One publication beat me to the "Oops, she did it again" Britney Spears joke. So, instead, I'll say that Spears stuck it to her ex, Justin Timberlake, with No Strings Attached. ...No, I don't feel bad about that joke. I live for this kind of nonsense.
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Timberlake has not been having the best time lately, to put it mildly. He was arrested in New York on a DUI charge while trying to revitalize his singing career. Looks like it's Bye Bye Bye to those dreams!
Timberlake and Spears have a... complicated history. In her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears had plenty to say about her relationship with Timberlake. Cheating accusations, coerced abortions -- it's heavy stuff I don't have the word count to give its proper due. With Timberlake being caught in a torrential downpour of misfortune, Spears decided to add a punt kick to the ribs for good measure.
On Instagram, Spears put out a simple, devastating post. "It's the little things you know," the caption reads. The image? What looks to be a decorative alcoholic beverage. The following post? A picture of herself wearing a cocktail dress. Can she easily say neither of these posts has anything to do with Justin Timberlake? Of course!
But, come on. The timing. The careful phrasing. It's subtle pettiness at its finest!
Britney Spears Shades Her Ex, Justin Timberlake, On Instagram
As anyone who's read my articles over the past month or so can attest, I love chaos. I especially love deliberate, unnecessary pettiness. 50 Cent does it to perfection, and Spears nailed it here.
I'm not going after XTina because she's been sweet despite the drama...
But Justin Timberlake literally accused Britney Spears of being a sloppy drunk and yet gets arrested for drunk driving. That's poetic— Eve (@MissCx64) June 19, 2024
Universal shade aside, many people caught the message. After years of her own string of controversies and struggles, I'm sure watching someone who allegedly caused her so much pain and grief was satisfying for Spears.
And let's not kid ourselves -- we're all capable of such pettiness. If you feel as though Britney Spears should've "been the bigger person" and not said anything at all, you're a robot. You've relished in the downfall of someone you don't like. This is the internet; everyone has enjoyed watching someone fail at one point or another.
It's human! Just as we're capable of many great, splendid deeds, we're also prone to the occasional petty streak. Embrace that!
