When women’s mental health is low, men always find ways to go even lower, it seems.
Following the release of her bestselling memoir, The Woman In Me, producer Timbaland made a string of disparaging remarks about Britney Spears.
Timbaland made misogynistic remarks about Britney Spears during a panel discussion that took place last month
Highlights
- Timbaland criticized for misogynistic comments on Britney Spears.
- Timbaland's remarks highlight ongoing music industry misogyny.
- Timbaland apologizes to Britney and fans on TikTok.
Image credits: timbaland
Interestingly, Timbaland has a longstanding professional relationship with Britney's ex, Justin Timberlake, whose own history with the pop star has been at the forefront of recent controversies.
Timbaland notably produced Justin's 2002 song Cry Me a River, a track often interpreted as Justin's public accusation of Britney cheating on him.
Timbaland and Justin Timberlake go way back, as Timbaland produced Justin's debut album
Image credits: timbaland
Moreover, the Grammy award-winning producer collaborated with Justin on his forthcoming album, which is yet to be officially revealed.
In April, Timbaland told Variety: "I just left working with him, we just finished up, and everything sounds great.
“Now it’s really on him how he plans to wrap it up and how and when he envisions it to come out."
The iconic pair also joined forces on Timbaland's track featuring Nelly Furtado, Keep Going Up, released in September, as per Rolling Stone.
But lately, it is in the context of The Woman In Me that Justin’s name has been brought back into the spotlight, as the memoir delved into Britney's relationship with Justin in unprecedented detail.
It uncovered the singer’s revelation of having an abortion during their time together, citing his reluctance to become a father.
It is in the context of The Woman In Me that Justin’s name has been brought back into the spotlight, as the memoir delved into Britney's relationship with Justin
Image credits: justintimberlake; Britney Spears
The memoir also accused the former NSYNC member of multiple instances of infidelity and claimed that Justin ended their relationship via text.
Britney wrote: "I think [the breakup] was because he’d decided to use me as ammunition for his record."
The princess of pop referred to Justin’s debut album, Justified, a significant portion of which was produced by Timbaland.
"She going crazy," Timbaland said at the Kennedy Center during an event titled Sound Architects: A Producer Conversation with Timbaland
Image credits: PopBase
It is safe to say that Justin and Timbaland’s friendship goes way back, and has remained solid ever since.
This loyalty was particularly displayed on October 30, when Timbaland participated in an event at the Kennedy Center titled Sound Architects: A Producer Conversation with Timbaland.
You can watch the clip below
During a discussion, the producer commended Justin's artistic contributions and identified Cry Me a River as the pivotal moment in their collaborative journey.
The 51-year-old musician expressed that the song served as a turning point, compelling him to repeatedly collaborate with Justin in the future.
Image credits: Justin Timberlake
Following this segment, a person in the audience initiated a conversation with Timbaland regarding the recent reconsideration of Cry Me a River in light of Britney's memoir.
Immediately interrupting the question, the producer said: "She going crazy."
Amidst the laughter from the audience, Timbaland pressed on: "I wanted to call and say, ‘JT, you gotta put a muzzle on that girl.'"
Image credits: justintimberlake
Laughter persisted, though a few reactions seemed to carry an undertone of surprise, as the music star continued: "But you know what, we live in an age of social media and viral, everybody wanna go viral.
“I get it, because that's the way you make money. Go viral.
“I've gotta do something to get people's attention.”
Image credits: timbaland
When the video emerged online this past month, it prompted some individuals to reference Timbaland's remarks from 2011 about the late singer Aaliyah, whom he had met when she was 16 and he was 23, as reported by XXL Mag.
"I was in love with her," the producer said before asserting that he recognized his future wife as marriage material because of her resemblance to Aaliyah.
As per EW, Timbaland had previously mentioned his desire to collaborate with Britney, sparking speculation among fans that she might have declined the opportunity.
Some also pointed out the insensitivity of such remarks, particularly considering Britney's enduring and highly restrictive conservatorship that lasted for over a decade.
Timbaland went on to apologize for his remarks about Britney on a live session on TikTok
Image credits: DeJa_Clift
As the backlash on social media significantly grew, Timbaland reportedly went live on Tiktok earlier this week, as he does most nights, and went on to apologize for his hurtful and misogynistic comments about Britney.
“I apologize to the Britney fans and her,” the producer said, after reading a comment from a person asking about his attitude toward women.
Timbaland continued: “Yes, ‘you know about respecting women?’ Hell yeah.”
"I apologize to the Britney fans and her," the producer said
Misogyny within the music industry has long been a recognized problem by many professionals.
“The music industry is a boy’s club. Everybody knows everyone in the top levels. All the people at the very top levels have the money, and thus all the power,” DJ, broadcaster, and author Annie Macmanus (aka Annie Mac) explained during a Misogyny in Music session organized by the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee.
“The system is kinda rigged against women,” the DJ added.
Timbaland's apology wasn't well received
Annie went on to cite the example of a young artist who’d been to the pub with the head of her label and then been sexually assaulted by them.
“If you’re her, you can either complain and risk your career that you’ve fought so hard for being compromised, or you can crack on, which is what she did,” the broadcast explained.
She continued: “She’s now in a more powerful position.
“But still, if you speak out as an artist now… you don’t want to be defined by being what is deemed as a ‘difficult’ woman.
“You don’t want to be defined, also, by something that happened to you that’s deeply traumatic.
“You want your artistry to come first. You want that to be how you succeed.
“So if you come out and speak on behalf of something that happened to you, you’ll forever be defined by that.”
The comments Timbaland made at Britney's expense received significant backlash
