Jamie Lynn Spears posted a sweet throwback photo to Instagram of herself, big sister Britney Spears and Britney’s then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake , but fans believe that within the post, there was some subtle shade thrown towards the former NSYNC superstar.
The 2001 photo, which shows a 10-year old Jamie Lynn seated between actress Natalie Portman , Britney and Justin, was taken at the launch party for Britney’s self-titled album, Britney, in New York City.
The four all shared a laugh together in the retro photo, which showed off the styles of the earlier part of the millennium. But fans were not looking at the fabulous fashion of the time. Rather, they noticed that Jamie Lynn didn’t tag Britney’s ex in the picture. Instead, the Zoey 101 star tagged sister Britney, Natalie, and the account @noughtiez, which first posted the snap.
“Nothing like childhood memories,” Jamie Lynn captioned the photo, adding the hashtags #FBF and #YoungJL.
This sent fans into a frenzy on the social media site, posting their thoughts on what they believed to be subtle shade in the photo’s accompanying comments section.
“Why don’t u tag Justin Timberlake? This photo is iconic! Amazing!” questioned one fan, who was happy to see the retro image seen below.
Other followers of Jamie Lynn noticed the same thing and asked the same question of the singer and actress, who did not reply to their comments.
“What were you saying to make them crack up like that haha!” wondered one fan of what the then-10-year-old might have said, as she is the only one not laughing heartily in the photo.
“Really miss these amazing moments,” said a third follower of the singer, adding three red heart emoji.
In the flashback image, Jamie Lynn is wearing small blue sunglasses and a shirt that has the same blue colors in its pattern across the chest. The garment’s long sleeves are crocheted, the intricate work dyed an inky black. Young Jamie Lynn had her hair cut in a shorter bob with long bangs framing her preteen face.
On the left-hand side of the photo, Natalie Portman, a longtime friend of Britney’s, wore an all-black ensemble to the event. Her reddish-brown hair was pulled away from her face, and her profile can be seen as she looks at Jamie Lynn.
Britney looked stunning in a tan ensemble with a formfitting top and coordinating skirt. She laughed heartily in the direction of her sister.
Seated next to Britney was Justin Timberlake, Britney’s longtime boyfriend, who sported an outfit that coordinated with his famous girlfriend and consisted of a tan dress shirt, darker tan pants, and a brown leather jacket. His famous curly hair was on full display in the retro photo.
Britney and Justin first met while starring on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993. When both were in their late teens, they began a relationship that dominated celebrity news from 1999 to 2002.
After the couple split, Justin released the solo song “Cry Me a River,” which has long been rumored to be about the end of his relationship with Britney. The song tells the story of a brokenhearted man who moves on from his last girlfriend, who cheated on him.