Janet Jackson Reportedly Asked Tupac to Take AIDS Test Before ‘Poetic Justice’ Kiss

A new book is shedding light on the tense relationship between Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur during the making of Poetic Justice.

According to an excerpt from Jeff Pearlman’s upcoming biography Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, Jackson reportedly asked Tupac to take an AIDS test before filming a kissing scene with her.

At the time, both stars were working under director John Singleton on the 1993 romantic drama. Jackson, already a global pop icon, played Justice, while Tupac, still early in his acting career, played her love interest, Lucky. But behind the scenes, things weren’t as smooth as they appeared on screen.

Pearlman writes that just days before filming the kissing scene, Jackson called one of the crew members, assistant director Steve Nicolaides, to her trailer. She was there with her fiancé, dancer René Elizondo Jr., and expressed her concern about Tupac’s lifestyle. “You know, Tupac’s reputation is that he’s a cat about town,” Jackson reportedly said. “And I don’t want to swap saliva with him until I’m really sure that he’s healthy and clean.”

Nicolaides said he didn’t want to be the one to deliver that message, but Jackson insisted. When he finally told Tupac what she had asked for, the rapper’s reaction was immediate. “You kidding?” Tupac asked, according to the book. When Nicolaides told him it was true, Tupac exploded. “F**** her. I ain’t doing s*** for that bi***. Tell her to go f**** herself,” he said.

Nicolaides later added that he didn’t think Tupac took the request seriously. “I honestly think he found it amusing,” he said. “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.”

In the end, Tupac refused to take the test. The scene was still filmed, but the tension between the two stars reportedly never went away.

This behind-the-scenes story adds to the long history of rumors surrounding the making of Poetic Justice, which became a cult classic after its release. Both Jackson and Tupac went on to focus on their music careers, but their brief time working together clearly left its mark.

Janet Jackson’s request, while controversial, makes sense given the time period. The early ’90s were still marked by fear and misunderstanding about HIV and AIDS, especially in Hollywood.

Tupac’s reaction, though defiant, also reflects his personality, proud, rebellious, and unwilling to be questioned. What do you think? Was Janet’s request fair, or did Tupac have every right to be offended? Share your thoughts in the comments.