It took him nearly 20 years to apologise to Britney Spears after the way she was portrayed following their breakup in 2002, but this time Justin Timberlake has been quicker to speak up.
Hours after Spears' explosive statement in court, in a hearing regarding her conservatorship, the Cry Me a River singer tweeted out his support for his ex-girlfriend, telling the world what is happening to her is "not right".
"After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time," Timberlake wrote on Twitter.
"Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was … what's happening to her is just not right.
"No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body," he added.
In a subsequent tweet, Timberlake said that "no one should EVER be held against their will… or ever have to ask permission to access everything they've worked so hard for". He also sent a message of support on behalf of his wife, actress Jessica Biel.
"Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live," he wrote.
Justin and Britney's highly publicised teen romance, which first blossomed at Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, came to an end in 2002, with Justin accusing Britney of infidelity in interviews that followed. The music video for his 2002 song Cry Me a River went on to feature the narrative he was pushing, with a Britney lookalike portrayed cheating on him.
In recent months, following documentaries about Britney's unfair treatment at the hands of the tabloid press, fans have turned on Justin for how he spoke about her at the time, including revealing to the world that they had slept together amid a sickening public obsession with Britney's virginity.
In February, Timberlake apologised for his past actions, but many remarked that it was too little, too late.
- With news.com.au