attempt to clear things up, a third fan wrote, “Without Mathew, there would be no Beyoncé. What he’s saying is true and I enjoyed Janet’s Docuseries.”
When that didn’t work, fans began taking shots at Knowles, who, similar to Joe Jackson, was known for having children outside of his marriage. Mathew welcomed two love children during his 31-year marriage to Tina-Knowles Lawson, the ex-wife, and mother of his Grammy Award-winning daughters, Beyoncé and Solange.
“Yeah Matthew you and Joe sure do share some similarities … like having children with ya side pieces,” wrote one person, while another said, “N—a had a baby on Tina shut up.”
Humbly, one person added, “Matthew we still ain’t forgiving you for what you did to your family. But, we respect your role in the Queen’s success.”
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