Justin Timberlake Accused of Using Bots Amid Britney Spears Fury

Justin Timberlake has been accused of using bots to post social-media messages defending him, amid backlash over revelations made in his ex Britney Spears' upcoming memoir, The Woman in Me.

In a preview excerpt of the book shared by People magazine earlier this week, pop star Spears, 41, wrote that she became pregnant in the early 2000s during her high-profile relationship with then-NSYNC singer Timberlake, 42.

Spears added in her memoir that, while she was happy about the pregnancy, Timberlake was not ready to be a father. In the excerpt, Spears described the abortion as "one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life."

"It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a tragedy," Spears said of the unplanned pregnancy. "I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated.

"But Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy," the "Toxic" hitmaker added. "He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.

"I agreed not to have the baby. I don't know if that was the right decision," Spears wrote. "If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn't want to be a father."

Newsweek has reached out to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake for comment via email.

The revelation in Spears' book, which is set to be released on October 24, has sparked spirited debate among social-media users. Amid the discussion, it has been pointed out on X, formerly Twitter, that some accounts defending Timberlake have been sharing statements with identical wording in recent days.

"Two consenting adults made a joint decision what was best for them at that period in their lives, I see no issue," read the comment. It was shown to have been posted from several different accounts in screenshots shared on X.

"It appears like Justin Timberlake is using bots to defend himself on Twitter. #TheWomanInMe," read a caption by Spears fan account @BritneyTheStan. Since it was shared on Wednesday, the post has been viewed more than 1.4 million times.

As of press time, Newsweek observed at least eight different accounts using the statement verbatim.

Conversely, the first part of the statement was also used word-for-word by a Spears fan account, with an added comment that criticized Timberlake for the way in which he was said to have treated the pop star.

On the internet, bots are automated accounts are often used for simple functions such as generating automatic replies via direct messages or sending out warnings of weather emergencies in real time.

Bots have also been mobilized for less-benign motives, in malware scams and in campaigns to sway public opinion or spread misinformation. Before buying X, Elon Musk vowed in April 2022 that he and his team would "defeat the spam bots or die trying."

In response to the abortion revelation, a source for Timberlake told Entertainment Tonight: "Justin has been focusing on his own family and trying not to concern himself with Britney's memoir.

"In recent years, Justin has tried to be supportive of Britney from a distance. They dated so long ago, but he still has respect for her. Justin and Jessica just want everyone to grow and evolve instead of continuing to bring up the past."

Spears met Timberlake as a child when the preteens co-starred on Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1990s. They began dating in 1999 when Spears was already a pop sensation and Timberlake was the lead vocalist in NSYNC, then one of the world's biggest boy bands.

Timberlake and Spears went their separate ways in 2002. He is now married to actress Jessica Biel, with whom he shares sons Silas, 8, and Phineas, 3.

Spears wed dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and had sons Sean Preston, 18, and Jayden James, 17, with him before the couple divorced in 2007. She tied the knot with model and personal trainer Sam Asghari in 2022. They separated 14 months later.