Leave Justin Alone

I know right now the internet pretty much collectively has it out for Justin Timberlake, but I’m here to offer a different perspective: Justin did not need to give that awkward apology to Britney Spears on Friday. I won’t touch on the Janet Jackson side of things. Hear me out. When Britney & Justin broke up in 2002 they were barely old enough to drink. They were hardly out of their teens and basically still kids. 

I don’t think that, twenty years later at 40 years-old, Justin needed to publicly show remorse for dealing with the publicized dissolution of his long-term relationship the best way he knew how at the time. The behavior that’s in question includes releasing the song “Cry Me a River” (which is a fucking bop we should all be grateful exists), and doing a slew of interviews in which he admitted to having premarital sex with Brit. 

Some have referred to the “Cry Me a River” music video as slut-shaming and I think that’s quite a stretch. The video depicts a woman cheating on her boyfriend and the boyfriend subsequently leaving her after recording proof of the infidelity. Assuming the couple in the video were in a monogamous relationship, it’s perfectly reasonable for the “character” Justin portrayed to be bitter and upset. I really don’t see the issue.

As far as the sex admission, let’s not act surprised that the two biggest pop stars at the time—young, rich, attractive people with the world at their fingertips—were getting it in as they traveled the world and sold us sex in their music and on stage. Justin’s press fodder didn’t really tell us anything we didn’t already know. 

All week, as people slammed him on Twitter and Instagram, I’d hoped he wouldn’t cave under the pressure of strangers and dignify the hype. But of course he did, just like he unnecessarily made a statement in 2019 after purportedly inappropriate footage came out of him drinking during a night out with his co-stars.

It’s important to keep in mind that Justin’s early 2000s press tour wasn’t even a thought before last week’s The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears documentary. It just goes to show how easily manipulated we are by broadcast journalism. By only showing interview clips of people taking offense to Justin, placing heartfelt music behind them, and simultaneously slow-motioning photos of Britney with bleak expressions, producers were able to evoke feelings of outrage from viewers.

Doesn’t anyone remember when Justin said in numerous interviews that he wanted to “see Britney win”? I’d link them here as evidence but there are so many recent posts about the ‘Framing Britney’ documentary that they’re virtually impossible to dig up.

Britney herself doesn’t even seem to hold any ill-will toward her ex. In April 2020 she posted one of her notorious videos on Instagram, dancing to Justin’s song “Filthy” along with a caption calling him a genius and joking about their breakup. Then, just a few weeks ago she posted another video of herself dancing to Jay-Z’s and Justin’s “Holy Grail,” this time going as far as tagging JT.

Britney bounced back after the Justin split and gave us the masterpiece that is “In the Zone,” but after Kevin Federline entered the plot she was never the same. We’ve conveniently glossed over the fact that her infamous meltdown directly followed her relationship with him. Where’s his public statement? If anyone owes Britney an apology it’s Kevin—and I’m willing to die on that hill. I’ll be blasting Britney & Justin songs from the top of it.