Biography: Janet Jackson Demanded Tupac HIV Test

Jeff Pearlman’s biography Only God Can Judge Me alleges that Janet Jackson asked Poetic Justice producer Steve Nicolaides to have co-star Tupac Shakur tested for HIV before filming a 1992 on-screen kiss, citing concerns about Tupac’s reputation. Nicolaides reportedly told Tupac, who the book says refused, replied with profanity and never took the test, and the excerpt says director John Singleton did not intervene. Nicolaides later told the author he understood Jackson’s fears given the early-1990s AIDS crisis. The account portrays on-set tension despite the actors' strong on-screen chemistry, and notes the film was commercially successful and remains a fan favorite. Reporting also points out that HIV is not transmitted through saliva, a medical detail that contextualizes Jackson’s caution at the time.