Justin Timberlake Reveals If ‘What Goes Around’ Song Is About Ex Britney Spears After Years Of Rumors

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Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears

Justin Timberlake is finally addressing years-long rumors that his 2006 song “What Goes Around… Comes Around” was written about his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears.

“Maybe I should dispel a rumor at this point,” Timberlake teased during a Thursday, November 5, interview with Complex’s Re-Rank.

Fans Have Long Speculated About The Story Behind The Song

Fans have long suspected that “What Goes Around… Comes Around” was about his infamous romance with Britney Spears.

People consider the 2006 song to be a pseudo-sequel to Timberlake’s 2002 hit “Cry Me a River,” which is widely considered to be about Spears.

The song was Timberlake’s third consecutive number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards. Part of the track’s appeal was the epic nearly 10-minute music video, which starred Scarlett Johansson.

Now, 20 years later, Timberlake has finally confirmed who the song is about. And it’s not who you may think.

So Who Is ‘What Comes Around Goes Around’ About?

In a recent interview with Complex, as reported by Us Weekly, Timberlake revealed that “What Goes Around… Comes Around” was actually based on a friend’s experience in a bad relationship.

“[The rumor] has gone around forever, which is like, [the song] is not a personal story from mine,” the 45-year-old admitted. “It’s actually a personal story from a friend. I asked permission.”

Timberlake recalled that a close friend was “just going through it and he was telling me what had happened.”

Previously, Timberlake insisted the song was about his friend Trace Ayala’s breakup with actress Elisha Cuthbert.

The NSYNC star asked first if he could write about his friend’s experience, to which he consented. Timberlake ultimately wrote the hit song in 20 minutes after chatting to his friend about his relationship woes.

He believes the song is in the top two tracks he has ever made. “The interlude that goes with it … and then you put the video with it, there’s a 10-minute video we shot for it, like this just hit on all cylinders for me,” he said.

Fans may get to learn more about Timberlake’s relationship and split from Spears in an upcoming four-part Apple TV+ docuseries about his life and career, slated to debut in December.