In her highly-anticipated new memoir The Woman in Me , pop legend Britney Spears speaks ‘her truth’ about pivotal past relationships, including intimate details about ex Justin Timberlake . In specific, she dove deep into what transpired after she terminated a pregnancy during their high-profile romance. According to Us Weekly , Spears wrote about Timberlake attempting to comfort her in the aftermath of the abortion by strumming his guitar while she cried inconsolably on the bathroom floor. He allegedly thought music could help soothe her anguish.
10.24.23 https://t.co/TTW2sQKl5X pic.twitter.com/66yE7Zccr4
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) July 11, 2023
This revelation adds nuance and context to their relationship, which utterly fascinated the public during its height in the late 90s and early 2000s. After their 2002 breakup, Timberlake faced intense criticism for seemingly vilifying Spears in his lyrics and music videos like Cry Me a River . But in a 2021 apology issued after the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears scrutinized her mistreatment, Timberlake walked back his contributions to Spears’ media narrative, admitting he ‘failed’ her. Now, Spears’ candid memoir offers her perspective on events from their time together.
Earlier excerpts published by People contained Spears’ admission about terminating an unplanned pregnancy that Timberlake was allegedly unhappy about. She expressed, “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.” But then, she continued, “He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.” She also wrote, “To this day, it’s one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life.”
Britney and Justin first met when they were little on the Mickey Mouse Club. pic.twitter.com/RZLf240ntL
— Haider (@iCashmiri) October 17, 2023
Timberlake is typically private about his personal affairs. But another source told Page Six previously that the former NSYNC member was worried about what details Spears would unfurl in her memoir: “He’s very curious what she’ll reveal from their relationship. It’s eating at him.” Nonetheless, it seems like there is no bad blood between the exes presently.
After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021
Beyond Timberlake, Spears is also expected to discuss other relationships and motherhood in The Woman in Me . She gave birth to sons Sean and Jayden with ex-husband Kevin Federline before their high-profile divorce in 2007. Now 39 years old, Spears is determining her own narrative in her own words with the release of the tell-all memoir this October. For fans, it’s an unprecedented opportunity to hear her side of the story on pivotal moments that fundamentally shaped her career and personal life. After having been silent for over a decade under her restrictive conservatorship, which ended in 2021, Spears is reclaiming her voice. The Woman in Me marks the start of a new era for the pop icon on her own terms.