Dear Justin, Your Apology Sucks

Earlier this month in Hollywood, a perfect storm collided. 

It started on Super Bowl Sunday, when Janet Jackson was trending on twitter. Or rather, #janetjacksonappreciationday was trending. Janet Jackson Appreciation Day reminds us how much Janet Jackson was punished after the infamous Super Bowl ‘wardrobe malfunction’ in 2004 – and also how Justin Timberlake (the person who tore off her clothing in said ‘wardrobe malfunction’) was given a pass.

That same weekend, The New York Times released Framing Britney Spears, a documentary where we were reminded how horribly Britney Spears was treated as a young pop star, and the events that led up to the conservatorship she’s been under for the last 13 years. 

If you drew a Venn diagram showing the pain that Jackson and Spears endured, you’d find one person in the intersection: Justin Timberlake. 

Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears were a match made in pop star heaven in the early 2000s, wearing matching denim outfits and in constant rotation on MTV. But after they broke up, Timberlake built his solo career while tearing down Spears. He shared details of their sex life with the media, and accused her of cheating on him in his subtle-as-a-heart-attack song Cry Me a River. He even cast a young woman who looked like Spears as the video’s villain, and continued to play the victim card in media interviews for years.

The week following the Super Bowl social media was full of posts noting Timberlake’s poor treatment of the two pop stars, as well as a curation of not-so-greatest moments. 

Did I mention that all this happened just a week after Apple+ boasted big numbers celebrating their new film that Timberlake is starring in?

So, with bad publicity on the rise and a new movie to promote, I knew an apology from Timberlake was coming. He’s a celebrity, with (I’m sure) a well-paid publicist to guide him. I expect the resources of Apple (and others) were probably on deck to help as well.

And last Friday – it dropped.

A post with 267 words on Timberlake’s instagram page.

And of those 267 words, there was one phrase that jumped out at me: I want.

I want to respond. I want to apologize. I want to be part of and grow from [a larger conversation].

He wants a lot of things.

But why do we care what he wants right now? What about Janet and Britney and all the other women who have come up in an industry that demands they be sexy and then punishes them for the slightest embrace of their sexuality?

It’s easy to want something  – but that’s not the same as doing something.

And what exactly is he sorry for? Go back through the stories, and you’ll see Justin didn’t do Britney wrong once. He brought up her name, their relationship, and their sex life for YEARS and in multiple interviews. When he says he ‘contributed to the problem’ what problem specifically is he referring to? His whole apology is vague, and focuses more on him and his wants than how he hurt people and, more importantly, how he intends to ‘grow.’

He criticizes the music industry and notes it is designed to set up men (especially white men) for success. OK. But what are you going to do about it?  I don’t mean write a check. I mean, use your influence. How are you helping women or underrepresented people get exposure and opportunities in the industry? Who are you going to collaborate with – and how are you finding them? Do you have an inclusion clause in your rider?  

Don’t just use your power to say, ‘This is wrong.’ Use your power to make a change.

And while he says he wants to apologize to Britney and Janet, has he reached out to them now individually, or is this public post all they get?

Some of the things he is being criticized for were done in his 20s. I get it. But he’s 40 now. He’s married. He’s a father. He’s had a lot of time to reflect on his actions, how he got here – and the casualties he left on his road to success. Is he responding now because he’s truly remorseful, or because he’s under attack and has a new movie to promote?

He says he felt ‘compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better.’

You’re right, Justin. 

Everyone does.

PS- Was anyone else bothered by the storyline of Timberlake’s video for What Goes Around (Comes Around) in 2007? The woman posing as Justin Timberlake’s girlfriend (played by Scarlett Johansson) cheats on him, then has a terrible car accident and dies. Bit extreme!