- Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002 throughout their early days of fame
- After the cut up, he painted Britney as a cheater in interviews and his “Cry Me A River” video
- Justin publicly apologized to Britney after her struggles have been the topic of a 2021 documentary
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake have been pure pop royalty within the late ’90s and early aughts, so folks’s obsession with their relationship comes as no shock. The “Child One Extra Time” singer, 40, and NSYNC frontman, 41, appeared like they have been excellent for one another after they went public in 1999. It was all cute soundbites and PDA-packed crimson carpet appearances till issues got here crashing down in 2002, amid rumors of dishonest and lies.
After the breakup, Justin mocked his ex in music movies and started brazenly speaking trash about her, at the same time as her psychological well being appeared to undergo. (“Cry Me A River” is actually creepy in hindsight, and all of us bear in mind how he was Mr. Kiss-and-Inform in that TMI-packed 2002 Hot97 radio interview.)
Each singers would transfer on romantically — Justin wed Jessica Biel, 40, in 2012 and Britney married actor Sam Asghari, 28, in 2022 — however the bitterness would stay. It took almost 20 years for the “SexyBack” singer to lastly apologize to his ex, seemingly prompted by a surge of assist for the star amid her 2020s-era conservatorship battle.
So is the whole lot good between Britney and Justin now? Have a look again on the exes’ romance and the place their relationship stands now in our timeline, proper right here.
Britney & Justin Meet: 1992
In 1992 Britney and Justin have been each solid in The All-New Mickey Mouse Membership. On the time, Britney and Justin have been roughly 11 years outdated. The present additionally featured future stars Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling and ran from 1993 to 1996.
Following the sequence, Britney returned to Mississippi. She finally got here again to New York Metropolis to pursue her singing profession, nonetheless. Justin, in the meantime, was recruited as a member of the boy band NSYNC.
Although they parted methods, the songstress appeared to have left an impression on Justin. He instructed GQ in 2006, “I used to be in love together with her from the beginning. I used to be infatuated together with her from the second I noticed her.”
Britney & Justin Begin Relationship: 1999
Fame finally reunited Britney and Justin finally, who started relationship in 1999 as each of their careers started taking off. Speaking about their reference to The Observer in 2001, Britney, “We’ve gone via a lot collectively and we’ve recognized one another since we have been 12 years outdated. We all know one another inside and outside.”
Britney & Justin’s Iconic AMAs Appears to be like: Jan. 2001
As their relationship progressed, Justin and Britney grew to become crimson carpet regulars. One of many couple’s most iconic moments got here on the American Music Awards in January 2001, simply weeks earlier than their joint Tremendous Bowl efficiency. Whereas strolling the crimson carpet, Justin and Britney wore matching, head-to-toe denim outfits.
Within the years because the pair walked the crimson carpet collectively, each have commented on the style alternative. In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Justin admitted he had some style “regrets” from his early years. “I confess that there was perhaps a interval within the ’90s the place I may skip over a number of the outfits that have been public,” he shared.
Britney, then again, seemed again on the second fondly. “I suppose my denim was a success years in the past,” Britney commented on a photograph of two toddlers recreating the outfit again in Aug. 2020.
Britney & Justin Play The Tremendous Bowl: Jan. 2021
With each stars on the prime of their sport, it was solely a matter of time earlier than they shared a large stage. Followers of Britney and Justin have been handled to a joint efficiency by the pair on the Tremendous Bowl XXXV halftime present on Jan. 28, 2001.
NSYNC joined rock band Aerosmith on stage for a medley, earlier than Britney and a slew of stars (Mary J. Blige and Nelly, amongst them) joined for a rendition of Aerosmith’s hit with Run DMC “Stroll This Means.” The efficiency was completely electrical, solidifying each stars’ place in pop historical past.
Justin & Britney At The ‘Crossroads’ Premiere: Feb 2022
In February 2002, Justin supported Britney on the premiere of her movie Crossroads, co-starring Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning. The 2 seemed tremendous cute collectively and held fingers on the crimson carpet. Sadly, this was one of many final public appearances the 2 would make collectively earlier than they went their separate methods.
Britney & Justin Breakup: Mar. 2002
Britney and Justin’s relationship led to early 2002, however the couple didn’t instantly publicize the cut up. The “Overprotected” singer was the primary to interrupt the information throughout an look on Britain’s “Large Breakfast” in Mar. 2002, as reported by CNN. “I’d not say I used to be in an intense relationship with anybody in the meanwhile,” she dished on the time. “I’m single proper now.”
The tabloids hounded the exes in regards to the breakup for months after, throughout which era Justin started to form his facet of the story. He instructed Barbara Walters in a Nov. 2002 ABC interview, “I bear in mind after we determined we have been going to go our separate methods, we sat down and I mentioned to her, ‘If there’s ever a second the place you ever want me, you may relaxation assured that I can be there as a result of I really like you as an individual and I’ll all the time love you.” Sparking much more gossip, he instructed Barbara he “promised” Britney he wouldn’t share what “particularly” result in the cut up. Solution to go away everybody hanging.
Although he tried to play the great man more often than not, Justin additionally tried to slut-shame Britney by sharing lurid particulars about their intercourse life collectively. One of the crucial notorious situations was throughout an look on The Star & Buc Wild Morning Present in Nov. 2002, the place he admitted to sleeping with Britney, regardless of the very fact each publicly pledged to remain virgins till marriage.
Justin Releases ‘Cry Me A River’: Dec. 2002
Justin launched the tune “Cry Me A River” on the finish of 2002, seeming the lay naked his heartbreak following the Britney cut up. The drama solely intensified after the music video dropped in Dec, that includes a Britney Spears look-alike and a powerful suggestion that Miss Spear’s cheated.
Britney Releases ‘Everytime’: 2003
Britney appeared to reply to the monitor together with her personal ballad in 2003. “Everytime,” a single off of her album In The Zone, confirmed off Britney’s extra contemplative, soulful facet.
The singer has by no means confirmed or denied that the tune is about her former flame, although followers to today learn into the lyrics like “Why are we strangers/When our love is powerful?” as being about Justin.
Britney’s Diane Sawyer Interview: Nov. 2003
Regardless of wanting to maneuver on from her high-profile romance, Britney was nonetheless pressed about the top of her relationship with Justin. She sat down with Diane Sawyer for a Primetime interview in Nov. 2003, the place the journalist pushed Britney to confess what she “did” to finish the romance.
“He has gone on tv and just about mentioned you broke his coronary heart,” Diane mentioned. “You probably did one thing that brought about him a lot ache, a lot struggling — what did you do?” Britney was noticeably shaken by the questions and started crying through the interview.
The change was featured within the documentary Framing Britney Spears, inflicting Britney’s loyal followers to demand an apology from Diane. Britney referred to as out the information anchor instantly in a Dec. 2021 Instagram put up. She slammed Diane for “forcing” her “to speak” and instructed the interviewer she may “kiss” the singer’s “white a**.”
Justin Writes One other Britney Track: 2006
Justin continued to speak in regards to the Britney breakup within the mid-2000s. “I felt like she had a few alternatives to only form of stick up for me, and she or he didn’t,” he complained to GQ in 2006. “Which is fine. However at the moment, you understand, I fought again, and that’s the way in which I fought again. I used my thoughts. I got here up with a tune.”
The feedback appeared like a low blow on the time. Whereas Justin was griping, Britney’s private issues have been quickly escalating. Her marriage to Kevin Federline led to Nov. 2006, mere weeks after they welcomed son Jayden in September 2006. In 2008 she was hospitalized on a 5150 maintain, and a month later she was positioned below her father Jamie Spears’ conservatorship.
Justin Says They Don’t Converse: 2011
Justin seemed again on the connection in a 2011 interview with Vainness Truthful, admitting it’d been almost a decade since they final spoke. “We have been two birds of the feather — small-town children, doing the identical factor,” he instructed the journal. “However then you definately develop into adults and the way in which you have been as children doesn’t make any sense. I received’t converse on her, however a minimum of for me, I used to be a very completely different individual. I simply don’t assume we have been regular; there was nothing regular about our existence.”
Britney & Justin Have ‘No Points’: 2020
Whereas Britney and Justin actually weren’t besties, a supply shed some EXCLUSIVE mild on the state of their relationship in April 2020. “Although they aren’t going to be hanging out with one another anytime quickly, they haven’t any points with one another,” the insider shares. “[They] could be more than pleased to be in the identical room as one another. They’re very cool with one another.”
Across the similar time, Brit praised her ex for his musical abilities on Instagram. She shared a clip of herself dancing to his tune “Filthy,” and wrote, “PS I do know we had one of many world’s largest breakups 20 years in the past …… however hey the person is a genius. Nice tune JT!”
Justin Apologizes To Britney: Feb. 2021
After years out of the highlight, the songstress was the middle of dialog as soon as once more after the discharge of the documentary Framing Britney Spears in early 2021. The doc unpacked Britney’s place in popular culture, whereas additionally taking purpose at a few of her harshest critics through the 2000s — particularly Justin.
The “Bye, Bye, Bye!” singer was principally pressured to concern a public apology to Britney in Feb. 2021. In it, he wrote that he was “deeply sorry for the instances in my life the place my actions contributed to the issue.”
He continued, apologizing for instances “The place I spoke out of flip, or didn’t converse up for what was proper.” Justin added, “I perceive that I fell quick in these moments and in lots of others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny…I’m deeply sorry for the instances in my life the place my actions contributed to the issue, the place I spoke out of flip, or didn’t converse up for what was proper.”
Justin Helps Britney’s Conservatorship Struggle: Jun. 2021
The Justified singer as soon as once more spoke out in assist of Britney after she spoke out in court docket in opposition to her ongoing conservatorship in summer time 2021. In her 24-minute June testimony, Britney accused her conservators of forcing her to take robust psychiatric medication like Lithium and refusing to let her have her IUD eliminated so she may attempt to have one other baby.
After what we noticed right now, we should always all be supporting Britney right now.
No matter our previous, good and unhealthy, and irrespective of how way back it was… what’s occurring to her is simply not proper.
No girl ought to ever be restricted from making selections about her personal physique.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021
Justin took to Twitter to defend his ex in a June 23 put up, that mentioned, “No matter our previous, good and unhealthy, and irrespective of how way back it was… what’s occurring to her is simply not proper.” Concerning her needs to have a child, he added that, “No girl ought to ever be restricted from making selections about her personal physique.”
