Rumors that Justin Timberlake cheated with ’90s girl band star Nicole Appleton have resurfaced after his ex Britney Spears claimed he cheated on her with ‘another celebrity’.
Spears, now 41, who dated Timberlake, 42, from 1999-2002, made the shocking claims in a memoir, The Woman In Me, due out on October 24 – in which the pop icon does not name the woman because “they have family and she doesn’t want to embarrass them.’
Timberlake, who Spears revealed became pregnant in late 2000 and had an abortion, was famously seen with the All Saints star, now 48, returning to her London hotel after a night out in 2000.
The photos, which are now circulating on social media, show Timberlake, then 19, and Appleton, then 25, hiding their faces in the back of a taxi as they tried to lose photographers.
The couple were also relaxed walking down the street from The Mayfair Club to the St. Martins Lane where Justin was staying. There is no indication that Timberlake was unfaithful and it is not known if Appleton was the celebrity Spears was referring to.
Rumors: Rumors that Justin Timberlake cheated with ’90s girl group star Nicole Appleton have resurfaced after his ex Britney Spears claimed he cheated on her with ‘another celebrity (Timberlake is seen left in 2004 and Appleton right 2000)
Happier times: Timberlake and Spears pictured in 2000 – the year she got pregnant by him and later had an abortion
The story, headlined “Nic and Guy Acting So Coy,” said Timberlake was still “dating American teenage seductress Britney Spears” at the time the photos were taken.
DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Timberlake and Appleton for comment.
At the time of the night out, Timberlake was a year into his romance with Spears and at the height of fame with NSINC, while Appleton was at the height of her success with All Saints – who scored a top 10 US hit in 1997 with Never Ever.
Appleton and Timberlake have never publicly commented on their dating.
In 2022, Spears’ former makeup artist Julianne Kaye told the Mirror that the singer was jealous of Timberlake’s dating Nicole.
She claimed: “I knew they had some problems.” She had her own questions about who he was with, because things would be in the press. They were very famous. So he’d be out with some girl from All Saints and she’d be very jealous, you know what I’m saying?’
Appleton married Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, 51, and welcomed son Gene, 22, with him before their split in 2014, after it emerged he fathered another child behind her back.
She married Stephen Haynes in 2021 and they share a daughter, Skipper, aged three.
In her memoir, Britney also revealed that she had an abortion with Justin at the age of 19.
The star said she made the “painful” decision to terminate the pregnancy after she became pregnant in late 2000.
She writes in the passage he came up with People: “It was a surprise, but it wasn’t a tragedy for me.” I loved Justin so much. I always expected that one day we would have a family together. This would be much sooner than I expected.
Iconic: Appleton’s band All Saints scored a top 10 US hit in 1997 with Never Ever (pictured L-R Melanie Blatt, Nicole, Shaznay Lewis and Natalie Appleton in 1998)
What happened? The photos show Timberlake, then 19, and Appleton, then 25, hiding their faces in the back of a taxi as they try to lose photographers (Appleton pictured in 1998)
bye Bye Bye! At the time of the night out, Timberlake was a year into his romance with Spears and at the height of his NSINC fame
“He said that we are not ready to have a baby in our lives, that we are too young.” I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I’ve agreed not to have a baby.
“I don’t know if it was the right decision.” If it was up to me, I would never have done it. And yet Justin was so sure he didn’t want to be a father.’
The star claimed that while she wanted a baby and ‘dreamed of having a family’ with Timberlake, he ‘wasn’t ready’ for the responsibilities of parenthood and thought the couple were too young.
The star said that the abortion was “one of the most painful things I have ever experienced in my life”.
The book also claims Spears reveals she was raised ‘not to have an abortion’ due to religious reasons and what she learned from her family, reports TMZ.
Back tnen: Appleton married Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, 51, and welcomed son Gene, 22, with him before they split in 2014 after it emerged he fathered another child behind her back (pictured in 2001)
Spears will later welcome sons Sean Preston, 18, and Jaden, 17, with Kevin Federline, while Timberlake shares sons Silas, eight, and Phineas, two, with wife Jessica Biel.
Justin and Britney dated as teenagers after meeting at the Mickey Mouse Club and were a legendary star duo, but they split abruptly in 2002 and rumors soon surfaced that she had cheated on him.
His career took off after the split, with albums and songs promoted under the narrative that Spears had broken his heart.
In the music video for his 2002 hit Cry Me A River, he even used Britney in person, and the singer herself was vilified for their breakup.
In 2018, Timberlake said he was so emotional after his split with Spears that he released his feelings by writing Cry Me a River in just two hours.
The former teenage heartthrob’s hit song has long been rumored to be about the pop princess, following claims she cheated on him.
Via: The singer, who opened up in her upcoming memoir, also revealed she had an abortion with Justin when she was 19
The star wrote about the ballad about the breakup: “I am despised.” I’m screwed. The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it down.
“I put my feelings into a form that people could listen to and hopefully relate to.” People heard me and understood because we were all there.’
Timberlake did not mention Spears by name in his book, but made it clear he was a changed man, crediting wife Jessica and son Silas for his transformation, he wrote in Hindsight: And all the things I can’t see in front of me.
In 2021, Timberlake wrote in an open apology that he was “deeply sorry” and would “take responsibility” admitting he had “failed” her, after their relationship came under renewed scrutiny following the release of documentaries dealing with Spears’ conservatorship.