Real-Life Celebrity Breakup: Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears will go down as two of the most iconic pop stars of all time, which makes the fact that they were a couple for many years even more exciting. Not to mention, Timberlake and Spears were a power couple at a time when they were arguably the two biggest musical acts in the world.

Despite the fact their relationship crashed and burned, we’ll never be able to forget their time together. From how the couple first met to their sad split, find out more about this once great celebrity romance.

How Did Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake Meet?

Spears and Timberlake first met as children after being cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, which was a variety television show that aired in the ‘90s. Along with Timberlake and Spears, the show also featured Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell.

Opening Act
After a few years apart, Timberlake and Spears were reunited when she was hired as the opening act for NSYNC’s tour back in the late ‘90s. Though they hadn’t seen each other in a while, the pair reconnected instantly and started dating in 1998. Both of their careers were white-hot during this period, and they were truly seen as one of the great young Hollywood couples at the time.

Super Bowl Performers
Spears and Timberlake’s relationship was incredibly high-profile, but it was taken to even greater heights when they both performed at the 2001 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Not only did Spears and NSYNC hit the stage, but they were also joined by Nelly, Mary J. Blige, and Aerosmith. This performance has gone down as one of the best halftime shows ever, and it’s in large part thanks to the pop power of Timberlake and Spears.

Fashion Moment

Timberlake and Spears’ most iconic moment as a couple has to be when they showed up to the 2001 American Music Awards in matching denim ensembles. This look has been replicated a thousand times over — with Katy Perry even paying tribute to the couple with the same look at the 2014 MTV VMAs — and has to be one of the most memorable red-carpet looks of all time.

Parting Ways
The couple abruptly split up in 2002 amid rumors that Spears had cheated on Timberlake with her choreographer, Wade Robson. In order to deal with the heartbreak, Timberlake wrote a song called Cry Me A River, which definitely alludes to being cheated on. In fact, the music video even features a girl wearing a newsboy cap, which was something Spears used to wear all the time.