Timbaland apologises to Britney Spears after backlash for saying Justin Timberlake should've ‘put a muzzle’ on her

Timbaland is sorry for his 'muzzle' comment about Britney Spears, who spoke about her abortion in new book as well as relationship with ex Justin Timberlake.

After backlash on social media, music producer Timbaland said he was sorry for joking that Justin Timberlake 'should have put a muzzle' on Britney Spears, amid the release her memoir, The Woman in Me. In her memoir, one of the year's most discussed book releases, Britney made several revelations about her life and career. She also spoke about some of the most challenging aspects of her relationship with former boyfriend, singer Justin Timberlake, including an abortion she had because he 'wasn't ready to have a baby'.

Timbaland had reacted to Britney Spears' claims about her former boyfriend Justin Timberlake in her book.

What Timbaland said about Britney Spears

During a live interview with 9th Wonder last month, when taking a question from an audience member about the renewed interest in his 2002 song with Justin Timberlake, Cry Me a River, amid the release of Britney Spears’ memoir, Timbaland had said, “She (is) going crazy, right? I wanted to call JT (Justin Timberlake), ‘Man, you should have put a muzzle on that girl.'”

Social media reactions to his comment

Soon after, Britney Spears fans put Timbaland under fire for his 'misogynistic' comment. Her fans flooded X (formerly Twitter) in defense of Britney, slamming the music producer, who is a frequent Justin Timberlake collaborator, for misogyny. “Karma will get you @Timbaland,” one fan wrote alongside a photo of Britney Spears, while another tweeted, “How do I put a muzzle on Timbaland?”

Timbaland's apology

Timbaland went live on TikTok on Tuesday, expressing regret for his comment about Britney. “I apologise to the Britney fans and her,” he said, reading a comment asking about his attitude towards women. “Yes, ‘you know about respecting women?’ Hell yeah.”

What Britney said about Justin in her memoir

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002, and she opened up about various moments in their relationship in her memoir, including an abortion she underwent. In an excerpt originally published by People, she had said that the pregnancy was a 'surprise', even though she always 'expected' to start a family with Justin Timberlake.

“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,” she wrote, adding, “To this day, it’s one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life.” According to Britney, Justin attempted to console her after she had an abortion by playing guitar for her.

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