Justin Timberlake is seemingly sending a message after ex Britney Spears issued a public apology for comments made in her memoir.
Timberlake, 43, performed at New York City’s Irving Plaza on Wednesday, January 31, taking the stage to sing old hits and debut new songs. While introducing his 2002 smash “Cry Me a River,” Timberlake addressed the audience.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely f–king nobody,” he said, per footage shared via social media.
Timberlake’s statement came days after Spears, 42, took to social media to discuss her bombshell book, The Woman in Me, which hit shelves last fall. “I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book,” she wrote via Instagram on Sunday, January 28. “If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry.”
Spears uploaded a clip of Timberlake singing with Jimmy Fallon for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon‘s “Classroom Instruments” segment, leading many social media users to believe that her apology was directed toward Timberlake. She proceeded to give her ex’s new music a shout-out.
“Also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish.’ It is soo good and how come every time I see Justin and Jimmy together I laugh so hard ???” Spears wrote.
@breatheheavycom “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely f—ing nobody,” Justin Timberlake said during his set at Irving Plaza in New York City Wednesday night right before performing “Cry Me a River.” You may recall a few days ago, Britney Spears posted (then deleted) an apology to Justin for some of the things she wrote in her book, ‘The Woman In Me.’ “I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book,” Britney wrote. “If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about I am deeply sorry… I also wanted to say I am in love with Justin Timberlake’s new song ‘Selfish’
It is soo good.” #justintimberlake #britneyspears
Timberlake dropped his latest single on Thursday, January 25, but Spears’ fans banded together in an attempt to keep the track off the charts by streaming Spears’ 2011 song of the same name. The songs were neck and neck for No. 1 when they landed on the iTunes charts.
Spears and Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002. While reflecting on the relationship in her October 2023 memoir, Spears revealed she had an abortion — allegedly at Timberlake’s behest.
“It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated,” Spears wrote. “But 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.”
Spears noted that she still wasn’t sure if she made “the right decision,” adding, “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”
Timberlake didn’t immediately address Spears’ revelations, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2023 that the former ‘NSync member was “disappointed” that Spears took their drama public. A second insider told Us that Timberlake has “regrets” about how the pair’s relationship ended, noting, “He thinks Britney has every right to tell her story and hopes they can move on now.”
When it comes to Spears’ fans coming for his place on the charts, Timberlake wants to rise above the backlash. “Justin hasn’t been letting the Britney fans get him down,” a source exclusively revealed in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now. “He believes his music and performance will speak for itself and is looking forward to connecting with his fans from the stage again.”
