The pop star feud of the century is back on. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, who broke up in 2002 after three years of dating, have reignited their drama on social media, following the release of Spears’ memoir The Woman In Me, in which she revealed some shocking details about their relationship.
The Memoir
In her book, published in October 2023, Spears confessed that she had an abortion with Timberlake’s child when she was 19 and that he was not supportive of her decision. She also admitted that she cheated on him with choreographer Wade Robson and that Timberlake dumped her via text message. She also accused him of humiliating her with his hit song “Cry Me a River”, which featured a Spears lookalike in the music video.
The Apology
On Sunday, January 28, 2024, Britney Spears posted a video of Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon performing a medley of his songs on The Tonight Show on her Instagram account, which has since gone private. Along with the clip, she wrote:
“I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry. I also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish’. It is so good and how come every time I see Justin and Jimmy together I laugh so hard ??? Ps ‘Sanctified’ is wow too.”
The Response
The next day, Timberlake performed a free show at Irving Plaza in New York City to celebrate his birthday and promote his upcoming album Everything I Thought It Was, which is set to be released on March 15. Before singing “Cry Me a River”, he told the crowd:
“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely f—ing nobody.”
The statement was captured on video by some fans and circulated online, sparking backlash from many Britney Spears supporters, who accused him of being disrespectful and insensitive.
The Clap Back from Britney Spears
On Thursday, February 1, 2024, Britney Spears deleted her apology post and shared a photo of the moon in a basketball hoop on her Instagram, with a cryptic caption that seemed to be aimed at Timberlake. She wrote:
“Someone told me someone was talking s— about me on the streets !!! Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I’m not sorry !!!”
The Reaction
The post has received over 10 million likes and thousands of comments from fans and celebrities, who praised Britney Spears for standing up for herself and slammed Timberlake for his behaviour. Some of the comments include:
- “You go, girl! Don’t let him get away with it. He’s a jerk and you deserve better.” – Christina Aguilera.
- “Britney is a queen and Justin is a clown. Period.” – Ariana Grande
- “I’m so proud of you Britney. You are an inspiration and a legend. Justin is trash and he knows it.” – Miley Cyrus.
- “Britney, you are amazing and beautiful and strong. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Justin is a coward and a liar. He owes you an apology.” – Demi Lovato
- “Britney, you are the best thing that ever happened to pop music. Justin is a has-been and a cheater. He should be ashamed of himself.” – Lady Gaga
Timberlake has not responded to Britney Spears’ post or the backlash, and his reps have declined to comment. His album is expected to face low sales and poor reviews, as many fans have vowed to boycott his music and support Spears instead.
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