Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake had been pure pop royalty within the late ’90s and early 2000s, so it’s no marvel the world was obsessive about their relationship. The “Child One Extra Time” singer and NSYNC frontman appeared like they had been excellent for one another once they went public in 1999. It was all cute soundbites and PDA-packed purple carpet appearances till issues got here crashing down in 2002, amid rumors of dishonest and lies.
Following the cut up, Justin appeared to shade Britney in his “Cry Me a River” music video and made eyebrow-raising feedback about their relationship in interviews, fueling public scrutiny towards Britney simply as she was grappling with psychological well being struggles.
Through the years, each moved on — Justin married actress Jessica Biel in 2012, whereas Britney wed dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 (they divorced in 2007) and later married actor Sam Asghari in 2022 earlier than their 2023 separation. Nonetheless, their shared historical past has remained a serious speaking level, particularly after Britney’s 2023 memoir The Lady in Me revealed new particulars about their relationship, together with claims that Justin cheated and that she had an abortion throughout their time collectively. It took practically 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 every thing 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
Britney and Justin had been each forged in The All-New Mickey Mouse Membership again in 1992. On the time, Britney and Justin had been each round 11 years outdated.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, nevertheless. 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 advised GQ in 2006, “I used to be in love along with her from the beginning. I used to be infatuated along 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 identified one another since we had been 12 years outdated. We all know one another inside and outside.”
Britney & Justin’s Iconic AMAs Appears to be like: January 2001
As their relationship progressed, Justin and Britney turned purple 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 purple carpet, Justin and Britney wore matching, head-to-toe denim outfits.
Within the years for the reason that pair walked the purple carpet collectively, each have commented on the style selection. In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Justin admitted he had some trend “regrets” from his early years. “I confess that there was possibly a interval within the ’90s the place I might skip over a number of the outfits that had been public,” he shared.
Britney, alternatively, appeared again on the second fondly. “I suppose my denim was successful 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: January 2001
With each stars on the high of their recreation, it was solely a matter of time earlier than they shared an enormous stage. Followers of Britney and Justin had 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 Manner.” The efficiency was completely electrical, solidifying each stars’ place in pop historical past.
Justin & Britney At The ‘Crossroads’ Premiere: February 2002
In February 2002, Justin supported Britney on the premiere of her movie Crossroads, co-starring Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning. The 2 appeared tremendous cute collectively and held palms on the purple 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: March 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 might not say I used to be in an intense relationship with anybody in the mean time,” she dished on the time. “I’m single proper now.”
The tabloids hounded the exes concerning the breakup for months after, throughout which era Justin started to form his facet of the story. He advised Barbara Walters in a Nov. 2002 ABC interview, “I keep in mind after we determined we had been going to go our separate methods, we sat down and I stated to her, ‘If there’s ever a second the place you ever want me, you possibly can relaxation assured that I will likely 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 advised 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 nice man more often than not, Justin additionally tried to slut-shame Britney by sharing lurid particulars about their intercourse life collectively. One of the 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’: December 2002
Justin launched the music “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 answer the monitor along 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 music is about her former flame, although followers to this present day learn into the lyrics like “Why are we strangers / When our love is robust?” as being about Justin.
Britney’s Diane Sawyer Interview: November 2003
Regardless of wanting to maneuver on from her high-profile romance, Britney was nonetheless pressed concerning the finish 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 stated you broke his coronary heart,” Diane stated. “You probably did one thing that brought on him a lot ache, a lot struggling — what did you do?” Britney was noticeably shaken by the questions and started crying throughout the interview.
The alternate 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 immediately in a Dec. 2021 Instagram publish. She slammed Diane for “forcing” her “to speak” and advised the interviewer she might “kiss” the singer’s “white a**.”
Justin Writes One other Britney Track: 2006
Justin continued to speak concerning the Britney breakup within the mid-2000s. “I felt like she had a few alternatives to simply 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 realize, I fought again, and that’s the way in which I fought again. I used my thoughts. I got here up with a music.”
The feedback appeared like a low blow on the time. Whereas Justin was griping, Britney’s private issues had been quickly escalating. Her marriage to Kevin Federline led to November 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 underneath her father Jamie Spears‘ conservatorship.
Justin Says They Don’t Communicate: 2011
Justin appeared again on the connection in a 2011 interview with Vainness Honest, admitting it’d been practically a decade since they final spoke. “We had been two birds of the feather — small-town youngsters, doing the identical factor,” he advised the journal. “However you then develop into adults and the way in which you had been as youngsters doesn’t make any sense. I received’t communicate on her, however at the least for me, I used to be a very completely different individual. I simply don’t assume we had been regular; there was nothing regular about our existence.”
Britney & Justin Have ‘No Points’: 2020
Whereas Britney and Justin definitely weren’t besties, a supply shed some unique gentle to ipromiseyoumedia 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 very happy 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 music “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 music JT!”
Justin Apologizes To Britney: February 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 goal at a few of her harshest critics throughout the 2000s — specifically Justin.
The “Bye, Bye, Bye!” singer issued a public apology to Britney in February 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 communicate up for what was proper.” Justin added, “I perceive that I fell brief 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 communicate up for what was proper.”
Justin Helps Britney’s Conservatorship Battle: June 2021
The Justified singer as soon as once more spoke out in assist of Britney after she spoke out in court docket towards her ongoing conservatorship in summer season 2021. In her 24-minute June testimony, Britney accused her conservators of forcing her to take robust psychiatric medicine like Lithium and refusing to let her have her IUD eliminated so she might attempt to have one other baby.
After what we noticed in the present day, we must always all be supporting Britney at the moment.
No matter our previous, good and unhealthy, and regardless of how way back it was… what’s taking place to her is simply not proper.
No girl ought to ever be restricted from making choices about her personal physique.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021
Justin took to Twitter to defend his ex in a June 23, 2021 publish, that stated, “No matter our previous, good and unhealthy, and regardless of how way back it was … what’s taking place to her is simply not proper.” Concerning her needs to have a child, he added, “No girl ought to ever be restricted from making choices about her personal physique.”
Britney Reveals Extra About Relationship With Justin: October 2023
In her 2023 memoir, The Lady in Me, Britney dropped the surprising revelation that she had an abortion along with her and Justin’s child throughout their relationship.
“It was a shock, however for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I cherished Justin a lot,” she wrote in her ebook. “I all the time anticipated us to have a household collectively at some point. This may simply be a lot sooner than I’d anticipated. However Justin undoubtedly wasn’t pleased concerning the being pregnant. He stated we weren’t able to have a child in our lives, that we had been manner too younger.”
