Justin Timberlake Turns Down A Private Jet And $2 Million

The last time Justin Timberlake performed at a sporting event was at the 2004 Super Bowl with Janet Jackson. Not only did he follow a big loss in his fan base after an unplanned wardrobe malfunction occurred, but his performance was responsible for the coined term “Nipplegate.”

So our guess is that it will take a lot for Timberlake to take on gigs that aren’t planned far in advance, especially when you consider how big his 2013 comeback was. As The Inquisitr reported, Timberlake left the music business because he wasn’t inspired by anything that was going on around him musically.

That said, he wasn’t willing to put out new music because he wasn’t ready. Instead, he focused on his acting career for a number of years. Fans of the singer didn’t know if he would ever return to his roots, but he did, and now it looks like he’s back for good.

It doesn’t really surprise us that he would have reservations about taking on New Zealand’s NRL. In case you don’t know, NRL is one of the most anticipated events for Rugby. New Zealand wanted Timberlake to play three songs during the halftime show. Sound familiar? In exchange, they offered the “Sexy Back” singer $2 million, a private jet, and an advertising platform for free. Instead, Timberlake turned down the offer.

If Justin Timberlake would have said yes, it wouldn’t have been hard to get to. Right now, Timberlake is performing in Australia and a quick plane ride would be 2 hours to New Zealand.

According to the Daily Mail, a source close to the NRL said, “The NRL really wanted Justin to play – they wanted to rival the Superbowl with the entertainment for half time.There was a private jet trip included in the offer, and the opportunity to have his tour advertised in the break, but the deal to get him to come on didn’t go ahead.”

That said, since they couldn’t get Timberlake to perform, the halftime show will be performed by Guns ‘N Roses’ Slash. Slash will be joining the popular American band Train, who is expected to sing their hit song “Drops of Jupiter” as well as some other popular songs in a medley at the games.

Instead of performing, Timberlake is enjoying some of what Australia has to offer with wife Jessica Biel before he heads to New Zealand. His last show for the 20/20 Experience tour is on December 20.

[Image via Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.com]