Music video director Chris Applebaum recently joined the “Hyperfixated with Joseph Shepherd” podcast and provided behind-the-scenes details about Britney Spears receiving Justin Timberlake’s 2002 break-up text.
The pop star was on the set of her music video “Overprotected” off of her self-titled “Britney” album released in 2001, and they were on the second day of shooting preparing for a rain sequence, when Spears couldn’t be found.
“We’ve been asking. We’ve been knocking on the door. She’s not coming out,” he said. Applebaum ran into choreographer Brian Friedman on his way to her trailer who urged him “to get away” from the “bad situation.” Applebaum pressed on, and the “Baby One More Time” singer showed him the text on her flip phone where her “boyfriend” said they should “end the relationship.”
However, Spears was ever the professional and returned to set, with some encouragement from Applebaum who told the singer, “You could get back out there and do a performance that’s so hot that you show him that he just lost — he just messed up the best thing he’s ever had.”
Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake Relationship Timeline
Spears and Timberlake first met when they were 11 years old in 1992, starring in “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club” variety show for Disney.
Both then went on to build successful music careers, with Spears releasing her debut album “Baby One More Time” in 1999, while Timberlake joined boy band NSYNC, which launched to stardom with their 1997 self-titled album.
The two reunited in 1998 when Spears joined NSYNC as the opening act for the second leg of their NSYNC in Concert Tour, and the pair began dating shortly after in 1999.
The couple made their first public appearance at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, following up with a memorable all-denim look at their first red carpet outing together at the 2001 American Music Awards.
The pair dated for three years until 2002, supporting each other at events and even moving in together according to a September 2001 interview with “The Guardian” where Spears admitted Timberlake lived with her in her L.A. home, and then later in Orlando. “Justin and I lived together in Orlando. We shared a gorgeous, airy two-story house with a tile roof and a swimming pool out back. Even though we were both working a lot, we’d make time to be home together as often as we could,” Spears revealed in her memoir.
GettyWhere Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake Are Now
Following their 2002 split, Spears briefly married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a whirlwind 2004 Las Vegas wedding, which she annulled 55 hours later. She was married to Kevin Federline from 2004 to 2007, and the couple welcomed sons Sean Preston in September 2005 and Jayden James in September 2006. The pop princess was most recently wed to Sam Asghari in June 2021, but filed for divorce one year later.
Timberlake had a string of high-profile romances, including a four-year relationship with “There’s Something About Mary” actor Cameron Diaz. He has been married to “7th Heaven” actor Jessica Biel since 2012, and welcomed sons Silas Randall Timberlake in 2015 and Phineas Timberlake in 2020.
