Justin Timberlake has weighed in on Britney Spears‘ tell-all testimony, calling on her family to “let her live however she wants to live.”
The “Gimme More” singer testified during a virtual court hearing on Wednesday, June 23, that she wants her conservatorship to end, 13 years after she was placed under her father’s care.
In addition to calling the conservatorship “abusive,” she said that her father Jamie Spears has been legally granted “way too much control,” according to a transcript of her statement published by Variety. “The control he had over someone as powerful as me, as he loved the control to hurt his own daughter 100,000 percent. He loved it.”
She shared that she wants to get married and have a baby, but she is prohibited from removing her IUD birth control. In her words, “I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, any of those things.”
In response to the hearing, Justin weighed in on social media to support Britney, whom he dated from 1999 to 2002, six years before her conservatorship began.
“After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time,” he tweeted. “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.”
The “Suit & Tie” vocalist continued, “No one should EVER be held against their will… or ever have to ask permission to access everything they’ve worked so hard for.”
Globe Photos/Mediapunch/ShutterstockJustin said that both he and wife Jessica Biel are standing behind the pop star. “Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time,” he wrote, adding, “We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live.”
Jessica retweeted this thread to amplify the message.
This year, the ‘N SYNC alum has faced heightened criticism over how he treated Britney during their relationship 20 years ago. After fans watched the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary on Hulu, they demanded he apologize to the 39-year-old star.
“I’ve seen the messages, tags, comments and concerns and I want to respond,” Justin wrote on Instagram in February. “I am deeply sorry for the time in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right.”
The father of two said he sorry to both Britney and his Super Bowl co-performer Janet Jackson, “because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.” He admitted, “I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I whole heartedly want to be part of and grow from.”
Following Britney’s hearing, celebrities including Mariah Carey, Halsey and Khloe Kardashian also spoke out in support of the princess of pop.
E! News has reached out to attorneys for Jamie and Britney for comment. Jamie’s lawyer read a statement at the hearing that said he is “sorry to see his daughter suffering” and “loves his daughter and misses her very much.”
