There were seemingly clear skies ahead for Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears — until they both threw more shade.
During Timberlake’s free show at Irving Plaza in New York City Wednesday, the former *NSYNC breakout star said a few choice words before singing “Cry Me a River,” which is believed to be about Spears.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely … nobody,” Timberlake said before the song, a concertgoer confirmed to People.
The seemingly pointed statement is his first about his ex-girlfriend Spears since the release of her 2023 memoir “The Woman in Me,” which charts her path to pop stardom and includes reflections on Spears’ personal relationships. (She also revealed that she had an abortion during her relationship with Timberlake.)
Britney Spears praises Justin Timberlake’s song ‘Selfish,’ apologizes for ‘some of’ memoir
On Thursday, Spears shared a message of her own to 42 million followers on Instagram.
“Someone told me someone was talking … about me on the streets !!! Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I’m not sorry !!!” Spears captioned the post.
That post arrived just days after Spears, 42, also seemed to praise Timberlake in a separate Instagram post, writing that she wanted to “apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book.” She added that she was “genuinely sorry” if she “offended any of the people I genuinely care about.”
“I am in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish,'” she continued, referencing his newly released single. He performed the song on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend.
She added that Timberlake’s track is “soo good” and praised his appearance on “The Tonight Show staring Jimmy Fallon,” writing, “How come every time I see Justin and Jimmy together I laugh so hard ???” She also said that “Sanctified,” another new song that Timberlake debuted on “SNL,” is “wow,” too.
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“Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young,” she wrote.
The abortion sent shockwaves through social media and caused Spears fans to heap criticism on the Timberlake. For Spears, the memoir was a commercial success and sold over 1 million U.S. copies in the first week.
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Timberlake began a music comeback in the wake of the onslaught of criticism. He announced The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, his first in five years, during a recent appearance on “Tonight.”
The tour is slated to support his upcoming sixth solo album “Everything I Thought I Was,” which will be released by RCA on March 15, follows 2018’s “Man of the Woods” and marks a return to his R&B-tinged roots. The album’s first single, “Selfish,” is out now.
The beef between the exes comes 22 years after their breakup in 2002. Spears recently split from husband Sam Asghari after a year of marriage while Timberlake has been married to wife and actress Jessica Biel since 2012.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Justin Timberlake apologizes to ‘nobody’ amid feud with Britney Spears
Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
