Britney Spears had furious reaction to Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River

18 October 2023 , 12:52

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Britney Spears had furious reaction to Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River

Britney Spears has laid bare her darkest times with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in her new memoir , and revealed she had an abortion during their three-year relationship. The iconic noughties duo were seen as the power couple in music before their tumultuous split in 2002.

After their break-up, NSYNC star Justin - who at the time had gone solo - seemingly used his heartbreak to power his songs and saw his career go from strength to strength. His breakout track, Cry Me A River, featured a Britney lookalike and implied that she'd betrayed him - though there was no evidence that either Britney or Justin had cheated.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were childhood sweethearts back in the noughties (Getty)

Britney has shared heartbreaking details about their time together in her new memoir

At the time, Britney was extremely heartbroken over her ex and was taken aback by his music video. In a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone, she admitted that while Justin did seek her permission to use a lookalike, she got a lot more than she bargained for. "He called me up and behind it was, 'And by the way, you're in a video that's coming out. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal'," she explained. She said she "had the power to say no to the video", but didn't realise how significant her lookalike's role would be until after it was released. "I hadn't seen it. Then it came out, and I said, 'I should've freakin' said no to this sh*t!'," Britney continued, adding: "I think it looks like such a desperate attempt, personally. But that was a great way to sell the record. He's smart. Smart guy."

However, an insider told US Weekly in 2021 that she doesn't want her fans to "release the hounds" on her former lover. The source revealed: "Britney has been on the receiving end of so much hate through the years, particularly on social media. She would never want her fans to release the hounds on Justin. Hate isn't going to solve anything, regardless of what happened in the past." The insider continued that the Toxic singer does not "dwell" on the the fact their relationship ended and feels that "they were young and in love and both did stupid things when they were together."

Britney's lookalike took her by surprise when Justin's Cry Me A River music video came out (Youtube)

That same year, Justin issued a public apology to Britney and Janet Jackson - who came under scrutiny at the 2004 Superbowl while performing with him. "I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right," he said in a statement. "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism." He went on: "I specifically want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed. 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..."

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He admitted the music industry was 'flawed' in that it "sets men, especially white men, up for success." Justin continued: "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 recognise it was all that it was for a while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again. I have not been perfect in navigating all of this throughout my career. I know this apology is the first step and doesn't absolve the past. I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as part of a world that uplifts and supports. I care deeply about the wellbeing of the people I love and have loved. I can do better and I will do better."

Frances Kindon