Another surprising fight is on the horizon in 2024. Last week, ex-boyfriends Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake made seemingly public statements online about each other. The feud began on January 28, when Spears posted an apology on Instagram.
"I apologize if I offended anyone I truly care about," she wrote in an Instagram caption, possibly alluding to her 2023 memoir The Woman In Me . "I also want to say that I'm in love with Justin Timberlake's new song 'Selfish'. It's so good...Ps 'Holy' is so good too." Spears' post has since been deleted.
Three days later, Timberlake appeared to respond during a show, issuing an apology during a performance at New York City's Irving Plaza. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone," he said.
He said this before singing "Cry Me A River," a song he wrote about his breakup with Spears, according to People magazine .
One day later, on February 1, Spears added a new post on Instagram.
"I've been told people are saying bad things about me on the street!!!" she wrote, which many fans interpreted as a response to Timberlake. "Do you want to take this to court or go home and cry to your mom like you did last time??? I'm not sorry!!!" (For context, Spears previously joked about Timberlake beating him in a basketball game She "cries" when he does it.)
What's the backstory? The predecessor has a long history
Timberlake and Spears began dating in 1999. They split in 2002, after which he made some comments that fans considered rude and insensitive.
In 2021, following a series of documentaries about Spears' former conservatorship, Timberlake apologized to her for his previous comments.
Things seemed to be working out between the exes until, in her 2023 memoir, Spears opened up about their relationship, including her abortion while dating Timberlake. She wrote about how she felt when he released his 2002 album Cry Me A River. In his music video, he played a Spears lookalike who was unfaithful to him, perpetuating media reports of her being unfaithful in the relationship.
Spears claimed in her memoir that he "neglected to mention the few times" he allegedly cheated.
“In the news media, I was portrayed as a whore who broke the heart of America’s golden boy,” Spears writes in the book. "Here's the truth: I was unconscious in Louisiana while he was happily running around Hollywood... I saw men being encouraged to badmouth women for the sake of being famous and powerful. But I was broken. "
He did not directly address the allegations in the book after the memoir was published, but fans believe he shaded Spears during a performance in December 2023. During a show in Las Vegas, before singing "Cry Me A River," he appeared to reference her memoir.
"No disrespect intended," he told the audience before singing, "but aren't we all entertainers?" - a nod to Nirvana's 1991 hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
