Music video director Chris Applebaum has claimed that Justin Timberlake brutally dumped Britney Spears via text message.
The director was working with 40-year-old Britney to create the video for her single Overprotected and claims the star was ditched by 41-year-old Justin in a most callous manner.
Chris and Britney filmed the remix version of the Overprotected music video in March 2002 – which is when Britney’s high profile romance with Justin collapsed.
Chris claims that he encouraged Britney to work through the fresh agony of being dumped to create a music video that would leave Justin seething with regret.
Taking to Instagram on Friday and sharing a throwback snap from the night Britney got dumped, the director recalled: “This was taken on the 2nd shoot day for her ‘Overprotected’ video.
“It was a (planned) 24 hr shoot day and we had one crew clock out after 12 hrs & a new one clock in.
“At some point during the 2nd shift Brit disappeared and I went to her trailer to fetch her…only to discover her BF Justin had just broken up with her via text message.”
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Chris then states: “Let me recommend to any who reads this: don’t break up via text!”
He continued: “We sat on the floor of her trailer for a minute, talked it out, and then rallied.
“I told her she should get out there & show Justin he made the biggest mistake of his life. That was just one of the stories from this shoot…”
Britney and Justin dated from early 1999 until the romance ‘abruptly’ ended in 2002 – with allegations of unfaithfulness emerging from the ashes of their romance soon after.
The allegation that Justin dumped Britney via text message has sparked a backlash against the ex-*NSYNC singer.
Reacting to Chris’s post, one fan wrote: “WOOOOW. She deserved so much better!”
Another typed: “She is so strong, she deserves so much love.”
A third fan commented: “You were right, Justin made a huge mistake. But thank God shes better off without him.”
While another wrote: “How cruel to break up with her over text message” – with Chris himself reacting to the comment to add: “It doesn’t make any sense.”
After her relationship with Justin ended, Britney went on to marry her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas in January 2004, but the marriage was annulled 55 hours later.
She began dating dancer Kevin Federline three months later, and they became engaged three months after that – tying-the-knot in September that year.
The couple welcomed sons Sean and Jayden, now aged 16 and 15 respectively, together but split in November 2006 sparking a bitter divorce and custody battle.
In 2008, Britney suffered a highly publicised breakdown and was placed under a conservatorship – with US courts granting her father control over her personal and financial affairs.
The conservatorship ended last year and the star has since become engaged to 28-year-old actor Sam Asghari and they are due to welcome their first child together later this year.
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