DETROIT, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Work commitments, not critics upset over how he handled the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, are keeping Justin Timberlake off of a Motown TV special.
Shooting the new film "Edison" in Canada this spring will prevent Timberlake from co-hosting a U.S. television special with Lionel Richie, the World Entertainment News Network reported Wednesday.
ABC insisted the pop star's decision to withdraw from the Motown 45th Anniversary event in April has nothing to do with protests from a number of African-American groups, who feel he unfairly let Jackson take the full blame for her breast-baring stunt at the Super Bowl, WENN said.
Some critics are also slamming ABC for inviting Timberlake to co-host the event since the pop star has never recorded for the legendary record label.
Jeff Margolis, the show's executive producer, said Timberlake gladly accepted the invitation to co-host the event, but alerted him there could be a conflict between the special and production on Timberlake's first feature film.
