Why Did Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake Break Up?

Britney Spears is airing out all the dirty laundry about her ex Justin Timberlake. The latest claim? In her upcoming memoir, the "Circus" singer reportedly claims that Timberlake cheated on her during their relationship according to TMZ. The former couple dated from 1999 to 2002, and while there was never complete confirmation on why they went their separate ways, Timberlake's song "Cry Me a River" alluded that Spears' was unfaithful during their relationship.

While she never directly admitted it, her response song "Everytime" included the lyric "My weakness caused you pain. And this song's my sorry." Now, Spears isn't keeping quiet as she accused Timberlake of his own infidelity. And as for the song "Everytime," fans now speculate it wasn't Spears apologizing for cheating but about the abortion.

In her bombshell memoir, The Woman in Me, the "Gimme More" singer revealed that she was pregnant with Timberlake's baby and ultimately had an abortion because he "wasn't ready to be a father."

“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."

She continued, "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."

She called that experience "one of the most agonizing things" she ever experienced in her life.

After Timberlake and Spears broke up, Spears was quickly branded as a villainous figure for her alleged cheating scandal — which Timberlake failed to outright condemn for many years. In 2021 he posted a public apology after the release of Spears' documentary, issuing a statement of apology to both Spears and Janet Jackson.

"I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right," he wrote. "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefitted from a system that condones misogyny and racism."

He continues, "I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed."

"I have not been perfect in navigating all of this throughout my career," he wrote. "I know this apology is a first step and doesn’t absolve the past. I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be part of a world that uplifts and supports. I care deeply about the wellbeing of the people I love and have loved. I can do better and I will do better."

Before excerpts of Spears' book were unveiled ahead of the official release date on Oct. 24, numerous sources stated that Timberlake was "concerned" about what she had written. "He’s very curious what she’ll reveal from their relationship," one source told Page Six. "It’s eating at him."

Clearly, Spears isn't holding back, in fact, Timberlake can cry her a river.