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Justin Timberlake is “aware” that his past treatment of his ex Britney Spears could “come back to haunt him” – so he plans to stay silent in the face of explosive revelations about their relationship in his tell-all memoir, according to insiders.

The SexyBack singer, 42, looks set to be skewered in The Woman in Me, with fans already outraged after the reveal. Britney, 41, claims he cheated on her – and had an abortion, at 19, because he was “not ready” to be a father.

Justin, who dated the pop superstar from 1999 to 2002, is thought to have hoped their decision to terminate the pregnancy would have remained a “secret forever”.

But despite any frustrations he might have, he will refrain from speaking out so as not to “hinder” Britney’s chance to finally share her story.

The Toxic singer chose to reveal shocking secrets about their relationship after decades of smear over their 2002 split.

“Justin thought the decision they made was a decision made together and he intended to never talk about it and keep it a secret forever,” a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.

They continued: “Now that Britney has mentioned it, and it will live forever in her book and whatever she decides to mention, Justin is going to try not to say anything about it because he knows that all that ‘he will say from this point on will probably have been sent directly back to him.

Britney made the “agonizing” decision to terminate her pregnancy after conceiving in late 2000.

In an excerpt obtained by People, she writes: “It was a surprise, but to me it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected that we would start a family together one day. It would just be a lot sooner than expected.

“He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young. I’m sure people are going to hate me for that, but I’ve accepted not having a baby.

Justin, who has previously shown his support for a woman’s right to choose, is reportedly ready for his past comments about Britney to be found out and is aware that his past behavior could also resurface.

“He is also very aware that past statements he made about Britney will come back to haunt him,” the source continued. “Justin doesn’t want to get in the way of his story and he’s trying to avoid it at all costs.”

DailyMail.com has contacted Justin’s representatives for comment.

In recent years, the Mirrors hitmaker has regretted his past treatment of Britney and publicly apologized to her in 2021 following the release of the FX and Hulu documentary, Framing Britney Spears.

Justin received considerable criticism for the role he played in the unwarranted public scrutiny that was placed on Britney after their breakup, which was undoubtedly fueled by his music promoting the narrative that Britney had him broken heart.

He has apologized to his ex – and music icon Janet Jackson – for “missteps” during his career which, he admitted, contributed to “a system that tolerates misogyny and racism” .

“I have seen the posts, tags, comments and concerns and want to address them,” he wrote. “I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, when I spoke inappropriately, or when I did not stand up for what was right.”

A source close to Justin revealed that the singer had hoped the couple’s decision to abort their child would have remained a private secret “forever.” Photographed in 2001

However, he won’t make any comments that would “embarrass” Britney, 41, from finally being able to share her story, according to the insider (photo from 2000).

Months later, he continued to show his support for Britney amid her battle to end his 13-year conservatorship. She was placed under conservatorship by her father, Jamie Spears, in 2008.

At the height of the #FreeBritney movement, Justin tweeted: “No one should ever be detained against their will…or have to ask permission to access everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve.” »

Speaking on behalf of himself and his wife, Jessica Biel, he then added: “Jess and I send our absolute love and support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts and her family resolve the issues and let her live as she wishes.

The Summer Love singer and Britney enjoyed a high-profile relationship from 1999 to 2002 after finding themselves catapulted to global superstardom as teenage icons.

The couple originally met at Disney’s brand new Mickey Mouse Club, where they shared their first kiss – long before they officially started dating.

Justin and Britney, pictured in their iconic matching double denim outfit at the 2001 American Music Awards, dated 1999-2002

The duo abruptly split in 2002 and rumors quickly emerged that she had cheated on him (2002 photo).

Justin rose to fame with the boyband *NSYNC, while Britney burst onto the music charts as a solo artist with hits such as Baby One More Time and Oops!…I Did it Again.

When the couple split amid claims Britney had been unfaithful, her decision to use a lookalike of the singer in her 2002 Cry Me A River music video saw her vilified for their breakup.

Justin was reportedly “concerned” about what exactly Britney would detail about their past in the upcoming memoir, with a source telling Page Six: “He’s very curious about what she’s going to reveal about their relationship.” It eats away at him.

According to TMZ, the singer didn’t just accuse him of cheating: she claimed his affair was with another celebrity.

However, Britney reportedly decided not to name the other woman because she has a family and doesn’t want to embarrass them.

The memoir will be released with an audio version, narrated by Academy Award-nominated actress Michelle Williams.

In recent years, Justin (pictured in September this year) has become more apologetic for his past treatment of Britney after being forced to publicly apologize to the star in 2021.

He released a statement apologizing for his past treatment of women and apologized specifically to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson after his behavior was called out by fans.

Britney recorded a small portion of the book and avoided narrating chapters dealing with her family because the content was “too painful to tell.” TMZ recently reported.

In a statement to Peoplethe Toxic hitmaker explained: “This book has been a labor of love and all the emotions that come with it.

“Reliving all of this has been exciting, heartbreaking and emotional to say the least. For these reasons, I will only read a small part of my audiobook.’

She then said: “I am so grateful to the incredible Michelle Williams for reading the rest.”

It was reported that only female stars were approached to record the audiobook, with the publisher originally wanted to get actress Reese Witherspoon, but she wasn’t “available.”

Britney previously revealed that her memoir, which takes its title from a lyric from her 2001 hit I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman, is the result of extensive therapy.

He also released a lengthy statement on Twitter after Britney’s explosive court testimony about her life under the control of her father Jamie in 2021 as she fought to end his conservatorship.

The Womanizer artist addressed her followers on Instagram, saying: “Okay guys, so my book is coming out very, very soon.

“I worked hard on this book, I had a lot of therapy to finish this book, so you better like it. And if you don’t like it, that’s okay too.

Britney is the third member of her family to publish her own autobiography.

Her mother, Lynne, wrote Through The Storm: A Real Story Of Fame And Family In A Tabloid World in 2008 and her younger sister, Jamie Lynn, published Things I Should Have Said last year.

The Woman In Me and its accompanying audiobook are set to be released on October 24.