A new book about Tupac Shakur has made a shocking claim — that pop icon Janet Jackson once asked the late rapper to take an AIDS test before filming a kissing scene in their 1993 movie Poetic Justice.
The revelation comes from biographer Jeff Pearlman’s upcoming book, Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, which explores the rapper’s complex personality and rise to fame. According to Pearlman, tensions were high between Tupac and Janet during the filming of the romantic drama, with the two clashing over professionalism and personal boundaries.
Pearlman writes that while Janet was “a consummate professional,” Tupac often arrived late and made suggestive jokes before their on-screen kiss. The situation escalated when the film’s producer, Steve Nicolaides, was reportedly called to Janet’s trailer, where she expressed concern about Tupac’s reputation for being a ladies’ man.
Nicolaides told Pearlman that Janet, who was accompanied by her then-fiancé René Elizondo Jr., asked the studio to have Tupac tested for AIDS before the scene. “She didn’t want to swap saliva with him until she was really sure that he was healthy and clean,” Nicolaides recalled.
When Nicolaides relayed the request to Tupac, the rapper was furious and refused to take the test, allegedly going on an expletive-filled rant about the situation.
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The incident reportedly caused further tension between the two stars, but filming continued, and Poetic Justice went on to earn $27 million at the box office, becoming a cult favorite among fans of both Jackson and Shakur.
Nicolaides told Pearlman that he didn’t fault Janet for her request, noting that AIDS was a major health concern in the early 1990s. “It wasn’t an unreasonable ask,” he said, adding that Tupac’s bold personality and rumored relationships may have contributed to her hesitation.
