Names and faces
■ Britney Spears’ forthcoming memoir, “The Woman in Me,” is proving to be the tell-all it promised to be, with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake among the first big names to get a literary lashing in the book. Spears writes in the book, due Tuesday, that she became pregnant while dating the NSYNC frontman during their high-profile, turn-of-the-21st-century romance, and that he insisted she undergo an abortion because he was not ready to be a father. An excerpt, published online Tuesday by People, details Timberlake’s reaction to the pregnancy and says that the “Cry Me a River” singer “definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy.” Representatives for Timberlake did not immediately respond to the L.A. Times’ request for comment. “It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much,” Spears wrote. “I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated. But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.” She called the day of her abortion “one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it,” Spears wrote. Spears and Timberlake started dating in 1999 when she was 17 and he was 18, while both rose to the center of the pop music world. After breaking up in 2002, Spears was blamed for the end of their romance by powerful media figures, including veteran journalist Diane Sawyer, who confronted Spears about Timberlake. After the release of the 2021 FX documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” Timberlake apologized for his role in the public backlash against Spears after their breakup.
■ Jada Pinkett Smith is feeling free these days. She’s no longer hiding that she’s been separated from megastar husband Will Smith for seven years. “It’s a weight off my shoulders, honestly,” said Pinkett Smith whose new memoir, “Worthy,” is out now. “Ever since the Oscars, it’s so interesting how such an intense event can bring you closer together, and I would say that after that, we really dove in and dug in and got to this beautiful place we are now.” The actor, who first revealed the bombshell news to NBC’s Hoda Kotb last week, details her much-gossiped about marriage throughout the biography. Through the years, the couple has faced rumors — of having an open marriage, a swinging lifestyle and questions about their sexual orientations — all while wearing smiles, seemingly portraying a picture-perfect life. After Will infamously slapped Chris Rock in real time during the Oscars over a joke about her shaved head, Pinkett Smith wondered if writing a book was the right choice. While the Smiths’ marriage dynamic may still be confusing to some — they’re technically still married but have lived separate lives for years with divorce not an option — the “Collateral” actress says they’re working toward resolution.