She’s never been afraid to share her true feelings on social media – and last week, Britney Spears reignited her feud with Alyssa Milano after calling out the actress for “bullying” her.
Back in December, Alyssa, 50, shared concerns for the star online – Tweeting “Someone please go check on Britney Spears.” And last week, Britney, 41, called Alyssa out, reposting the Tweet and commenting, “This definitely feels like a form of bullying!”
The pair have history – stemming from when, in 2002, Alyssa began dating Justin Timberlake shortly after he split from Britney.
And now sources say the pop star’s outburst has upset husband Sam Asghari, 28, who worries that the feud all boils down to Britney’s affection for her Cry Me A River singer ex.
A source says, “Britney was genuinely upset by Justin and Alyssa. When they ended up dating right after their split, it confirmed her fears. Out of all her fixations with the past, this is the one that’s bugging her right now – and it’s caused some trouble with Sam. The fact she brought up Alyssa’s old Tweet makes him wonder how fixated she still is with Justin.”
Pop princess Britney dated Justin for three years – with the two branded the “It” couple of the early 2000s. But the relationship turned sour in 2002, amid cheating allegations – something neither have ever confirmed or denied.
Shortly after the split, Justin found love again with Alyssa – later revealing that the Who’s The Boss star was his childhood crush. The pair dated for a few months before splitting at the start of 2003.
Addressing their break-up in an interview that year, an emotional Britney broke down as she shared that she’d lost her virginity to Justin, adding, “I will always love him. He will always have a special place in my heart. He’s such a great person… I really thought that I was going to be with him for the rest of my life.”
In 2021 – during Britney’s bid to end her 13-year long conservatorship, where she was under the financial and emotional control of her father – Justin, 42, spoke out in support of his ex, Tweeting, “We should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was…what’s happening to her is just not right.”
And the source says that the support from Justin meant a lot to Britney – who last week lashed out at claims that her family and friends had tried to stage an intervention over new fears for her mental health.
The source says, “Everyone in Britney’s world knows she never got over Justin. She will often have conversations with pals about those days they were together and what might have been. When she’s feeling lost or low, she still says she wants Justin back in her life, even if it’s just as a trusted friend. He’d be a stable influence and she knows he’s got her back as he’s genuinely sorry for how she was treated. Right now she feels she needs a trusted old friend like Justin in her life.
“She’s desperately tried getting in touch with him, but he’s politely swerved anything more than a brief catch-up. Of course, nothing could come of it, he’s very happy with his wife Jessica [Biel]. And Britney still loves Sam, but there’s a piece of her heart that will always be devoted to her first love.”
While Sam and Britney – who have been together since 2016 – have put on a united front on social media, Closer has previously reported how cracks have begun to appear in the couple’s relationship, particularly after Britney’s revealing social media posts and her reported restaurant meltdown last month.
And the source now adds that Britney’s rehashing of her rift with Alyssa has placed further strain on their marriage, and that Sam has asked Britney to focus on the future, instead of her past relationships.
The source shares, “Sam has told Britney he feels really uncomfortable when she mentions Justin and asked her not to do so – and that means no more calling out Alyssa either. He knows she doesn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable but he’s a proud guy, and he’s done feeling embarrassed and awkward. He’s said he wants them both to just focus on each other and their relationship, and they’ve agreed to try to stop digging up the past.”
