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Justin Timberlake Says ‘No Disrespect’ Before ‘Cry Me a River’ Performance

Britney Spears claimed in her memoir that he’d used her as “ammunition” in the song.

Justin Timberlake curiously said “no disrespect” before launching into a performance of his song “Cry Me a River” at a surprise show in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, possibly alluding to controversy surrounding his one-time relationship with Britney Spears that exploded into public view with the recent publication of her memoir. He gave the song its cryptic two-word intro while performing at the opening of a new Fontainebleau hotel in Sin City. While not addressing Spears’ allegations directly, the comment could have been a pointed reference to a claim Spears made in her memoir, The Woman in Me, that Timberlake used her as “ammunition” for the song. He released the track following his 2002 breakup with Spears, with the song’s lyrics alluding to cheating and its video featuring a woman who looked like Spears.