They broke up almost 20 years ago – so fans were initially confused last week when Britney Spears posted a throwback picture of her with ex Justin Timblerlake in a birthday tribute to her younger sister, Jamie Lynn.
The snap showed the former sweethearts looking happy as they sat alongside a young Jamie Lynn, now 30. Troubled Britney, 39, ended her lengthy message to her sibling with, “I wish I was as strong as you.”
But the post, shared with her 29 million followers, sparked speculation that she was using the photo to send a message to Justin, 40 – whom she dated from 1998 until their split in 2002.
Fans jumped on the idea that the star would have had plenty of photos of herself with her sister and wondered why she chose one featuring her ex. One wrote, “You can clearly see she has no hard feelings”, and another added, “She seems to be communicating a secret message to him.”
But insiders tell Closer the pair had, in fact, already reconnected in a long heart-to-heart phone call recently – after Justin came under attack from Britney’s fans in February following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears, which highlighted his “treatment” of her and featured an old interview where he’d made light of having sex with her.
A source says, “Justin wanted to speak to Britney after the documentary release and was thrilled when her management team – who knew how touched Brit would be by his gesture – agreed to put them in touch.
“They had a long emotional phone call where he explained his behaviour was something he’s long regretted and told Brit he wanted to personally apologise and make amends, which she really appreciated.
“She told him she forgave him and said how great it would be to see him after all these years and to meet [his wife] Jessica [Biel] and their sons, which Justin agreed he’d love to do.”
Britney and Justin began dating when they were 18 and 19 respectively, and became an iconic pop power couple. Their matching head-to-toe denim outfits at the 2000 American Music Awards became a defining red-carpet moment.
Weeks after their break-up in 2002, Justin appeared to confirm rumours that Britney had cheated on him in his hit song Cry Me A River, with the video featuring a Britney lookalike reaping the consequences of infidelity.
Following their split, the former N-Sync star confessed, “The break-up was absolutely heartbreaking for me” while Britney admitted, “I’m still hurting but I am trying to see it as an experience.”
Although Justin is married to actress Jessica, 39, while Britney is dating boyfriend of four years Sam Asghari, 27, their past romance has been in the spotlight since the controversial documentary about her life aired earlier this year.
“Disgusted” fans called for Justin to apologise to his ex, amid accusations he tarnished her girl-next-door image with his “lewd” and causal remarks about taking her virginity.
The dad-of-two – who shares sons Silas, six, and Phineas, five months, with Jessica – posted a public apology on his Instagram, stating, “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.”
He also apologised to singer Janet Jackson for exposing her breast during their infamous 2004 SuperBowl performance. While Justin had called it a “wardrobe malfunction”, his stylist Wayne Scot Lukas recently claimed Justin had “set it up”.
Justin added, “I want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”
Commenting underneath Justin’s Instagram apology to Britney, Jessica wrote, “I love you” followed by a heart emoji, in clear support of her husband’s remorse.
At the time, US sources insisted Britney “doesn’t hold a grudge” against Justin, with one saying, “She feels that they were young and in love and both did stupid things when they were together. She was heartbroken when they separated, but it’s not something she dwells on. She’s happy and happy for him.”
Seemingly proving this, Britney recently shared a video on Instagram of herself dancing to Justin’s song Filthy, tagging him in the post and writing, “PS I know we had one of the world’s biggest breakups 20 years ago… but hey the man is a genius!!!! ‘Great song JT!!!!! Psssss if you KNOW WHAT’S GOOD!!!!!”
Check out: the most shocking celebrity breakups of the decade
Most shocking breakups of the decade - slider
1 of 30Louise and Jamie Redknapp
They were the British A-list couple that we thought would last but the world was stunned in July 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they'd split after 19 years together. Months later Louise opened up about the end of her marriage and following the end of the Redknapp marriage, it was reported that celebrities were refusing to sign up to the BBC show because of the Strictly curse.
2 of 30Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
3 of 30Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin had been together for 23 years and married for 11 but in January 2018, the TV presenter confirmed he was filing for divorce following his rehab stint.However after a drink driving arrest, a second visit to rehab and liking a lot of shady tweets – the pair officially divorced nine months after splitting.
4 of 30Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
5 of 30Paul and Alex Hollywood
Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his wife Alex split after 20 years together. They'd previously split in 2013 after the GBBO star had an affair with his American co-star but they managed to patch things over and make things work. For a while.
6 of 30Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
7 of 30Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
8 of 30Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
9 of 30Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
10 of 30Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
11 of 30Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
12 of 30Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
13 of 30Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
14 of 30Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
15 of 30Liam Payne and Cheryl
We're pretty sure the world was shocked when Liam Payne and Cheryl announced they were dating. However they then went on to welcome baby Bear Grey Payne into the world and despite breakup rumours they posed together at the Brit Awards in 2018. Unfortunately a few months later – and a total of two years together - they split.
16 of 30Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
This break up is still a bit weird and we're not really sure why it happened because – spoiler alert – they're not real people. Anyways, in 2015 the puppets announced the end of their relationship in a lengthy statement.
17 of 30Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
18 of 30Cheryl and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl literally surprised the world when she announced on Instagram that she had eloped with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after three months of dating. The pair seemed totally in love until Cheryl raised concerns among fans after losing a lot of weight and slammed any split rumours by revealing her father in law had died. Unfortunately their romance wasn't to last and after 18 months of marriage they split.
19 of 30Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
20 of 30Adele and Simon Konecki
She's notoriously private with her life but in 2019 is came to light that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki had split. Awhopping £145m is the figure being talked about in relation to their divorce. In 2012 they welcomed their only child into the world – Angelo.
21 of 30Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
22 of 30Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
23 of 30Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
24 of 30Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
25 of 30Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
26 of 30Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
27 of 30Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lived a real-life story after falling in love on the set of The Last Song. However after four years together they split. They were then on/off but decided to call it quits AGAIN after eight years together. Their relationship didn't end there though because they reunited and got married but eight months after their wedding they split again.
28 of 30Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilightstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
29 of 30Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
30 of 30Matt Leblanc and Aurora Mulligan
In news that shocked Friends fans the world over, In February 2022 it was reported that Matt LeBlanc - best known for playing Joey Tribbiani on the show – had split from his girlfriend of six years, Top Gear producer Aurora Mulligan.
Justin responded with a laughing face emoji and high fives. And the source tells Closer that both their partners approve of the exes being back in touch.
“Jessica was behind Justin reaching out to Britney,” says the source. “She initiated the phone call and welcomed the idea of a meet-up so he can apologise face-to-face.
“Sam also knows how making amends with Justin has improved Brit’s mental state and hopes a meet-up will further boost her spirits – especially given the stress surrounding her upcoming court case.”
The troubled star’s fight to regain her independence has reached fever pitch over the last year amid continued court pleas to lift her conservatorship – which has seen much of her life under the control of her father Jamie since her very public breakdown in 2007 – and an ongoing battle to have him removed from this role.
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Her lawyers are due back in court on 27 April to ask a judge to replace Jamie with her care manager, Jodi Montgomery – who temporarily stepped in when her father fell ill in 2019.
Insiders recently told Closer how Britney is longing for the order – which allegedly prevents her from marrying or having a baby – to be lifted, so she can start a family with personal trainer Sam.
They also revealed that she’s considering doing a tell-all with Oprah Winfrey once she regains control of her life. And pals say she thinks a collaboration with Justin would be the perfect way to launch her music comeback.
The source adds, “Britney would love to record with Justin and get out on stage together – the very thing that first sparked their friendship and bonded them all those years ago.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.