Actor, song writer and pop musician Justin Timberlake poses before being presented with the Hasty Pudding Man of the Year on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge.
"Sometimes in life, you think you found the one. But then one day you find out that she is just some b**ch," Timberlake said at the event.
It was perceived as a comment at Spears, who dated him for three years before parting ways in 2002, reports contactmusic.com.
Timberlake, who is now married to Jessica Biel, later took to Twitter and posted: "Ok. I see you. Wouldn't disrespect Anyone personally. Ever. Relax."