It’s been over two decades since their split, and Britney Spears is finally opening up about her relationship with Justin Timberlake, with no holds barred. She’s ready to shed light on what truly went down. And it seems Janet Jackson is also eager to speak her truth, still feeling the sting of being sidelined and criticized after her Super Bowl incident with Justin. Britney’s memoir, “The Women in Me,” is the front-row ticket to this saga. Have you grabbed a copy yet? She leaves no detail untouched, especially when it comes to Justin Timberlake.
In the opening of her memoir, Britney recounts her first encounter with Justin, tracing back to her audition for the Mickey Mouse Club, where she landed a role after her second try. Filming at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, brought them together. She vividly recalls their first kiss at a sleepover, prompted by a game of Truth or Dare, with Janet Jackson’s music as the backdrop. Britney reminisces, “Another time at a sleepover, we played a game of Truth or Dare, and someone dared Justin to kiss me. A Janet Jackson song was playing in the background as he leaned in and kissed me. Did you give her her first kiss or your first kiss?” “Uh, I think so. I think I did give her her first kiss. Anyways,” she recalls. After the show, they stayed connected, leading to Britney joining *NSYNC’s tour as an opening act in 1998. During the tour, they grew closer, and Britney realized her deep feelings for Justin. However, she was unprepared for his Playboy persona. Britney reflects on moments like catching him with a member of the British girl group All Saints in a car in London, and hearing from one of her dancers in Las Vegas about Justin boasting, “Yeah, man, I hit that last night.” Despite evidence of Justin’s infidelities with dancers and groupies, Britney chose to overlook them.
You know, it’s quite a thing: Justin made quite a fuss about his relationship with Britney, claiming she was the one who cheated on him first. He went on about it in numerous interviews, playing the victim card to the hilt, Jerry. “I’ll never forget when we decided to part ways; I sat her down and promised, ‘Whenever you need me, I’ll be there because I care for you deeply as a person.'” He even brought his mom along to these interviews to amplify how heartbroken he was. “I cried alongside him, reassuring him that tomorrow would bring solace. All I wanted was for him to find happiness.” He was devastated, yet seemed all too eager to divulge details about Britney’s virginity, even boasting about being the one who “took” it. Britney’s always been clear about her values, stating, and I quote, ‘Having good morals means waiting until after marriage to have sex.’ I couldn’t agree more.” “Right. Did both of you adhere to this principle during your relationship?” “Absolutely. Absolutely.” It’s just appalling and reprehensible.
Britney confessed in her book that she strayed with her dancer Wade Robson, recounting, “We were out one night, and we ended up at a Spanish bar. We danced and danced. I kissed him that night. Despite being devoted to Justin for years, he was the only exception, and I came clean to him about it. That night was just a mistake of youth, something that happens when you’re as young as we were.” Surprisingly, Justin and I managed to overcome it and stayed together. I truly believed we were meant to be forever. I held onto that hope. It’s worth noting, this revelation came after Justin had been unfaithful to her multiple times.
Later, they ended their relationship, and let me tell you, this guy really played up the innocent victim angle, acting like his heart was shattered by Britney. And after that, the media just tore into Britney. Like I said, he really exploited the sympathy card, Jerry. Regarding their split, Britney revealed that when Justin started working on his debut solo album, “Justified,” he became distant and cold towards her. Turns out, he decided to use their breakup as material for his music. And here’s the kicker: Justin actually ended things with her via text while Britney was on the set filming the “Overprotected” music video. Can you imagine Britney’s shock when she saw Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” video, featuring a woman resembling her cheating on him, while he moped around looking sad in the rain? And to add insult to injury, Britney had to endure the media painting her as a villain who had broken the heart of America’s sweetheart. According to Britney, at the time, she couldn’t defend herself because she knew no one would believe her side of the story once Justin had spun his narrative, conveniently leaving out his own infidelities in interviews. What still stings for Britney is the feeling that Justin never grasped the power he wielded in publicly shaming her, and she doubts he even comprehends it to this day.
Britney revealed in her writing that during her three-year relationship with Justin Timberlake, she found herself pregnant at one point. Despite her feelings of love for Justin and her anticipation of starting a family with him, Justin reacted negatively to the pregnancy. He expressed that they were not prepared for parenthood at their young age, leading Britney to make the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy. She acknowledged that it was a choice she never imagined having to make, but circumstances pushed them towards it. Britney expressed uncertainty about whether it was the right decision, emphasizing that if the choice had been hers alone, she wouldn’t have gone through with it. However, Justin was firm in his stance against becoming a father.
Furthermore, Britney delved into her infamous 2003 interview with Diane Sawyer, criticizing Sawyer for subjecting her to harsh questioning about Justin following their breakup, which left her in tears on national television. She lamented being compelled to share her emotions in front of a stranger who seemed intent on attacking her. Britney’s book laid bare her emotions, garnering sympathy from her followers who felt she was unfairly portrayed while Justin was perceived as the innocent victim of heartbreak.
You know who could truly empathize with Justin Timberlake’s rise while facing public scrutiny and criticism? None other than Miss Janet Jackson. Remember, it’s Miss Jackson if you’re nasty. Aside from his inappropriate comments about Britney’s personal life, Justin also contributed to the unfair treatment of black women artists like Janet Jackson. Recall the infamous 2004 Super Bowl incident where Janet faced severe consequences, while Justin portrayed himself as an innocent victim. Let’s acknowledge the truth: Janet, as a black woman, endured a prejudiced and sexist double standard, suffering more severe repercussions than Justin, who benefited from his white male privilege. Adding insult to injury, Justin showed up at the Grammy Awards a week later, accepting accolades while Janet was unjustly banned from attending.
So, rather than condemning the situation despite having the ability to alter the narrative, his failure to do so led followers to brand him as deeply racist. Regarding Justin’s treatment of black individuals, there’s a prolonged history of him appropriating the musical styles and aesthetics of black artists. He has profited from a racist system that elevates white artists performing R&B over the black originators of the genre.
In 2021, Justin Timberlake took to social media with a lengthy post expressing his desire to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson, acknowledging his shortcomings in supporting and respecting these women. He acknowledged having seen the messages, tags, and comments.
