Despite the fact that both Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are said to be up to collaborate with one another, the famous exes are still taking great lengths to avoid each other. Rumors are swirling that the two avoided each other while they both made a stop in London. In addition, Britney is not too keen about the thought of working with her former boyfriend.
According to a new report via The Mirror, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are trying to avoid each other in London. The couple, who split 14 years ago yet fans still ship, are both scheduled to be in the U.K., but they’re not looking to cross paths, according to the Daily Star Sunday. Spears, 34, is headed to down to London for the Apple Music Festival on Sept. 27, while Timberlake will be there to appear on the Graham Norton Show as well as the Capital Up Close With Coca-Cola Show.
“Justin will be arriving when Britney is still in town and both their teams have been ordered to make sure they don’t meet at all costs. Hotels, itineraries and planned promotional commitments are currently being checked.”
Fans were holding out hope for a Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake collaboration after both singers expressed their interest in working with each other. E! News correspondent Mac Malkin asked Timberlake, 35, his opinion at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of his Netflix concert documentary.
When told Spears had expressed her interest in working with Timberlake, he responded: “She did? Sure! Absolutely, absolutely.”
When he explained why he was unaware of the pop princess’s recent statements, he said: “I have a 17-month-old so I don’t get the headline news. I apologize for not being in the know.”
Then, Timberlake turned to the camera and responded: “I’m accessible, give us a call!”
Check out Justin Timberlake’s cute reaction in the video below.
But, Spears is not really feeling it. An inside source revealed to Hollywood Life that she’s “terrified” to work with him because she never really got over him.
“Since Justin said he’d be open to working with Britney again, her team is all over her about making it happen. But she doesn’t want to. Justin is the love of her life and she’s never gotten over losing him. She feels like collaborating with him would just open old wounds and intensify her feelings for him. She’s worked hard to move on, and this would undo all of the progress she’s made.”
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002. They split amid the rumors that she had hooked up with her choreographer Wade Robson behind Timberlake’s back. Then, things took a turn for the worse when Timberlake dropped the breakup song “Cry Me a River,” along with a video which featured a Britney Spears lookalike.
Spears sure looked interested in working with Timberlake when she asked a fan question during her Q&A late last month. In the interview, she said that she would love to work with her ex again, despite their messy past.
“Aerosmith [frontman Steven Tyler] seems really good and bright. He’s a genius, I think. He’s very rock ‘n’ roll. He sings from his soul. Gwen Stefani, I think she’s great,” she said on August 27, listing her dream collaborators. “Justin Timberlake is very good.”
However, the internet still believes that Timberlake is the one who’s still in love with his ex. According to some stealthy fans on social media, the singer made a very telling reaction during a May 2016 interview with Anna Kendrick while they promoted their animated movie, Trolls, at the Cannes Film Festival, reports Us Weekly.
At the 2:10 mark, Timberlake smiles brightly when the reporter mentions the word “pinky.” As soon as the real meaning behind the word registers with him, his expression turns from joyful to disappointed for a full 30 seconds before moving on. Fans are aware that “Pinky” is the nickname that the former ‘NSYNC star gave Spears during their relationship. The “Make Me” singer called her then-boyfriend “Stinky.” The couple even wore matching jerseys with their nicknames emblazoned on the back during a charity basketball game back in 2001.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake will put their differences aside and collaborate? Sound off below in the comments section.
[Featured images by photographers David Becker/Getty Images and Kevin Winter/Getty Images]