'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwX/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAANJKJp//xAAkEAABAwMBCQAAAAAAAAAAAAADAQIEAAUTBhESFiEjMkFCQ//aAAgBAQABPwDReq51+nQUKSWY8Yqz2ABhjiAB2Zi5NjOpyXtrjq8/C0WiQH0MUbUeRPDlTdr/xAAaEQEAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwABBBFB/9oACAECAQE/AMyZxk3Pd1//xAAXEQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgAD/9oACAEDAQE/AO9sgm//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American record producer and rapper Timbaland made headlines after his controversial comment about pop star Britney Spears. On October 29, Timbaland appeared for a live interview with fellow record producer, record executive, and DJ 9th Wonder at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
As part of that interview, Timbaland took a few questions from the audience, one of which was about the renewed interest in Justin Timberlake’s song Cry Me A River following the release of Spears’ memoir recently. This is when Timbaland, who co-wrote and co-produced the song, replied:
“She [Britney Spears] going’ crazy, right? I wanted to call JT, ‘Man, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl’.”
Following his controversial comment, Timbaland faced severe backlash online from fans of the Blackout singer. Now, more than a week later, the record producer has issued a mea culpa.
He went live on TikTok on November 7 and said he knew well about respecting women and apologized to Spears and all her fans for offending them.
Spears' comment on the Cry Me A River music video explored as Timbaland issues apology for his comments
What did Spears say?
Britney Spears’ 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, was released last month and ever since, has created a stir online. In an excerpt from the book, Spears wrote that her former boyfriend Justin Timberlake’s 2002 hit song, Cry Me A River portrayed her as an unfaithful girlfriend after their break-up.
She described its music video as follows:
“A woman who looks like me cheats on him and he wanders around sad in the rain."
However, she cleared the air, saying that she was never involved in infidelity.
Not only that, but Spears also said that following the release of the music video, the world turned her into a “harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy,” when in fact she was the one struggling with heartbreak and was “comatose in Louisiana” while Timberlake was “happily running around Hollywood.”
In the wake of this bombshell revelation, Britney’s fans put Timberlake under fire and even criticized his song Cry Me A River.
Timbaland enrages fans with remark, issues apology
In late October, Timbaland, who co-wrote, co-produced, sang the bridge, and appeared in the music video of Justin’s song told during a Q&A session of an interview with 9th Wonder that Timberlake “should have put a muzzle” on the Oops!... I Did It Again songstress.
The 51-year-old further continued by calling out Britney’s fans.
"But you know what? We live in an age of social media and everybody wanna go viral. I get it because that's the way you make money. Go viral. I’ve gotta do something to get people’s attention."
For those unaware, “putting a muzzle” refers to putting a device on an animal’s mouth or snout, typically used to prevent it from biting or eating.
Timbaland received harsh criticism for his offensive comment and issued an apology on Monday via TikTok Live.
“I apologize to the Britney fans and her,” he said.
He also responded to a live question that asked him whether he knew anything about respecting women, to which he responded with “Hell yeah!” According to E Online, he later added:
"I'm sorry because muzzle was—no, you have a voice. You speak what you want to speak. Who am I to tell you what not to speak? And I was wrong for saying that."
Apart from Cry Me a River, Timbaland later produced Timberlake’s 2006 hit album FutureS*x/LoveSounds and 2013 The 20/20 Experience. He also told Variety earlier in 2023 that he finished recording Justin’s upcoming album and tagged it as FutureS*x Part 2.
Meanwhile, among other revelations in The Woman in Me, Britney Spears also went on record to say how she was reportedly pregnant with Justin Timberlake’s child during their relationship but had to undergo a medical abortion as he felt they were too young to have kids. She also added that if the decision was on her, she would never have done it.
Spears also claimed that Timberlake abruptly ended their relationship over a text message and cheated on her on more than one occasion.
