Justin Timberlake has issued a statement of apology to Britney Spears after the new Hulu documentary lead to criticism of how Timberlake treated Spears during and after their relationship.
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| Photo: Courtesy of Justin Timberlake | Instagram |
“Framing Britney Spears” depicted archive clips of
Timberlake discussing his sexual relationship with the singer.
In a released statement via Instagram on Friday,
Justin Timberlake said he was “deeply sorry” and wanted to “take accountability.”
He also made an apology to Janet Jackson, after failing to support the singer over their controversial Super Bowl performance.
Justin and Britney dated between 1999 and 2002, while
Timberlake was still a member of the boyband N*Sync.
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| Photo: Courtesy of Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake | Twitter |
After the break up , Timberlake indirectly accused
Spears of cheating on him when he hired a look-alike actress to appear in the
video of his single ‘Cry Me a River’.
Here’s Justin Timberlake’s apology statement in full –
"I've seen the messages, tags, comments, and
concerns and I want to respond. 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. I understand that I fell short in these
moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny
and racism.
"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 also feel compelled to respond, in part,
because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is
a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be part of and grow from.
"The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially
white men, up for success. It's designed this way. As a man in a privileged position,
I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didn't recognize it
for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to
ever benefit from others being pulled down again.
"I have not been perfect in navigating all of
this throughout my career. 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."
After Spears finding popularity at the end of 1990s,
she said she was waiting until she was married to lose her virginity.
However, during a radio interview, a clip of which features
in the documentary, Justin Timberlake publicly revealed that they had slept
together.
Two years later, during the 2004 Super Bowl,
Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson where Jackson accidentally exposed her
breast. The “wardrobe malfunction”, as it became known, led to outcry and
complaints from viewers.
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| Photo: Courtesy of Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake | Twitter |
While both Timberlake and Jackson apologized, it was
Jackson who absorbed the negative publicity. She was penalized and blacklisted
by US radio and MTV, and Timberlake’s failure to publicly support her was
heavily slammed in later years.
Spears recently made headlines by the release of the
Hulu documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” which exposes how Spears has been
treated throughout her career.
The said documentary has led to slamming Timberlake
and other figures including journalist Diane sawyer, who told Spears during a
2003 interview she had “disappointed a lot of mothers,” and gossip blogger
Perez Hilton, who was involved in the coverage of Britney’s 2007 breakdown.
“Framing Britney Spears” also goes into detail about Britney’s
conservatorship, a legal arrangement that has awarded her father, James Spears,
control over Britney’s career and financial affairs since 2008.
However, a judge ruling on Thursday made a financial
company, Bessemer Trust, a co-conservator for the singer, and has denied James
Spears’s request to keep his previous level of authority over Britney’s
finances.