Britney Spears fans are trolling Justin Timberlake by resurrecting a 13-year-old song just to spite the former NSYNC singer.
Videos by American Songwriter
Timberlake recently dropped the single “Selfish” from his sixth studio album Everything I Thought It Was. A song titled “Selfish” then shot to the top of the charts—only it wasn’t Timberlake’s version.
Spears also has a tune named “Selfish” from her 2011 album Femme Fatale. While Timberlake’s song is charting well, Spears’ tune has shot to the top of several different charts including iTunes. It’s a clear sign that Spears’ fans blame Timberlake for how he treated the singer in the past.
Timberlake-Spears Controversy Explained
In her memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears detailed how she had an abortion after becoming pregnant with Timberlake’s baby. The singer reportedly didn’t want a baby with Spears.
“It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. 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,” Spears wrote in the book. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.”
Now married to actress Jessica Biel, Timberlake has attempted to put distance from his past. While initially dismissing Spears and her memoir, Timberlake later issued a public apology to Spears. Still, that didn’t quell the online fury as much as he hoped.
“I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed,” Timberlake wrote. “I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be a part of and grow from.”
He continued, “It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognize it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down ever again.”
Timberlake is still trying to pursue new music. However, the controversy involving his past with Spears appears to still be fresh in listeners’ minds.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
