Justin Timberlake's Career Is in Jeopardy Following Britney Spears' Memoir

It has been a rough few weeks for Justin Timberlake. Since the news that his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears would be releasing her tell-all memoir The Women in Me, fans have been reevaluating the singer's past behavior, particularly his relationship with women.

After the book was released on October 24, the revelations—including the confession about Spears' abortion and cheating allegations—have dented the 42-year-old's image. His reported response to The Woman in Me has angered fans of Spears, but Newsweek has not verified the source quotes and has reached out to Justin Timberlake for comment and clarification via email.

But how should celebrities like Timberlake handle a publicity nightmare such as this? And is there a way for the star to earn back the public's favor?

PR expert Kat Orchard, director and founder of JAG Communications and Just Another Girl PR, told Newsweek that Timberlake's star had already begun to dim prior to the release of The Woman in Me.

"Past interviews haven't aged well, and many of his past actions aren't looked upon favorably—the Super Bowl halftime show with Janet Jackson and that wardrobe malfunction comes to mind," Orchard said. In the 2003 performance, Timberlake pulled down Jackson's top without her consent and revealed her breast. The incident resulted in Jackson losing promotional opportunities.

Timberlake has tried to reconnect with his audience in recent years using social media, but Orchard said that his attempts—particularly on TikTok—haven't landed.

Timberlake's music career has also been in decline; while his last album Man of the Woods in 2018 reached No.1 on the Billboard 200, it sold far fewer units than albums did at the height of his fame. "His tactics to stay relevant and 'connected to his fanbase' just haven't hit the mark due to his lack of authenticity," Orchard said.

"People are smarter now, wiser, more cottoned on to how Hollywood works, so PR tactics that may have worked 20 years ago are just not cutting it now," Orchard added.

Prior to its release, rumors began to swirl that Spears' memoir would be a PR disaster for Timberlake. In response, a source close to the former boyband star told Entertainment Tonight that "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," the insider said. "They dated so long ago, but he still has respect for her. Justin and Jessica (Timberlake's wife, actress Jessica Biel) just want everyone to grow and evolve instead of continuing to bring up the past."

Whether the comments were from Timberlake's team or really from an anonymous source, the statement did not go down well online.

"It's had a negative effect in my professional opinion," said Orchard. "These sources seem to be attempting to create a narrative around Justin's maturity, and are attempting to 'explain away' his past behavior.

"However, it's fallen flat because it's not the narrative the general public wants to hear. It actually feeds into the overall negative narrative, because he just simply hasn't owned up to what he did," Orchard added.

Timberlake and Spears dated from 1999 to 2002, after originally meeting as children while starring in Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club. Timberlake ended the relationship by text, shortly after leaving the boyband NSYNC.

In The Woman in Me, Spears admitted to cheating on the pop star with choreographer Wade Robson. She wrote that she told Timberlake about the make-out session and the couple moved past it.

However, Timberlake would later use the cheating rumors to help launch his solo career. The second single from Justified, his debut album, was called "Cry Me a River". It focuses on a man condemning his unfaithful ex-girlfriend, with a Spears lookalike used in the video.

However, Spears hit back at the move in The Woman in Me. She criticized Timberlake for damaging her reputation, despite allegedly being unfaithful himself on multiple occasions throughout their relationship.

"In the news media, I was described as a harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," the 41-year-old wrote.

"There's always more leeway in Hollywood for men than for women. And I see how men are encouraged to talk trash about women in order to become famous and powerful. But I was shattered," Spears added.

During the press tour for Justified, Timberlake would often discuss his past relationship with Spears, including their sex life. In the early 2000s, the media lapped it up. However, since the release of the Hulu-FX documentary Framing Britney Spears in 2021—which explored the teen idol's rise to fame and the events that led to her 13-year conservatorship—fans have been reassessing these interviews.

Orchard said that, if Timberlake wants to get back into fans' good graces, he should "own it and publicly apologize to Britney."

"He must take accountability, mention how he was disrespectful to her, and exploited private moments in the name of entertainment and really, truly apologize to Britney for his part in her trauma," Orchard added.

"Then he must promise to do better, because when you know better, you do better. It would also be a smart move to donate a significant amount of money to a women's charity to really show the public that he is truly sorry," she said.

While Orchard wouldn't recommend the touted NSYNC reunion right now, if played correctly, the band could help revitalize Timberlake's image.

"The NSYNC reunion is no coincidence," Orchard said. "It's a counter move, a deflection tool, to counteract the negative headlines.

"If Justin does publicly apologize to Britney and face this head on, the tour could signify the 're-birthing' of a new JT, and it could be a resounding success.

"There is certainly great opportunity here. Time will tell if he makes the right moves," Orchard added.