The sketch did not hold back.
'Saturday Night Live' Dragged Justin Timberlake's 'Lame Apology' to Britney Spears
Like many people on Twitter, Saturday Night Live felt Justin Timberlake's apology to Britney Spears came “20 years late.”
On February 20, SNL leaned into every major pop-culture discourse from the past few months. Hosted by Regé-Jean Page with musical guest Bad Bunny, the sketch show tackled Bridgerton, “Driver's License,” and, yes, the Framing Britney Spears documentary.
“It's Britney, bitch,” Spears, played by impersonator extraordinaire Chloe Fineman, introduced herself at the top of the cold open. “You all know me from my Instagram videos and the word ‘conservatorship.’”
In the sketch, Spears hosts a talk show called Oops!…You Did It Again, where the pop star chats with people caught up in a scandal. This week's guests? Ted Cruz, Andrew Cuomo, and Gina Carano.
“Basically I started this show, Oops!…You Did It Again, so people can come on and apologize for things they've done wrong," she continued. "Because since the Free Britney documentary came out, I'm receiving hundreds of apologies a day."
That's when Saturday Night Live really took a dig at Timberlake's recent Instagram apology to Spears, specifically. “Speaking of which, I'd like to give a quick shout-out to our sponsor, The Notes App,” Fineman's Spears tells the camera. “Are you looking to post a lame apology 20 years late? Go through the motions with the Notes app.”
On February 12, Timberlake apologized to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson amid backlash following the Framing Britney Spears documentary. Fans were furious over the ways Timberlake seemingly built his career off the damaged reputation of women. Not only did he profit off of taking digs at Spears post-breakup in 2002, but he did nothing to support Jackson when she was blacklisted for a wardrobe malfunction during their 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance.
“I've seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond,” he wrote in a lengthy Notes App apology. “I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism.”
“I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually,” he continued. “Because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”
Though Jessica Biel, Timberlake's wife of nine years, showed her support in the comments, many weren't moved by this gesture. It looks like that includes the writers over at Saturday Night Live.
Watch full Britney Spears cold open, below.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Emily Tannenbaum
