Inside Britney Spears And Justin Timberlake’s Relationship And Why They Split

17 October 2023, 17:31 | Updated: 18 October 2023, 16:16

By Capital FM

@CapitalOfficial

Britney Spears opened up about her relationship with Justin Timberlake in her new memoir. But how long were they together and why did they split?

Britney Spears’ new memoir has resurfaced questions around her relationship with Justin Timberlake, who she dated when she was young and had just established herself as a pop star.

One of Britney’s claims in her memoir, 'The Woman in Me', is that she had an abortion while they were together as they ‘weren’t ready’ to have a baby.

Justin is yet to speak out on Britney’s claims about their relationship, but was said to be ‘concerned’ over what she would include in her memoir, according to Page Six.

• READ MORE: Britney Spears & Sam Asghari's Complete Relationship Timeline
• READ MORE: How Old Are Britney Spears’ Sons And Where Are They Now?

Britney and Justin actually met when they were just 10 and 11 years old, respectively, while working on Mickey Mouse Club, and they started dating when they were 18 and 19 years old.

What does Britney Spears say in her memoir about Justin Timberlake?

In her book, Britney recalls meeting Justin when they both worked on Mickey Mouse Club as kids, saying they ‘quickly connected’. She also wrote (via PEOPLE) about the time someone ‘dared Justin’ to kiss her while at a sleepover.

She’s included some painful experiences in her memoir too, revealing that she became pregnant while dating Justin but they decided to have an abortion.

“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 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 writes in her book. "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.”

Britney Spears calls out people writing scripts about her life

How long were Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake together?

Britney and Justin were in a relationship for nearly three years, from early 1999 to 2002. They separately told the press they were no longer together.

Britney’s song ‘Everytime’ is heavily believed to be about Justin. In it she sings: ‘I may have made it rain / Please forgive me / My weakness caused you pain / And this song's my sorry.’

Meanwhile, he penned ‘Cry Me A River’, which includes lyrics like: 'You don't have to say, what you did / I already know, I found out from him / Now there's just no chance / For you and me / There'll never be / And don't it make you sad about it?'

Why did Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake split?

Britney and Justin dated from 1999 to 2002, breaking up after nearly three years. They never actually commented on the reason for their split.

While the reason for their split remains unknown, it’s rumoured Britney was unfaithful in the relationship. A year after they went their separate ways Britney said in an interview: “I think everyone has a side of their story to make them feel a certain way… and I’m not technically saying he’s wrong, but I’m not technically saying he’s right either.”

Justin released the music video for ‘Cry Me A River’ shortly after their split, and it featured him getting revenge on a woman who was unfaithful to him.

After the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears, which shed light on the details of her conservatorship and her treatment by the media, Justin issued an apology to his ex.

Listen live to Capital, and catch up on any shows you missed, on Global Player.