Janet Jackson and Tupac in ‘Poetic Justice’ (Courtesy of Everett Collection)
A new book says Janet Jackson told a producer she wanted Tupac Shakur to be tested for AIDS before kissing him for their romantic drama “Poetic Justice”.
In an excerpt from “Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur” published in The Hollywood Reporter, author Jeff Pearlman claims that Jackson wanted Shakur to get checked for AIDS ahead of the kiss they shared for the 1993 film, according to the film’s producer.
Jackson allegedly said during a conversation with producer Steve Nicolaides, “You know, Tupac’s reputation is that he’s a cat about town.”
“And I don’t want to swap saliva with him until I’m really sure that he’s healthy and clean,” the “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer added, according to the book.
Jackson told Nicolaides she had already called on director John Singleton to make the request but he wasn’t interested in it, Pearlman claims in the book. “John just walked off when I mentioned it,” the singer alleged, per Pearlman’s book. “So I’m asking you to handle it.”
The book further claims that Nicolaides and Shakur had a conversation about Jackson’s request. “I’ll just spit this out to you, man…Janet wants you to have an AIDS test before you kiss her,” Nicolaides said, according to Pearlman.
The alleged request didn’t go down well with Shakur, who responded with phrases such as “F— her,” “Hell no,” and “I ain’t doing s— for that bitch. Tell her to go f— herself,” the book claims.
Nicolaides later said of Shakur’s stance, “I honestly think he [Shakur] found it amusing.”
“And the truth is, I can’t blame Janet for asking. It was the early 1990s, and people were still dying of AIDS. And Tupac, God love him, had a reputation,” Nicolaides said, per Pearlman.
The book says Shakur did not take the test. Health experts say that even though the HIV virus can be contracted through bodily fluids, including semen, blood, breast milk, or vaginal fluids, it cannot be spread through saliva.
“Poetic Justice” was Singleton’s second film after “Boyz n the Hood”, which was nominated for an Oscar. Jackson earned an Oscar nomination for “Poetic Justice” for her original song “Again,” which she wrote with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” from “Philadelphia”, however, won.
