Justin Timberlake issued an apology this week after he was photographed holding hands with his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright while out in New Orleans last month, but some Twitter users aren’t buying it. One person brought up Britney Spears, using Timberlake’s own lyrics to claim that his current situation is the result of karma, which began when Timberlake publicly criticized Spears for allegedly cheating on him.
“Wouldn’t it be some sโ if after the way Justin Timberlake dragged Britney publicly for cheating, he is now doing the same sโ to his wife/mother of his child?” they wrote on the network. “What goes around comes around?? Cry me a river?? He had a part in her mental breakdown and now he can see how it feels.”
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After his breakup with Spears, Timberlake released his song “Cry Me a River” in 2002 which he heavily implied was inspired by Spears cheating on him. The video for the song featured a Spears lookalike and Timberlake wrote in his 2018 memoir, Hindsight, that he penned the track just hours after he and the pop star split. Timberlake’s furthering of the narrative of Spears’ infidelity and his continued references to her led to increased speculation about her private life and constant media pressure, which ultimately led to her dealing with a number of personal issues.
On Dec. 4, Timberlake shared an apology on social media for the handholding incident in which he addressed his wife, Jessica Biel, and their 4-year-old son, Silas.
“I stay away from gossip as much as I can, but for my family I feel it is important to address recent rumors that are hurting the people I love,” he wrote. “A few weeks ago, I displayed a strong lapse in judgementโbut let me be clearโnothing happened between me and my co-star. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better.”
“This is not the example I want to set for my son,” the singer continued. “I apologize to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. I am incredibly proud to be working on Palmer. Looking forward to continuing to make this movie and excited for people to see it.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin