Britney Spears Could “Barely Speak for Months” After Break-Up With Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears has recently opened up about her tumultuous past in her newly released memoir, ‘The Woman In Me.’ In this tell-all book, Spears delves into the heartbreaking details of her breakup with fellow pop star Justin Timberlake, her 13-year conservatorship, and her infamous head-shaving incident in 2007.
Spears and Timberlake, two of the most prominent figures in the early 2000s pop scene, were in a highly publicized relationship from 1999 to 2002. However, as the pages of ‘The Woman In Me’ reveal, their love story had a far-from-rosy ending.
According to Spears, Timberlake became distant during the production of his debut solo album, ‘Justified,’ and their relationship started to crumble. She writes, “I think that was because he decided to use me as ammunition for his record, and so it made it awkward for him to be around me, staring at him with all that affection and devotion.”
Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair
The devastating end came when Timberlake chose to end their relationship via a text message while Spears was on the set for the ‘Overprotected’ remix video. She recalls, “After seeing the message as I sat in my trailer between takes, I had to go back out and dance.” The breakup left Spears in an agonizing state, as she confides, “When I say, devastated, I mean, I could barely speak for months. Whenever anyone asked me about him, all I could do was cry.”
As she reminisces about those trying times, Spears reveals an emotional gesture from Timberlake. He presented her with a framed handwritten letter, which she still keeps under her bed. The letter ended with the words, “I can’t breathe without you.” Spears admits, “It almost felt like I was suffocating like I couldn’t breathe after all that happened. The thing is, though, even after I saw him and read the letter, I didn’t come out of the trance. He did all that, he came there to see me, and I still couldn’t talk—to him or anybody.”
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‘The Woman In Me’ is not solely a recounting of past relationships and personal struggles; it also delves into Spears’ rise to fame, her music career, and her experiences as a mother. One significant aspect of the book is her detailed account of the 13-year-long conservatorship that has dominated her life.
Spears shares her perspective on NSYNC, the boyband that Justin Timberlake was a part of. She notes that NSYNC stood out for their interest in hip-hop culture, a characteristic that distinguished them from their pop contemporaries, the Backstreet Boys. Spears writes, “NSYNC was what people back then called ‘so p**p.’ They were white boys, but they loved hip-hop. To me, that’s what separated them from the Backstreet Boys, who seemed very consciously to position themselves as a white group.”
Image Courtesy: People
However, Spears also recalls moments when NSYNC tried a bit too hard to fit in with the Black artists they admired. She recounts an amusing encounter where Timberlake, in a bid to connect with R&B star Ginuwine, changed the way he spoke dramatically. Spears shares, “One day, J and I were in New York, going to parts of town I’d never been to before. Walking our way was a guy with a huge, blinged-out medallion. He was flanked by two giant security guards. J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah, fo shiz, fo shiz! Ginuwine! What’s up, homie?'”
In ‘The Woman In Me,’ Britney Spears bares her soul, offering readers an unfiltered look into the highs and lows of her life. From the rollercoaster of her relationship with Justin Timberlake to her struggles with fame and personal autonomy, the book promises an intimate glimpse into the world of a pop icon who has endured it all.
-Britney Jones
