*In “Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur”, author Jeff Pearlman details the contentious relationship between Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson on the set of “Poetic Justice.” Following his breakout role in “Juice”, Tupac was chosen by director John Singleton to star opposite Jackson in the 1993 romantic drama. But what began as a promising collaboration soon turned tense, per THR.
Tupac impressed in early auditions, showing what producer Lydia Reed described as a magnetic warmth: “He made you feel like you were the most important person in the room.” But once filming began, class and celebrity differences surfaced.
“Janet was a star,” recalled actor Joe Torry. “She was the one with her own trailer, her own this, her own that.” Tupac, meanwhile, earned less than $100,000 compared to Jackson’s seven-figure salary and was given the smallest hotel room on set.
As production continued, tensions deepened. Tupac’s lateness and unpredictable behavior frustrated the crew, while Jackson grew uncomfortable with his off-screen bravado. The breaking point came before a planned kissing scene, when Jackson requested that Tupac take an AIDS test first. “You know, Tupac’s reputation is that he’s a cat about town,” Jackson said. “And I don’t want to swap saliva with him until I’m really sure that he’s healthy and clean.”
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When told of the request, Tupac refused. “F*ck her,” he reportedly said. “I ain’t doing sh*t for that b*tch. Tell her to go f*ck herself.” According to Pearlman, Tupac found the situation “amusing,” but he never took the test.
Despite the on-set tension, “Poetic Justice” became a cult favorite, topping the box office on its opening weekend with $11,728,455 and eventually grossing $27,515,786, per Box Office Mojo. Jackson earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song for “Again,” which also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and won two MTV Movie Awards, including Most Desirable Female.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Janet Jackson Really Requested Tupac Get AIDS Test Before ‘Poetic Justice’ Kiss
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