Not long after this star-studded split, Timberlake released the song “Cry Me a River” in December 2002. Fans loved the haunting, beautiful lyrics, but it didn’t take a genius to point out the similarities between the female star in the music video and Spears. While Timberlake has never publicly acknowledged who the song is about…we all know who it is.
He’s even said that he wrote the song in the span of two hours, immediately following the breakup. Spears wrote a song in response: “Everytime,” with her friend’s help and backing vocalist Annet Artani. The ballad couldn’t defeat Timberlake’s song, though.
She Did it Again
Britney Spears's second studio album came out in May of 2000. "Oops!... I Did It Again" debuted at number one in the United States, selling 1.3 million copies, breaking the record for the highest debut sales of any solo artist. This album has sold more than twenty million copies worldwide. The same year, Spears set out on her "Oops!... I Did It Again Tour," grossing $40.5 million.
She released a book, "Britney Spears' Heart to Heart," which she co-wrote with her mom. In September 2000, she performed at the MTV Video Music Awards. She began the performance as normal, but halfway through, she ripped her black suit off to reveal a much more risque flesh-colored bodysuit and provocative dance routine.
Spears and Timberlake
After much speculation, Britney confirmed that she was dating *NSYNC superstar Justin Timberlake. The surface made it seem like a fairy tale romance. The lovebirds were on cloud nine, wearing the infamous matching denim outfits at the American Music Awards.
They even wore matching basketball jerseys at a charity basketball game, emblazoned with their nicknames for each other – Stinky for Timberlake, and Pinky for Spears. Fans loved the power couple, and so were shocked when they split in 2002. Rumors started to emerge before long. JT would eventually spill all the beans in one of his early solo songs.
Timberlake is Doing Fine
One of the longest-running and most prevalent rumors about the breakup is that Spears cheated on Timberlake with choreographer Wade Robson. Britney tried to hide the affair from Justin's eyes, but he discovered it nonetheless. Despite it all, it seems like Timberlake has ended up with a pretty wonderful life: he's married to the beautiful Jessica Biel, they have two children together.
Based on his 2019 album "Man of the Woods," he has a handsome log cabin in the woods where he sits to write his music and get away from it all. Spears’s life has gone through many ups and downs, but she can't claim the storybook life of Timberlake.
Almost a Real Princess
Become part of the pantheon of pop power, and you're going to find all kinds of people coming after your hand in marriage. But we might not even get the kind of suitors Spears did – none other than England's Prince William sent an invitation to meet.
This member of English royalty apparently had a thing for pop stars – he was known to have a crush on Baby Spice, Emma Bunton, as well. Spears admitted to having exchanged flirty emails with the prince. During her 2000 tour across the pond, the two were supposed to have a dinner date, but Spears stood William up. What chutzpah the gal had!