It’s been nearly 20 years since onetime pop power couple Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake parted ways. But a new Instagram post from the “Toxic” singer might be digging up the past.
On Wednesday night, the 39-year-old singer posted a short clip of an at-home fashion show that saw her cycling through several mix-and-match items from her wardrobe. There was a black lace shirt, a long white blazer, a trio of skirts in leopard print and solids, and then, at one point, she donned a cute and somewhat-familiar newsboy hat.
In the comments that accompanied the post, she shared her inner monologue about it.
“Thoughts while making this video 🤔 … Hmmmm something looks familiar …. The hat 👒 …. wait I look 👀 like that girl in the Justin Timberlake video with that hat in Cry Me A River !!! Oh s--- that’s ME !!! I’m Britney Spears ⭐️ ??? I guess I forget that sometimes 🙊😂🤷🏼♀️ … Oh s--- I look like a doctor in this video too though with the white coat 👩🏼⚕️ … maybe I’M THE DOCTOR … I mean who’s playing who 😜 ??? I mean my brother wears that kind of hat … but wait the skirt … I haven’t worn a skirt in forever !!! Am I Britney Spears ??? Psssss HMMM 🤔 all this time ??? Play on my icons … play on 🤪!!!!”
For those who don’t remember Timberlake’s music video, here’s a reminder:
And for those who aren’t so sure about Spears’ look-alike reference, here’s the evidence:
This isn’t the first time she’s addressed the subject of the look-alike in Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” video. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, she talked about it directly.
“He called me up and wanted to supposedly get back together or whatever, but behind it was, ‘And by the way, you’re in a video that’s coming out,’” she recalled. “That kind of got slipped in. ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.’”
She went on to explain that the record label even contacted her and said that she could veto the video, but she added, “I didn’t because I thought, ‘Hey, it’s your video.’”
And then she saw it for herself.
“I said, ‘I should’ve freakin’ said no to this s---!’” she told the publication. “I was so like, “Whoa. What is going on right now?’ And I said, ‘Why did you do this?’ He goes, ‘Well, I got a controversial video.’ And I was like, ‘You did. Yay for you.’ So he got what he wanted. I think it looks like such a desperate attempt, personally. But that was a great way to sell the record. He’s smart (laughs). Smart guy.”
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As for Timberlake, earlier this year, he apologized to Spears (and to his 2004 Super Bowl co-performer Janet Jackson) on Instagram after the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” one of a few about Spears’ conservatorship, put a spotlight on his old video, as well as on implications he made that Spears cheated on him during their teen romance.
“I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right,” he wrote. “I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism. ... 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.”