Timbaland has responded after he was hit with a wave of backlash due to telling Justin Timberlake to "muzzle" Britney Spears over the revelations she made in her memoir.
The controversy unfolded during a talk event at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on October 29, where Timbaland, in conversation with producer 9th Wonder, made remarks about Spears that sparked outrage among fans.
During the event, an audience member brought up Spears' memoir, The Woman in Me, prompting Timbaland to express his views. "She's going crazy, right? I wanted to call and say, 'JT, man, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl,'" he said, as per the Guardian.
Timbaland also suggested that Spears had written the memoir to "go viral," attributing it to the current trend of seeking attention on social media.
In a live stream on TikTok, Timbaland later apologized, stating per Rolling Stone: "I apologize to the Britney fans, and her. You know about respecting women – hell yeah."
The Woman in Me delves into Spears' tumultuous relationship with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, covering sensitive topics such as a difficult breakup, an abortion, and the impact on her emotional well-being. The memoir has gained immense popularity, selling 1.1 million copies in the US in its first week and topping the UK bestseller chart with 91,000 copies.
In the book, Spears also details how she was infatuated with Timberlake, and turned a blind eye to his rumored indiscretions. She acknowledged her brief fling with dancer/choreographer Wade Robson but claimed Timberlake had also been unfaithful.
The memoir alleges that Timberlake ended their relationship with a terse two-word text message while Spears was on set filming the 'Overprotected: The Darkchild Remix' music video. Director Chris Applebaum recounted the moment when Spears discovered the breakup message, expressing her devastation on set.
Amidst these revelations, Timberlake has chosen to remain silent on the matter, and a source reported to the Daily Mail that he is "not at all happy" about Spears' claims but has not engaged in direct communication with her.
Responding to the overwhelming backlash, Timberlake opted to disable comments on his Instagram account to shield himself from the barrage of negative remarks from Spears' supporters.
Timbaland and Timberlake have a longstanding collaborative history, with Timbaland producing several of Timberlake's hit songs, including 'Cry Me a River,' which carried subtle references to Spears. Despite the controversy, Timbaland played a significant role in Timberlake's solo career, producing multiple albums and tracks.
