After a video surfaced of Timbaland saying he wished Justin Timberlake put a “muzzle” on Britney Spears, he has publicly apologized for his words.
In the video, the producer was a part of a panel conversation, where he was asked about his opinions on Britney Spears’ memoir and her recollection Justin Timberlake’s song Cry Me a River, which he produced.
“She going crazy, right?” Timbaland responded. “I wanted to call and say, ‘JT, man, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl.’”
Timbaland went live on TikTok and spoke to his 1 million followers about his comments.
“I apologize to the Britney fans and her,” he said, reading a comment asking about his attitude towards women. “Yes, ‘you know about respecting women?’ Hell yeah.”
In an excerpt from Spears’ memoir, The Woman in Me, she detailed her perception of the music video for the song. She believed that it painted her as a villain after the fallout of her relationship with Timberlake. The music video played along with the rumors at the time that she cheated on Timberlake, but in her memoir, she made claims that he consistently was unfaithful to her throughout the duration of the romance.
Timbaland co-wrote and co-produced Cry Me a River as well as sings the bridge and features in the music video. He has had a long history with Timberlake and has even confirmed to Variety earlier this year that he has finished recording Timberlake’s newest album.