Justin Timberlake apologized to his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears and Janet Jackson, with whom he performed on Super Bowl halftime program in 2004.
“I saw the messages, tags, comments and concerns and I want to respond,” wrote Timberlake on Instagram. “I am deeply sorry for the moments in my life when my actions contributed to the problem, when I spoke out of turn or did not defend what was right.”
“I understand that I have failed at these times and at many others and have benefited from a system that tolerates misogyny and racism,” he added. “I want to apologize specifically to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson individually, because I care and respect these women and I know that I failed.”
Timberlake was criticized for his treatment of Spears after the release of a New York Times documentary after his rise to fame and cool fights. Spears and Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002. The film says that Timberlake portrayed her as an infidel in the press and with her 2002 music video “Cry Me a River” after the couple separated.
For years, Timberlake was criticized for not initially defending Jackson, who was largely blamed for the infamous wardrobe defect that exposed his breast during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004. The incident damaged Jackson’s career and Timberlake took several years to get to Jackson’s defense in public.
“I haven’t been perfect at navigating all of that over the course of my career,” said Timberlake on Friday. “I know that this apology is a first step and does not absolve the past. I want to take responsibility for my own mistakes in all of this, as well as being part of a world that uplifts and supports.”