Justin Timberlake appeared to acknowledge his recent furore with ex Britney Spears in the wake of her bombshell memoir while performing a surprise concert in Las Vegas Wednesday night.
The 42-year-old played a plethora of his hits to celebrate the opening of the new Fontainebleau hotel in Sin City, which saw stars like Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Tom Brady, Keith Urban, and Sylvester Stallone in attendance.
While the *NYSNC star didn’t directly address Spears’ accusation that he used her “as ammunition” in his hit Cry Me a River, he seemed to allude to the fallout.
Before launching into song at the black-tie event, he paused to address the audience and said, “no disrespect” then belted out the 2002 track.
The singer also ad-libbed a few lines of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit during the song, changing the lyrics to, “Ain’t we all just entertainers? Think I’m stupid and contagious?”
His remark comes after Spears accused Timberlake in October of portraying her as “a harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy” in the music video for Cry Me a River.
Justin Timberlake performando "Cry me a river" ontem em Las Vegas.pic.twitter.com/qNIeI7Pmtw
— Justin Timberlake Brasil (@JTBRportal) December 14, 2023
When the music video was released at the time, it featured an actress who looked suspiciously like the Toxic singer while the lyrics reference a cheating partner.
In her memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears, 42, described feeling voiceless after he released the song, which put forward his narrative of being wronged in their breakup.
She wrote: “I felt there was no way at the time to tell my side of the story.
“I couldn't explain, because I knew no one would take my side once Justin had convinced the world of his version. I don't think Justin realised the power he had in shaming me.
“I don't think he understands to this day.”
Timberlake's performance in Vegas marked his second public outing since Spears' book was released, in which she discussed the “difficult” decision to have an abortion after learning she was pregnant with his child in 2000.
He previously walked the red carpet with wife Jessica Biel for the premiere of his film, Trolls: Band Back Together.
