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1h ago

New Biography Alleges Janet Jackson Asked Tupac for AIDS Test on 'Poetic Justice' Set

The account appears in Jeff Pearlman’s interview-driven book excerpted by The Hollywood Reporter.

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Tupac Shakur at the Academy Theater in Beverly Hills in 1993. A new biography of the rapper by Jeff Pearlman reveals that Jackson asked the rapper to take an HIV test before filming a kissing scene in “Poetic Justice.”
Janet Jackson on the set of the 1993 film “Poetic Justice,” directed by John Singleton. A new biography of Tupac Shakur by Jeff Pearlman reveals that Jackson asked the rapper to take an HIV test before filming a kissing scene.
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Overview

  • Producer Steve Nicolaides says Jackson requested an AIDS test before a scheduled kissing scene, relaying the message to Shakur in his trailer.
  • According to the book, Shakur responded with profanities, refused to comply, and ultimately never took the test.
  • Pearlman’s Only God Can Judge Me is published Oct. 21, with the excerpt circulating Oct. 20 as media outlets pick up the anecdote.
  • The biography also details friction over pay and accommodations plus complaints about tardiness, substance use, and ad‑libbing despite praise for Shakur’s on‑screen presence.
  • No public response from Jackson is included in the coverage, while Poetic Justice later grossed about $27 million on a budget roughly half that amount.