Britney Spears Mocks Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River' in Social Media Showdown

Britney Spears has taken a not-so-subtle jab at her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake following his performance of Cry Me a River at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Timberlake, who famously dated Spears from 1999 to 2002, performed the hit song, widely believed to be about her alleged infidelity during their relationship, with a prelude of “No disrespect” to the audience.

In response, Spears, 42, took to Instagram to share her thoughts, seemingly referencing Timberlake's performance. In a post that included a clip from her unreleased 2016 Make Me music video, Spears didn't hold back. "Oh Jesus Christ, the stories… I could tell on the set of this one☝🏻!!!” she wrote, shedding light on the challenges faced during the shoot in scorching Arizona heat. The post also alluded to the fact that two different versions of the music video were shot.

However, the most intriguing part of Spears' caption was the revelation that she defeated Timberlake in basketball during their time together. "Psss I never mentioned how I beat him in basketball 🏀 and he would cry … no disrespect 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!" she wrote, casting a playful shadow on Timberlake's skills and perhaps drawing attention to his past emotional reactions. While Spears didn't explicitly confirm that her post was aimed at Timberlake, the inclusion of the phrase "no disrespect" at the end suggested a direct response to his Vegas performance. The two pop sensations were once the "it" couple of Hollywood, capturing the public's attention from 1999 to 2002.

The history between Spears and Timberlake is filled with ups and downs, including Spears' admission of cheating on Timberlake with dancer Wade Robson during their romance. In her memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears shared details of their relationship and breakup, revealing Timberlake's alleged infidelity as well. Timberlake's song Cry Me a River, released in 2002, portrayed Spears as a betrayer, contributing to a narrative that Spears claims she was unable to counter at the time. She wrote, "I felt there was no way at the time to tell my side of the story. I don’t think Justin realized the power he had in shaming me. I don’t think he understands to this day," as per Page Six.

While Timberlake issued a public apology to Spears in February 2021, following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears, as per New York Post, Spears' recent Instagram post suggests that tensions still linger. Timberlake, who has not directly responded to Spears' latest remarks, turned off his Instagram comments after receiving backlash related to the memoir. As the saga between Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake continues to unfold, fans eagerly await any further developments in this seemingly never-ending chapter of pop culture history.