Justin Timberlake is being taken to task by Britney Spears fans following the release of a new documentary about the “Toxic” singer.
“Framing Britney Spears,” a New York Times documentary, details Spears’ life in the spotlight, including mental health struggles and a conservatorship helmed by her father Jamie. One part of the fascinating documentary focuses on Spears’ youthful romance with the NSYNC star in the early 00’s — and the aftermath, which included allegations that Spears cheated on Timberlake.
Timberlake fueled the narrative with the video for his 2002 song “Cry Me A River,” which featured a blond actress, who resembles Spears, sneaking around behind his back.
Diane Sawyer then further fanned the flames when she interviewed Spears in 2003 and pushed the then-22-year-old to tears.
“You broke his heart, you did something that caused him so much pain, so much suffering. What did you do?” Sawyer hammered away at Spears.
Fans immediately took to Twitter to call out Timberlake after the doc dropped.
“Justin Timberlake needs to get his apology ready…” one person wrote, while another noted, “Watching Framing Britney Spears is a pretty easy way to feel angry about misogyny, Justin Timberlake, and how we rake every girl and young woman in the spotlight over the coals!”
“Twenty-five minutes into the nyt britney doc and ready to slowly pull out each of justin timberlake’s teeth with a wrench,” another angrily noted.
The film follows the ongoing #FreeBritney campaign, a movement spearheaded by the singer’s ardent fans — the Britney Army — who feel that she is allegedly being controlled by her father against her will. They have held protests and publicized the cause on social media.
And now celebrities are also vocalizing their support for Spears in the wake of the film’s release.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Better Midler both tweeted, “#FreeBritney. Khloé Kardashian tweeted her support, calling Spears “queen Britney.” Valerie Bertinelli called the documentary a “gut punch” and noted there were “so many horrible men/leeches in her life” including “Justin Timberlake.”
And Miley Cyrus shouted out her support during her “TikTok Tailgate” performance ahead of the Super Bowl. The “Wrecking Ball” singer added Spears’ name to the lyrics of “Party in the U.S.A.,” and told the audience, “We love Britney.”
The pop princess is currently ensnared in a legal battle with her father, who has served as the conservatorship of his daughter’s finances for more than a decade.
At a court hearing last year, Spears’ attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, claimed that the “I’m a Slave 4 U” singer had become afraid of her father and wanted him removed for her conservatorship entirely after he allegedly hired a new manager without consulting her.
The next court date over the battle for conservatorship is on February 11.