Posted on Nov 10, 2026 UTC

Justin Timberlake would like to clear something up about one of his most famous breakup songs. But nearly 20 years later, fans aren't entirely convinced.

During a November 5 appearance on Complex's Re-Rank series, the 45-year-old singer revisited his 2006 hit "What Goes Around...Comes Around," which fans have long suspected was inspired by his famously messy split from pop icon Britney Spears .

"Maybe I should dispel a rumor at this point, which has gone around forever, which is like, it's not a personal story from mine," Timberlake said. According to him, the inspiration actually came from a friend who was dealing with an ugly breakup.

"It's actually a personal story from a friend's," said Timberlake. "I asked permission."

"He was just going through it and he was telling me what had happened, and I said, 'Do you mind if I write about this?' And I quote, my friend said, ‘Yeah, torch that b*tch. What goes around comes around.' And I was like, ‘I have to go.…