Timbaland apologizes for Britney Spears “muzzle” comment

Timbaland has backtracked on comments he made about Britney Spears and her tell-all book The Woman In Me. The producer, who has worked extensively with Justin Timberlake over his solo career, said during a recent panel interview that the former *NSYNC member should have "put a muzzle" on Spears to protect himself from some of the less flattering revelations that have come out about their time as a couple in the early 2000s.

The backlash to Timbaland's comments was quick and, clearly, made its way directly to the producer.

On Tuesday night Timbaland went live on TikTok and issued an apology (quotes via Rolling Stone).

“I’m sorry to all the Britney fans, even to her,” he said while streaming live. “I’m sorry, because muzzle was—no, you have a voice. You speak what you want to speak. Who am I to tell you what not to speak? And I was wrong for saying that. I was looking at it from a different lens and what I am is a reconcile person. I’m not a person who takes sides… I apologize to the Britney fans and her.”

Addressing one of the live viewers who left a commen, he added, “‘You know about respecting women?’ Hell yeah.”

Among the revelations in Spears' book was the news that she had an abortion while dating Timberlake, with whom she was in a relationship between 1999-2002. She also shared an embarrassing story of when Timberlake met Ginuwine and put on a "blaccent" to greet the R&B singer.