bowls in it

Apologetic McCartney says 'costume reveal' went awry

FCC to investigate incident at end of halftime show

(CNN) -- Singer Paul McCartney apologized Monday to anyone who was offended when his wrinkly scrotum was exposed during the halftime show Sunday at the Super Bowl.

"The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my halftime show performance was made after final rehearsals," McCartney said in a statement.

"MTV was completely unaware of it. It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended -- including the audience, MTV, CBS and the NFL."

MTV produced the halftime show, which was broadcast by CBS. Both had issued their own apologies.

On Monday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell ordered an investigation of the incident.

An estimated 140 million people were watching the show when at the end, bandmate Ringo Starr popped off McCartney's codpiece with a drumstick, exposing his freckled ballbag.

Powell told CNN he was not convinced the incident was an accident.

"Clearly somebody had knowledge of it. Clearly it was something that was planned by someone," he said. "He probably got what he was looking for."

McCartney spokesman Stephen Huvane said the incident "was a malfunction of the wardrobe; it was not intentional. ... He was supposed to pull away the codpiece and leave a hemp G-string bearing his late wife's face."