Justin Timberlake's Public Apology To Britney Spears, Janet Jackson Not A 'Publicity Stunt': Report

Justin Timberlake has publicly apologized to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson on social media, saying he is sorry for having contributed to their misery. However, some were skeptical of the sincerity of his statement, accusing the singer-actor of only doing it for "publicity."

Timberlake received flak after posting a lengthy statement via Instagram Friday owning up to his "ignorance" regarding the media treatment of Spears and Jackson following his 2002 split with the former and his 2004 Super Bowl performance with the latter. His apology came amid the heated discussion over Spears' conservatorship and after The New York Times' documentary, "Framing Britney Spears," revisited their breakup.

However, unnamed sources "close to the star" have shut down accusations that Timberlake's lengthy Instagram apology was a publicity stunt, Page Six reported.

"He did this on his own, and it’s really from the heart. This isn’t about publicity," an insider told the outlet.

Prior to his apology, Timberlake was already facing backlash from fans over the documentary's revelations about him and Spears. The New York Times doc showed him claiming on a radio show that they had sex and that his camp pushed the narrative that they parted ways because she'd betrayed him.

Meanwhile, Timberlake has been accused of throwing Jackson under the bus following their Super Bowl halftime show. He had ripped a part of Jackson's outfit at the end of their performance, which exposed her breast.

The two performers had been treated very differently after the incident, with Jackson appearing to bear the brunt of the backlash. While she was blacklisted by MTV and banned from the Grammys a week later, Timberlake's career soared and he was even given a platform to apologize on stage at the music awards show.

Despite Timberlake publicly apologizing to the two singers, however, some social media users claimed he only did it to be talked about and to promote his career.

"After 17 years Justin Timberlake decides to apologize. What is this, some kind of a sick joke? I know wassup, and why he did what he did to Britney Spears and Jackson. It was a publicity stunt to promote his career so he could make $millions," one tweeted.

"Considering how much good publicity Justin Timberlake had gotten when he gaslighted Britney Spears when he finished with her & threw a Pity party with the media," another wrote. "And media swallowed up his lies & carried on attacking poor Britney. Now he's jumped in 4 publicity with a fake apology."