Agencies

Los Angeles

Justin Timberlake says his own family was offended by his racy Super Bowl halftime duet with Janet Jackson, but he insisted he thought only her bustier — not her breast — would be revealed when he pulled on her costume.

Uproar over what Timberlake memorably described as a “wardrobe malfunction” is showing no sign of letting up. A publicist for Jackson said she’s probably pulling out of a scheduled appearance at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast on a delay system to avoid any similar incidents.

Timberlake, talking to KCBS-TV while rehearsing for the Grammys, said he understood “how unfortunate this is.” “I do understand that there were a lot of people that were completely offended by what happened, including my own family. And I think that’s probably the part that’s frustrating the most for me and it’s completely regrettable,” he told KCBS.

“Now I was under the impression that what was going to be revealed... was a red brassiere, bustier,” he said. He said he did not have time to rehearse the move before taking the stage, and was shocked at the outcome. Jackson’s right breast, clad only in a sun-shaped “nipple shield,” was exposed for a second to some 89 million viewers.

Jackson issued apologies on February 2 and 3. Jackson was supposed to present an award during the Grammys telecast, but she may back out, her publicist, Steven Huvane, told CNN. We don’t think she’s going to go,” he said.

Meanwhile, ABC television announced it would delay the live broadcast of this year’s ceremony to avoid similar antics. The network said that it would for the first time institute a delay — probably five seconds — on the Oscars US telecast on February 29 to give it time to censor any unexpected or inappropriate behaviour.

“Our other live prime-time entertainment shows all have a delay so while it may be a first as far as the Oscars are concerned, it’s nothing new for us.”

She said the decision, announced a day after organisers of music’s top awards, the Grammys, announced they would slap a longer-than-usual six-second delay on next Sunday’s telecast, had nothing to do with the Jackson’s flash.

“People just seem more loose-lipped these days,” one source said. “I don’t know if it’s on purpose or if they just don’t care. I guess that’s why ABC is worried.”

Oscar audiences in Hollywood’s

Kodak Theatre and at home across the world were stunned at last year’s show when filmmaker Michael Moore used his winners’ speech to lash US President George W Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq.