Justin Timberlake is backing out of some scheduled gigs in the wake of the explosive claims made about him in ex-girlfriend Britney Spears’ memoir, which hit shelves this week.
The “SexyBack” singer, 42, will no longer appear at some clubs early next year, as previously scheduled, sources told TMZ.
News of those canceled slots — which were intended to promote his upcoming new album — comes just days after the Tuesday release of “The Woman in Me.” The week leading up to the memoir’s debut brought a slew of bombshell revelations about Timberlake’s relationship with the “Stronger” singer, 41, from 1999 to 2002.
Spears in the book claims that the NSYNC breakout — with whom she appeared on “The Mickey Mouse Club” — impregnated her and ultimately convinced her to get an abortion, which she long regretted. She also accused him of having cheated on her. Though she admitted to once having “made out” with choreographer Wade Robson, Spears criticized Timberlake for publicly positioning her as the “harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy.”
As of Wednesday “The Woman in Me” had already sold over 400,000 copies.
In the days ahead of its publication, sources told Us Weekly that Timberlake was “not going to be happy” with the shout-outs he gets in the book.
While it was “not Britney’s intention to skewer anyone,” the insider said the book does “relay the facts from her perspective.”
On the bright side for Timberlake, NSYNC — who recently reunited to record the single, “Better Place” for his new “Trolls” sequel — is sticking by the “Cry Me A River” singer, and even hope to eventually work together again.
Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez, all of whom previously toured with Spears, are all in Timberlake’s corner amid the backlash, insiders told TMZ.
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