Tom Brady recently shared that the infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime performance with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson was a “good thing” for the NFL.

The Super Bowl champion divulged his thoughts on the matter while discussing Super Bowl halftime shows on the “Let’s Go!” podcast, which Brady co-hosts with Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray.

Brady expressed that while competing in the Super Bowl, he hardly paid attention to halftime shows due to maintaining focus on the game.

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“Even, I remember, when we beat Carolina in 2003, we came off the field, and that was when we had the wardrobe malfunction with Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson,” Brady recounted.

“[Reporters] were asking me about that, and I couldn’t even understand what they were telling me about. They were like, ‘Did you see the halftime show?’ and I said, ‘Nah, I didn’t see anything.’ I was thinking about the game and was trying to figure out halftime adjustments. It took a while for us to figure out what had gone on. That’s for the fans and not for the players.”

Brady went on to say that the controversial wardrobe malfunction was positive for the NFL’s ratings. “I think, in the end, it was probably a good thing for the NFL because everyone got to talk about it, and it was just more publicity and more publicity for halftime shows,” the former quarterback added. “Is any publicity bad publicity? That’s what they say. So, who knows.”

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Brady’s comments come after much recent debate around the performance, with Justin Timberlake apologizing for his role in Janet’s media mistreatment following the controversy in 2021.

As the retired footballer’s comments hit the headlines, online backlash ensued.

“I don’t think he understands the amount of shit she went through after that backlash. That comment was too superficial and shallow,” one user wrote, highlighting the performance’s negative effect on Jackson’s career.

“It wasn’t a great thing because it scar Janet for life especially it affected her career aswel,” continued another online commenter.

“????? He should be ashamed for treating Janet’s trauma like that,” someone else added.