More than a week after video and photographs of heavily drunk Justin Timberlake holding hands with his 'Palmer' co-star Alisha Wainwright were splashed across the media, Timberlake finally spoke for the first time to clear the rumours about the alleged romance between the two.
Apologising profusely to his wife, Jessica Biel, the 38-year-old actor wrote on his Instagram about his need 'to address the recent rumours'. In the post, which appears to be a screenshot of the 'Notes app', Timberlake wrote:
"I stay away from gossip as much as I can, but for my family, I feel it is important to address recent rumors that are hurting the people I love. A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment -- but let me be clear -- nothing happened between me and my co-star. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behaviour. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son."
"I apologize to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This was not that. I am incredibly proud to be working on Palmer. Looking forward to continuing to make this movie and excited for people to see it," he concluded.
Why the video clip created so much controversy?
Timberlake and Wainwright were spotted holding hands while sitting in the balcony of 'The Absinthe House', a famous hangout located on the Bourbon Street.
In a video clip that surfaced online in November, Timberlake, sans his wedding ring, was seen holding Alisha's hand and placing it on his right knee. In turn, Alisha was seen stroking his leg. Later, the couple who were drinking and laughing with their friends held their hands together. In the video clip, a heavily drunk Timberlake was also seen putting his arm around Alisha's waist.
The ups and downs of Timberlake and Biel's relationship
Timberlake married Biel in 2012 after dating her since 2007. The couple had a brief split-up in 2011 when rumours of Timberlake cheating with Olivia Munn, the 'Beyond the Break' star, surfaced. After proposing Biel again, the couple tied the knot in December 2011 at a resort in Puglia, Italy in 2012. Recently, Timberlake chose to remain silent on the controversy involving his wife supporting the tarnished anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Timberlake and Biel came together in 2007 following his split with 'Vanilla Sky' star Cameron Diaz. The 'Rock Your Body' singer dated Diaz, from 2003 till 2006. The couple broke amidst the rumours of Timberlake dating Scarlett Johanssen, his co-star in 'What Goes Around, Comes Around' music video.
There were also reports of Timberlake dating the 'Prince of Bel-Air' actress Tatyana Ali in 2003. Timberlake's other love outings include Alyssa Milano (2002) Jenna Dewan (2002) and Britney Spears (1998-2002) to name a few.
Timberlake and Alisha Wainwright come together for Palmer
'Palmer', an upcoming American drama film, directed by Fisher Stevens revolves around a former college football star Eddie Palmer, played by Timberlake, who, after going through a rough patch in life and a stint in prison, bounces back to life. The project is a major outing for Alisha, who until now has worked extensively on small screen including Netflix series 'Raising Dion'.
