Yep, you read that right. Justin Timberlake, 37, revealed that he penned his classic smash, “Cry Me A River,” just two hours after he called it quits with his ex, Britney Spears, 36. It’s been long rumored that the former N’Sync member crafted the track in response to their breakup, but thanks to Justin new book, we’ve got concrete confirmation. “I’ve been scorned. I’ve been pissed off. The feelings I had were so strong I had to write it,” he writes of the breakup ballad in Hindsight: And All The Things I Can’t See in Front of Me. “I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and hopefully relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we’ve all been there,” he also said of the track.
The iconic hit was released in 2002, just following the pair’s split. Britney and Justin dated from 1998 to 2002 after meeting on set of The Mickey Mouse Club, but things got messy after rumors swirled the the Princess of Pop had cheated on JT. While Justin doesn’t mention Brit by name in the book, it WAS the only highly-publicized breakup surrounding the singer at the time, so it’s safe to say she gave Justin some inspo there.
Justin’s new book, which was released on Oct, 30, talks about more than his music though – it delves into the details of his marriage with Jessica Biel, 36, as well. In the text, he recalls the first time he met his now wife. “When I met Jess, it was undeniable how beautiful she is,” Timberlake gushed in his book. “We were at a surprise party in Hollywood at a speakeasy kind of bar, a private club, and we were standing around in a group of people.” Although he said he didn’t ask for Jessica’s number on the first night, because he had to “psych” himself up, clearly, he worked up the courage eventually!