Celebs Who Seemingly Can't Stand Justin Timberlake

This may be hard for some to believe, but not everyone loves Justin Timberlake, who definitely has a shady side. Timberlake comes off as amiable, but he's said and done some things over the years that drove a wedge between himself and several celebrities. In most cases, it's likely that a celeb who doesn't like Timberlake keeps that information to themselves. Still, every once in a while, someone will speak about an interaction with the so-called "Prince of Pop" that clearly shows that they absolutely can't stand him.

Timberlake's actions around his ex-girlfriends haven't gone unnoticed by them or their friends, making for a long list of people in the industry who don't like him. He's offended singers, actors, and just about everyone in between, and he's been embroiled in a controversy or two as well. His recent arrest in June 2024 didn't help his public image in any way, but he managed to come out the other side relatively unscathed with some community service and a fine, and he had to record a public service announcement.

The courts may have been lenient on Timberlake for his driving transgressions, but his celebrity peers aren't always as forgiving. Some have come out and spoken nicely about Timberlake, explaining that they squashed their beef and are back on good terms, but not all of them. Some simply refuse to acknowledge his existence or work with him in any capacity. These ten celebrities can't stand Justin Timberlake, and it's easy to understand why.

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's relationship goes back to before NSYNC became one of the leading boy bands in the industry. Of course, the truth of Jackson and Timberlake's relationship is complicated, thanks to a stunning moment during the halftime show at "Super Bowl XXXVIII." Prior to the event, Jackson kept Timberlake's involvement a secret, and publicists revealed that something shocking would occur during their time together on stage. Ultimately, that proved to be true, yet detrimental to Jackson's career.

While performing "Rock Your Body," the two singers danced beside one another until Timberlake reached over and pulled down part of Jackson's blouse, exposing her breast. This was more than a mere wardrobe malfunction — Jackson's mostly bare breast was shown to the world on live television, and that sort of thing comes with some serious repercussions. What followed was a series of 'he said, she said' statements to the media, but beyond the embarrassment, there were problems that arose from the incident.

Jackson was banned from attending the 2004 Grammy Awards, while Timberlake was welcomed with open arms. Jackson later spoke of the incident in a 2018 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," where she directed the blame at Timberlake. That said, she admitted that she still considered Timberlake a friend. Still, it's not as if they've continued to hang out or work professionally with one another since the unfortunate breast exposure, though he has since apologized.

Back when they were teen superstars, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were an item, and fans loved seeing them together. While they appeared to have a good relationship, it did not end well. Chris Applebaum revealed on Instagram that Timberlake broke up with Spears via text. After their breakup, Timberlake wasn't kind to his ex-girlfriend when speaking to the press, and he said several things that were not only hurtful but also personal and incendiary.

Timberlake made accusations through his music that Spears cheated on him, but he also denied that anything he's put out was related to Spears. Years later, he copped to it, which didn't help his image. When Timberlake went after Spears publicly, it was during a tumultuous time in her life. It's likely his attacks didn't do much to help her mental health because it wasn't long after their breakup that Spears had a mental breakdown and was placed into a conservatorship.

Spears later published her memoir, "The Woman in Me," in which she laid out everything about her and Timberlake's relationship, and she didn't pull any punches. She described how she became pregnant, and Timberlake pushed her to have an abortion, which she wouldn't have otherwise done. Still, when Spears' conservatorship fight was ramping up, Timberlake posted nice things about her on X, but by that time, it was probably too little, too late to mend fences between the two.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling have known one another for a long time, but the truth about their friendship isn't a simple one. They first worked together as children in "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club," which was also where they got their start in the entertainment industry. Timberlake and Gosling began as friends, and they even once stole a golf cart together. Gosling even once lived with Timberlake's family for six months, so they had a close relationship when they were children, but it's fizzled out as they've matured.

While it seems that the two are close friends, given their history, that's apparently not the case. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Timberlake said of Gosling, "We aren't the closest of friends, for whatever reason" (via Spin). In a 2013 interview, Timberlake expanded, saying, "Like anything where you're friends with somebody in elementary school or something. How many friends do you still have from elementary school?"

It's unclear if something happened in the past to drive a wedge between these childhood friends, but it seems clear they aren't nearly as close as they used to be. After all, they've yet to rekindle their friendship. While this could all be a simple matter of a misunderstanding from the outside looking in, given their former friendship and apparent indifference for one another as adults, it seems likely they don't consider one another good friends any longer.

Justin Timberlake has worked with numerous recording artists, including SZA, and the two sat for an interview to promote their collaboration on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2020. During the interview, Timberlake continuously interrupted SZA whenever she spoke, and he answered questions for her. More than that, for some inexplicable reason, Timberlake used an unusual accent while speaking for SZA, which didn't go over well with SZA, her fans, or most people on the Internet.

Timberlake called SZA "Sis" throughout his interruptions while speaking over his collaborator, leading some fans to take to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain. One wrote, "Why is he talking like that and over her?" and "I don't like that he's saying 'Sis.'" Another user wrote, "JT is the definition of white people changing their dialect around black people. Call it mental illness." Essentially, Timberlake approximated African American slang in a manner that was insulting to an entire community.

Prior to his interruptions, Timberlake spoke in his normal accent without any attempt to approximate African American Vernacular English (AAVE), making his verbiage all the more unusual and insulting. While it's clear that SZA's fans didn't like Timberlake's comments and actions during the interview, one person has remained quiet on the subject. SZA hasn't spoken out about Timberlake's cultural appropriation, so she may not be as enraged as her fans despite having every right to be given how disrespectful he was to SZA and her culture on live television.

UFC CEO Dana White isn't one to shy away from speaking his mind. He's done that his whole career, and if someone rubs him the wrong way, he has no problem letting the world know. White met Justin Timberlake in Los Angeles at an unspecified time, and White walked away from the encounter with a hatred towards the singer. He later explained that he and his family were backstage in the Black Eyed Peas dressing room at the Nickelodeon Awards.

White said of meeting him, "You name it, A-list, all the A-listers that the kids would love are backstage. The biggest d***head back there was Justin Timberlake. Just such a complete j***-off, yeah. Just couldn't have been a bigger d***" (via the Daily Mail). It's fair to say that White didn't mince his words when describing his problem with Timberlake. His main complaint was that Timberlake didn't acknowledge his children. "I don't know if he's a UFC fan or not, but I'm not a big Timberlake fan. Takes two seconds to say 'hi' to a kid."

While White was clearly unhappy with Timberlake, he later revealed that they'd discussed the issue together. White posted on X, "Hey @jtimberlake, thanks for the call. Very stand up and classy!!! Much appreciated #respect." White didn't expand on what he and Timberlake spoke about over the phone, but it's clear White has forgiven Timberlake's transgression. Still, for a few years, White wasn't a fan of the singer.

Justin Timberlake had a longstanding feud with Prince that seemingly continued after his death in 2016. The issue between them arose in 2006 with Timberlake's release of "SexyBack." Prince called him out for the song at an Emmy's aftershow, saying, "For whoever is claiming that they are bringing sexy back, sexy never left!" Timberlake then released "Give It to Me," which includes: "Now if sexy never left then why is everybody on my s***?" via TMZ.

Prince repeatedly shaded numerous celebs, including Timberlake. He once shared a story where he complained about sharing a bathroom with his nemesis. Their spat was something of a quiet feud, as they never got into a screaming match backstage or anything. Instead, they laid into one another through their music, which isn't uncommon in the industry, as fans tend to love diss tracks. Still, as feuds go, the one between Timberlake and Prince was long-lasting and comparatively benign.

After Prince's passing, Timberlake attempted to pay his respects during a Superbowl performance. Prince's fans weren't especially happy with his tribute. Still, Timberlake wasn't quiet about his feelings about the late singer, telling Vanity Fair, "It's a moment for me, and if I'm being quite honest, it's because he's always been the pinnacle of musicianship ... I just felt like I wanted to do something for this city [Minneapolis] and something for him that would just be the ultimate homage to what I consider the GOAT of musicians."

They say to never meet your heroes, and that isn't just for we mere folk; it's true of other celebs as well. Mandy Moore once had a huge crush on Justin Timberlake, but when she finally got the opportunity to meet him, Timberlake made a comment that stuck with Moore for years. This happened back when Timberlake was still in *NSYNC, when he said to her, "You have big feet for a girl." Years later, Moore recalled this comment during an appearance on "The Late Show with James Corden," saying the following:

"I'm sure he doesn't remember this at all, but I was so impressionable and I thought the world of him, he was on a pedestal. I mean, 16 years later, it stuck with me, so it really scarred me emotionally." Moore was only 15 at the time, so it's not surprising the comment embarrassed her and stuck in the back of her mind for years. She clarified that she wears a size ten, which is relatively large for a 15-year-old girl.

Moore later sat for an interview with Howard Stern, and she explained that all had been forgiven. Timberlake apologized to her about the remark, and she's moved on from the pain he caused. This celebrity feud has seemingly died down, but for several years, Moore was probably on the only side of it. In his apology, Timberlake said he was probably trying to flirt but did so poorly.

If you thought it was inappropriate for Justin Timberlake to expose Janet Jackson's breast at the Super Bowl, you might be surprised to learn it wasn't the first such incident. Timberlake performed alongside Kylie Minogue at the 2003 Brit Awards, covering Blondie's "Rapture." In the middle of their performance, Timberlake stunned the audience when he grabbed Minogue's rear end with both hands. The move was unusual for a musical performance, and it caused some backlash.

The clip of Timberlake's physical contact makes the rounds every so often — usually when Timberlake does something to draw the public's ire. Every time it's rediscovered, Timberlake's name is trashed all the more. At the time, the media reported that Timberlake asked if he could grab Minogue's backside prior to their performance, and she said she didn't want to do that. Clearly, Timberlake didn't agree because he went forward with the bold move despite her objections.

Ever the professional, Minogue didn't respond in any way and continued singing without skipping a beat, but she couldn't have been happy with Timberlake. He later admitted to the act, saying, "I didn't just touch it — I copped a feel. On a scale of one to ten, it was like a 58" (via Newsweek). During a performance in New York later that year, he jokingly asked if he could grab her once more, and she once again said, "No," but this time, she had an audience of witnesses.

Amanda Seales and Justin Timberlake have a problem even though the two didn't engage one another personally. Seales isn't happy with something Timberlake did, which she found to be offensive. In 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was murdered while jogging in a neighborhood, which sparked a national movement about the killing. Many celebrities took to social media to express their feelings on the senseless murder of yet another unarmed African American, including Timberlake.

Timberlake didn't post anything that was overly hurtful or anything of the sort. He merely wrote in a since-deleted post, "If you're not outraged, you should be. Justice for #AhmaudArbery" (via Buzzfeed). Nothing wrong with that, but Seales took offense to the fact that shortly after posting that on Instagram, Timberlake shut off the comments for the post, seemingly to avoid racial conversations. Seales took to Instagram to voice her displeasure by singing a song with the lyrics, "Turn on the comments," and more.

The song was a clever remix of Teddy Pendergrass' "Turn Off the Lights." Seales concluded by saying, "The movement is now, and we've missed you out here. Turn [the comments] on. You wanna be down? Well, let's see what you're about." While she came out musically swinging against Timberlake and other "white celebrities" who did something similar, it's unclear if Seales has a real beef with the musician or if she was merely calling him out in front of the world. Either way, it seems they aren't buddies.

Jessica Simpson and Justin Timberlake go back a long time, as she flubbed an audition for "The New Mickey Mouse Club." Timberlake said something to her at the time that reduced Simpson to tears, but they seemed to have gotten over it. At least, that's not the source of Simpson's dislike of Timberlake. In her memoir, "Open Book: A Memoir," Simpson wrote about that first meeting as well as something that occurred years later after her divorce.

Simpson later said on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" while promoting the book that Timberlake came over to her house after their split and that neither was attached to anyone. Simpson said that they shared a "nostalgic kiss" and followed this by detailing her thoughts at the time: "And I thought, 'Oh, this is interesting.'" She then added, "And he took his phone out and started typing. And I was like, 'Ok? I hope that's not another girl. Did I stick out my tongue out too much?'" This begged the question, 'Who did Timberlake text, and why did he do it immediately after locking lips with Simpson?'

Evidently, Timberlake texted Ryan Gosling to let him know he kissed Simpson. Apparently, when they were only 12 years old, they made a bet as to who would kiss Simpson first. While that's not unusual for 12-year-old boys, it's a bit odd that Timberlake not only remembered but was quick to text Gosling about it. It's fair to say that Timberlake's actions exploited Simpson at a vulnerable time in her life.