Timbaland apologizes for making controversial remark on Britney Spears
American record producer Timbaland has offered an apology following a contentious remark about Britney Spears during a live conversation with hip-hop producer 9th Wonder on October 29. The music producer quipped that former collaborator Justin Timberlake "should have put a muzzle" on Spears, which sparked considerable backlash on social media. Timbaland later took to TikTok to apologize, stating, "I apologize to the Britney fans and her." Here's what happened.
'She goin' crazy, right?' commented Timbaland
An audience member inquired about the resurgence of interest in Timbaland's 2002 collaboration with Timberlake on the song Cry Me a River. The track has been making noise after Spears asserted that the song's music video portrayed her as a villain in the aftermath of her highly publicized relationship with Timberlake in her memoir—The Woman in Me. In response, Timbaland commented, "She goin' crazy, right? I wanted to call JT, 'Man, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl.'"
Why Spears thought Timbaland-Timberlake's song portrayed her as a 'villain'
In her memoir, Spears discussed how Timberlake manipulated public perception of her—especially after Cry Me a River came out. She described the video as featuring "a woman who looks like me cheats on him and he wanders around sad in the rain." Spears explained the media's reaction to the video turned her into a "harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy." In reality, she said, she was nursing a broken heart, while Timberlake was "happily running around Hollywood."
Spears's memoir detailed tumultuous relationship with Timberlake
Spears delved into more turbulent aspects of her relationship with Timberlake, which spanned from 1999 to 2002, in her book, too. She alleged that Timberlake was unfaithful to her on multiple occasions and got her pregnant. According to Spears, he claimed they were not prepared for parenthood, leading her to have an abortion that continued to haunt her.
Fans suspected Timbaland has deeper rooted problems with Spears
Spears's fans called for an apology from Timbaland regarding his "muzzle" remark. They suspected his issues with her might extend beyond the memoir. In 2007, Spears launched her album Blackout collaborating with producer and songwriter Danja, whom Timbaland previously mentored. That same year, Timbaland stated he proposed a collaboration between Spears and Timberlake, but she had become "so big-headed" that she declined. Timbaland also hinted that Spears should offer an apology to Timberlake, opining, "She should humbly humble herself."
