Britney Spears opens up about abortion during relationship with Justin Timberlake in forthcoming memoir

Britney Spears reveals in her memoir that she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake over 20 years ago.

Britney Spears has revealed in her highly anticipated memoir, "The Woman in Me," that she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake over 20 years ago. In an excerpt published in People magazine, Spears writes that although she personally didn't want to go through with the procedure, Timberlake was adamant about not becoming a father at that time. She expresses that the pregnancy was unexpected but not a tragedy, as she had envisioned starting a family with Timberlake, just not so soon. According to the excerpt, Timberlake was unhappy about the pregnancy, stating that they were too young and not ready for the responsibility of parenthood. The couple eventually broke up in 2002, and the exact timing of the pregnancy remains unclear.

Representatives for Spears have declined to comment further, while representatives for Timberlake have not responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The AP has not had the opportunity to independently review a copy of "The Woman in Me" yet. Spears, known for her active presence on social media, has not posted on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) since the People stories were published.

In the published excerpt, Spears describes the abortion as one of the most agonizing experiences of her life. Her memoir, set to be released on October 24, comes shortly after her divorce from Sam Asghari and promises to provide insights into her tumultuous years in the spotlight. In a teaser for the book, Spears posted on Sunday, she declares that no one truly knows her thoughts until now. The audiobook version of the memoir will be narrated by actor Michelle Williams.

Born in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears gained fame as a young performer on "The Mickey Mouse Club," alongside future stars like Ryan Gosling and Timberlake. Other excerpts from her memoir published by People chronicle her rise to stardom and touch on her acting endeavors, including being considered for the lead role in "The Notebook." However, she reveals relief that her acting career was short-lived after the release of "Crossroads" in 2002.

While her music career brought her immense success, including her iconic debut single " ... Baby One More Time" in 1999, Spears faced personal challenges. She had two sons with Kevin Federline and was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, primarily overseen by her father, which controlled various aspects of her life, finances, and voice following public breakdowns. The conservatorship lasted nearly 14 years and was only terminated in late 2021, following the #FreeBritney movement and reforms to conservatorship laws in California.

Many of Spears' allegations against her father and others involved in the conservatorship are expected to be addressed in a civil trial scheduled for next year. The 2021 documentary "Framing Britney Spears" shed light on her situation, including Timberlake's past actions. In the documentary, an old interview resurfaced where Timberlake discussed sleeping with a former girlfriend and seemingly mocked Spears in his "Cry Me A River" music video. This led to a backlash, with fans accusing Timberlake of contributing to Spears' struggles and reigniting criticism of his involvement in Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl halftime show incident. Timberlake later apologized to both Spears and Jackson. Following Spears' court revelations about her "abusive" conservatorship, Timberlake expressed his support for her on Twitter, emphasizing the need to stand by her during that difficult time and acknowledging past mistakes.

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