Justin Timberlake took to Instagram yesterday to post a public apology to Britney Spears, but what did he actually do?
Britney Spears’ New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears debuted on Hulu last week, giving fans an insight into her life and conservatorship battle with her father.
One familiar face that appears in the documentary is Justin Timberlake, who dated Britney between 1999 and 2002, but his appearance in the show got a lot of backlash from fans.
Now, he’s taken to Instagram to personally apologise to Britney, but what did he actually do? Here’s exactly why Justin apologised…
Justin Timberlake apologises to Britney Spears on Instagram
In an Instagram photo posted on Friday (February 12th), Justin Timberlake apologised to Britney Spears, whom he was in a relationship with two decades ago.
“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments and concerns and I want to respond. 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. I understand that I feel short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism,” he said.
He then went on to say that he is specifically apologising to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson who he says he “failed” before saying “everyone deserves better”.
However, he didn’t actually reveal the reason why he’s apologising to Britney, which is confusing a lot of fans who haven’t seen the documentary.
Why did Justin apologise to Britney?
Britney’s new documentary Framing Britney Spears looks as various people who have had a significant impact on her life and mental health, and one of those people is Justin Timberlake.
The show looks back at their relationship, particularly focussing on cheating allegations and the way the media took sides and favoured Justin following their breakup.
After watching the documentary, fans started criticising Justin on social media, claiming that he treated her badly following their breakup in 2002.
Many fans believe that Justin made Britney out to be the villain and slut-shamed her, which they think had an impact on her downward spiral and 2007 breakdown.
After their breakup, Justin launched his solo music career and released his hit single Cry Me a River. In the song, he accused Britney of cheating on him and also used a Britney Spears lookalike in the music video.
So, Justin was essentially apologising to Britney for the way he treated her following their breakup and also for his misogynistic attitudes towards her.
Justin and Britney’s relationship explored
Justin and Britney met in 1992 when they were both cast in the revival of the kids show The Mickey Mouse Club. Justin left the show in 1994 to form his band NSYNC, but Britney stayed until 1996.
The pair parted ways after the show, but then reunited again years later and began dating in 1999. Then, by 2001, they were living together and seemed very loved-up.
They dated for three years before abruptly splitting in 2002.