When Justin Timberlake left a Long Island courthouse on Tuesday morning (June 18), the Prince of Pop must have known that his time spent in custody had already made headlines around the world.
This isn't the first time the 43-year-old singer and actor has found himself at the center of a media storm. After finding fame as a Disney Mouseketeer, Timberlake formed NSYNC with JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. They quickly became one of the biggest boybands in the world, Timberlake dated fellow pop icon Britney Spears and pursued a solo career that made him one of the major stars of the 2000s.
Initially, former members of The All New Mickey Mouse Club It had a very clean image, but that image has long been tarnished by controversies and scandals. Here's a brief overview:
Encouraging Britney Spears to have an abortion, then abandoning her in a text
Timberlake's three-year relationship with Britney Spears made them one of pop's royal couples in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but their time together was also marred by rumors of infidelity on both sides. When Timberlake released his cheating-themed single “Cry Me a River” in 2002, he capitalized on these stories by appearing to cheat on a model who resembled Spears in the video. Spears later said she felt as though she had been “portrayed as a prostitute who broke the heart of America's golden boy”.
Spears' 2023 memoir the woman inside me told a different story. While she admitted to cheating on Timberlake “once” by kissing a backing dancer, she said there were “multiple times during our relationship when I knew Justin had cheated on me”. She also revealed she had an abortion at his insistence, writing: “Justin was definitely not happy with the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby at this point in our lives, that we were too young”. She added: “I agreed not to have the baby. I don't know if that was the right decision.”
Spears also revealed that Timberlake broke up with her with a two-word message: “It's over”.
'Nipplegate' sparked with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl
During Janet Jackson's halftime show at the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston, Texas, Timberlake appeared as a surprise guest and the two performed a duet of her hit “Rock Your Body”. When he reached his final line (“Bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song”), Timberlake pulled down part of Jackson's dress to reveal her right breast, which had a sun-shaped nipple shield attached.
The moment appeared on screen for less than a second, but it sparked a massive uproar. CBS, which broadcast the incident, was fined a record $550,000. The discovery of footage of the incident has been cited by YouTube creators as a pivotal moment that inspired them to create the site. Jackson's career suffered in the aftermath, but Timberlake faced far less criticism and went on to headline the Super Bowl halftime show himself in 2018. That year, he told Beats 1 about his reaction to the scandal: “Quite honestly, I was rattled by it. I had my wires crossed and it's something you have to look back on and think like, well, you know you can't change what happened, but you can move forward and learn from it.”
Cheating rumors
Timberlake first met actor Jessica Biel on a night out in 2007. The couple married in 2012, but only after surviving reports of Timberlake's “three-day fling” with Olivia Munn in 2010. Then in 2019, Timberlake publicly apologized to Biel after he was photographed holding hands with her. juggler co-star Alisha Wainwright in New Orleans. “I stay away from gossip as much as possible, but for the sake of my family I feel it is important to address recent rumors that are hurting my loved ones,” Timberlake wrote on social media. “A few weeks ago I showed a huge lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my co-star.
“I had too much to drink that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son. I apologize to my amazing wife and family for getting into this embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This wasn't meant to be.”
DWI arrest
On the night of June 17, Timberlake was arrested for driving under the influence in the wealthy Hamptons enclave of Sag Harbor, Long Island, police said TMZ It was reported that the star was partying at the American Hotel and ignored the stop sign when he left. Police began following him and he was stopped when he turned around.
He failed field sobriety tests and reportedly refused to take a Breathalyzer. Officers said they noticed glassy eyes in Timberlake's eyes and smelled alcohol on his breath. He appeared in a Long Island court on Tuesday and was released without bail. He is due in court again on July 26.