Britney Spears and her former partner Justin Timberlake recently had a fiery back-and-forth a few days after the pop star apologized for remarks she made in her 2023 book.
The dispute started after Justin Timberlake threw shade at a recent apology from Britney at one of his shows.
Spears Apologizes on Instagram
Britney Spears took to Instagram in a now-deleted post at the end of January to “apologize for some of the things [she] wrote about” in her new book, “The Woman in Me” (via NBC Boston). During an interview, she even asked fans to listen to Justin Timberlake’s new album.
Throughout the memoir, Spears covers various topics, including the highly controversial 13-year conservatorship under her father.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Britney also spoke about former relations with friends and lovers throughout the book.
Superstars, including Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and, of course, her former popstar boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, were all mentioned.
Britney Changes Her Tone in Follow-Up Post
Just a few days after the apologetic post in January, Britney quickly changed her tune.
The singer followed up her previous post with a much more aggressive one, threatening to take things to court.
Directed at Former Lover
It appears that the strongly worded caption was directed toward her former boyfriend, Justin Timberlake.
The “Cry Me a River” singer blasted Britney during a concert on Jan. 31, leading her to react on Instagram.
I’d Like to Apologize to Nobody
Just before Timberlake performed the hit, “Cry Me a River,” he paused the music and yelled to the crowd, “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely (expletive) nobody” (via Us Weekly).
The quote, taken from the famous UFC fighter Conor McGregor, appears to have greatly aggravated Britney, as she attacked Timberlake on Instagram the following day.
You Wanna Take Things to Court?
In the fiery post uploaded to her account on Feb. 1, Britney said, “Someone told me someone was talking (expletive) 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!”
Timberlake’s Dis Track
According to reports at the time, Timberlake’s 2002 hit, “Cry Me a River,” was thought to have been a dis track aimed at Britney.
Throughout the music video, a Spears look-alike is seen cheating on her boyfriend. Supposedly, this came about after Britney had cheated on Timberlake.
Warned of Incoming Controversy
When the music video was first released, Timberlake had told Spears it would be controversial.
Spears said at the time, “He got what he wanted. I think it looks like such a desperate attempt, personally. But that was a great way to sell the record. He’s smart” (via Newsweek).
Let the Haters Hate
After the release of “The Woman in Me,” Timberlake knew he would garner his fair share of negative attention. Yet, the singer is doing his best to brush off the criticism.
According to a source from Us Weekly, “He believes his music and performance will speak for itself and is looking forward to connecting with his fans from the stage again.”
Britney Finds Out She’s Pregnant
One controversial part of the book deals with an abortion Spears had during her relationship with Timberlake.
In the memoir, the singer writes she was over the moon with the news of the pregnancy, calling it “one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life.”
Forced to Terminate the Pregnancy
Speaking about the possibility of a child with Timberlake at the time, Spears said, “I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated” (via Newsweek).
“But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy,” she continued. “He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.”
