Britney Spears’ Relationship With Justin Timberlake Was ‘So Close’ During the Filming of ‘Crossroads’
Britney Spears hit the big screen in the 2002 chick flick Crossroads. Co-starring with Marvel’s Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning of Orange Is the New Black, Spears played a teenager hitting the road for a cross-country journey with her two BFFs.
Spears was in a serious relationship at the time with fellow pop singer Justin Timberlake, which began in 1999. The music icon apparently had a strong bond with her boyfriend that didn’t go unnoticed by the film’s director.
Britney Spears said Justin Timberlake was ‘everything’ during their relationship
The two met as child actors on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, but didn’t start dating until several years later. The relationship between the two pop stars made them constant content for the tabloids. Spears admitted sometimes the scrutiny was difficult to navigate, but all was worth it due to her love for Timberlake.
“When people get too personal it bothers me,” the Everytime singer said in 2001, according to The Sun. “But I’m not ashamed at all to say that I love him from the bottom of my heart. As far as love is concerned, with him, too much is not enough. He’s everything.”
The couple went their separate ways in 2002 after rumors of infidelity began to swirl about Spears.
“The break-up was absolutely heartbreaking for me,” Timberlake told The Telegraph in 2002, as reported by The Sun. “I can’t just have meaningless relationships with women. I have to find miss right in order to have a relationship.”
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears ‘really knew that life together’
Apparently, Timberlake was frequently on set when Spears was filming Crossroads. Director Tamra Davis observed the strong bond the young couple shared.
“It was just the most beautiful relationship, seeing the two of them together and how love-y they were,” Davis told Vice in 2016. “They were just so close, and she was such a supporter of his. He worked just as hard as her. It was like, she would be doing rehearsals and he would be doing rehearsals. They really knew that life together.”
Davis revealed that she would have Spears doodle in a notebook when filming to exhibit her character’s creativity. The notebook was filled with thoughts of Timberlake.
“I have the book,” the director shared. “All she was writing was ‘Britney and Justin,’ all these little curlicues. It was like looking at a teenage girl’s musings—hearts and butterflies and Justin’s name.”
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake gave few details post-breakup
After their split in 2002, Spears and Timberlake both remained vague on what caused their breakup. Yet Spears noted how the constant inquiries were difficult.
“The worst thing is everyone wants to talk to me about it,” she told the Sun, according to Bustle. “Everywhere I go, people are asking how I am.”
The former ‘N Sync leader spoke with Barbara Walters about parting ways with Spears, but was relatively tight-lipped on details.
“I remember when we decided we were going to go our separate ways,” Timberlake explained. “We sat down and I said to her, ‘If there’s ever a moment where you ever need me, you can rest assured that I will be there, because I love you as a person and I will always love you.’ But I also said … ‘I could really get myself in horrible position if I was to say something and somebody misinterpreted, because that happens all the time.’ And I promised her that I wouldn’t say specifically why we broke up.”
Timberlake married Jessica Biel in 2012. Spears is currently in a relationship with Sam Asghari.
