Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears' Cheating Claims in Their Own Words
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears’ once-dreamy teen romance turned messy after they broke up.
Timberlake and Spears, who initially met on The All New Mickey Mouse Club in the early ‘90s, went their separate ways in 2002. The following year, Timberlake dropped his song “Cry Me River,” where he appeared to recreate their breakup in the music video opposite a Spears-lookalike model. The footage also seemed to allude that Spears had cheated on the former ‘NSync band member.
“He called me up and wanted to supposedly get back together or whatever, but behind it was, ‘And by the way, you’re in a video that’s coming out,’” Spears told Rolling Stone in 2003. “That kind of got slipped in. ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.’”
Spears added at the time that Timberlake’s record label even offered to let her veto the song pre-release, which she turned down. “I thought, ‘Hey, it’s your video.’” she told the magazine, noting Timberlake even told her it was “controversial.” She continued to Rolling Stone: “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.”
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Nearly a decade later, Spears flipped the script in her Woman in Me memoir. According to an October 2023 excerpt obtained by TMZ, she claimed that Timberlake cheated on her with another celebrity. (He has not addressed the recent claims.)
Keep scrolling to revisit everything Timberlake and Spears have said about their cheating scandal:
No Judgment?
Shortly after “Cry Me a River” dropped, Timberlake was asked if it was inspired by Spears and the cheating rumors.
“We’re not perfect. I don’t judge anybody,” he told Barbara Walters in 2002. “It’s just young love. It was a very intense relationship, that’s for sure.”
Was It Mutual?
One year later, Diane Sawyer spoke with Spears about causing Timberlake “so much pain” and “suffering” when they broke up.
“I was upset for a while. We both are really young and it was kind of waiting to happen. I will always love him,” the Crossroads actress replied in 2003. “He is such a great person. … I’m not technically saying he’s wrong, but I’m not technically saying he’s right either.”
He Said, She Said
“When we initially parted ways, I felt like she had a couple of opportunities to just sort of stick up for me, and she didn’t, which is fine,” Timberlake told GQ in 2006. “But at that time, you know, I fought back.”
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Still Bad Blood
Seven years later, Timberlake brought new life to the cheating claims when he performed “Cry Me a River” in concert. “Sometimes in life, you think you found The One. But then one day you find out that she is just some bitch,” he told the crowd during the 2013 performance.
Days later, Timberlake denied that he was referring to Spears. “OK. I see you. Wouldn’t disrespect ANYONE personally. Ever,” he tweeted at the time. “#Relax #ItsBritneyBitch I do love that saying though *with accent* #Respect.”
Art Imitates Life
Timberlake recounted the “Cry Me a River” drama in his 2018 book, Hindsight: & All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me.
“I’ve been scorned. I’ve been pissed off. I wrote ‘Cry Me a River’ in two hours. I didn’t plan on writing it,” he wrote in the memoir. “The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it, and I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and, hopefully, relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we’ve all been there.”
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Saying Sorry
After several TV documentaries about Spears’ conservatorship drama dropped, Timberlake issued a public apology “for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem.”
Taking to Instagram in February 2021, Timberlake noted that he “failed” to speak up on her behalf in light of their breakup and her later struggles.
“I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be part of and grow from,” he added. “The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognize it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.”
Putting Pen to Paper
Spears claimed in her Woman in Me memoir that Timberlake cheated on her with another famous woman. According to TMZ, Spears did not name the individual because she has a family of her own now.
