Justin Timberlake has denied rumors that he dedicated the song to Britney Spears

American singer Justin Timberlake has denied rumors that his song "What Goes Around ..." Comes Around is dedicated to Britney Spears’ ex-lover. He said this in the YouTube show Re-Rank channel Complex.

“Perhaps I should dispel a rumor that has been around for years. This song is not based on my personal story. This is actually my friend's story. I asked him for permission, the musician said.

According to Timberlake, he wrote the song in about 20 minutes, inspired by the story of a friend who was going through a breakup.

According to Entertainment Weekly, “What Goes Around” Comes Around was released on the 2006 album FutureSex/LoveSounds. It has long been associated with the relationship of Timberlake and Spears, who broke up more than four years before the release of the song.

Timberlake's other song, "Cry Me a River," was really inspired by his relationship with Spears. In her memoir “The Woman in Me”, published in 2023, the singer said that the clip with a similar actress caused her great pain. According to Spears, the media presented her as the culprit of the breakup, while Timberlake kept silent about his own infidelity.

In early 2024, Timberlake said during a concert in New York that he had no one to apologize to, and then sang the song Cry Me a River, dedicated to the breakup with Spears. In response, the singer published in social networks appeal with the threat of trial. She did not name the addressee, but users linked the publication to Timberlake.