Photo: Instagram
Is JT cheating on Jessica Biel?
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Dec 06, 2019
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake have one of the most adorable marriages in Hollywood. They truly embody Hashtag-Couple-Goals. That's why it was so shocking when JT was spotted holding hands with Alisha Wainwright, his co-star in an upcoming film. Now people are asking if Justin Timberlake is cheating on Jessica Biel.
Wainwright is starring opposite Timberlake in the film Palmer, where Timberlake plays a football player coming home after a stint in prison. The two are supposed to keep their chemistry on set, however, since Justin is a married man.
So, who is Alisha Wainwright? And is she more than "just friends" with Justin Timberlake?
1. She has an impressive educational background.
Wainwright didn't plan to be an actress. She was approached about doing commercials when she was younger but she decided to pursue science when she went to college. She studied botany and winemaking at the University of Florida and intended to keep going down the botanical path after her undergrad days. She told W magazine that she moved to Panama to pursue a Ph.D. by focusing on anthropological-botanical research. The focus of her studies was very specific and to get the funding she needed to continue her studies she had to expand to a broader topic. She lost interest, so rather than keep researching subjects that didn't interest her as much, she took a year to travel Central America, then went to California to give acting a try.
2. Making it in Hollywood
Wainwright was able to get work doing commercials and small roles at the start off her career and that kept her going for several years. She hit it big, however, when she got a recurring role on "Shadowhunters" on Freeform where she played a teenage werewolf. Around the same time, as she told W magazine, she got a hold of the script for "Raising Dion," a show about a mother trying to raise a child with supernatural powers. The Netflix series co-stars Michael B. Jordan of Black Panther fame as her husband. She told BET that working with the crush-worthy star was an impressive experience, not just because of his good looks, but because his work as a producer on the series was so professional and inspiring.
"I'll do any project that he has on his dock, and he has many, because he's just trying to advocate for young Black people, and Black people in general, to tell our stories in a way that's not something we've seen already," she said "Obviously, he's a beautiful person, but I also think he's so admirable in what he's trying to do with his business, and I respect that. I would love to emulate that myself. So, more so than a heartthrob, I think of him as a role model."
3. On location with Justin Timberlake and the hand-holding incident.
Her newest project is a film called Palmer, which stars Justin Timberlake. The movie tells the story of a college football star who returns home after a stint in prison. Wainwright plays Maggie Hayes, a teacher who becomes involved with Timberlake's character, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The two actors, along with other members of the cast and crew are all on location in New Orleans when they headed out to Bourbon Street on Friday to have some drinks after work. The Sun published photos of the Hollywood crowd as they hung out on a balcony. Timberlake and Wainwright were sitting near each other and at times they appeared to be holding hands. Alisha once had her hand on JT's knee. Justin didn't appear to have his wedding ring on.
4. JT loves JB
Even if the "Suit & Tie" singer left his wedding ring behind, there's no way everyone doesn't know he's married. Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel have been one of the most famous couples in Hollywood since they started dating in 2007. Timberlake was fresh off his breakup with Cameron Diaz when they met. Timberlake reportedly asked Biel if he could give her a call. In a 2012 press conference, he said: "I had to be pretty persistent in order to get her to say yes."
"We didn't kiss for a very long time because he was on tour, and we were talking on the phone like normal pre-teens do," Biel said on The Late Late Show With James Corden. "We were just chatting on the phone for hours. So, we never really kissed for a very long time."
They were later seen cozying up at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
They nearly broke all of our hearts when they took a break for a few months in 2011 but they showed us that love is real by not just getting back together but also getting engaged later that same year. They got married in 2012 and welcomed son Silas in 2015. They are open about their love for their son and for one another, frequently posting long messages of appreciation on social media. In a birthday message earlier this year, Timberlake wrote: "My partner in this thang called life... you are the most wonderful human I have ever met. You make me smile, laugh, and love life more than I knew I could. I cherish every moment with you and can’t wait to spend so many more years doing the same... but, new. Happy Birthday, you GOD OF ALL SMOKE SHOWS!! Love, Your Huz"
Justin Timberlake's birthday post to Jessica Biel.
5. Deny, deny, deny
No one from either the Timberlake or Wainwright camp has said anything about the night out. Other people were quick to issue denials about the two having a romantic interest in one another. One insider told People that the idea of them hooking up was ridiculous, noting that they were sitting on an outdoor balcony where anyone with a camera could snap them. Not exactly a top pick for a location to start an extramarital affair. Another insider told US Weekly that Alisha isn't exactly single herself. “They are like brother and sister. They are definitely not hooking up. She has been dating an actor who lives in L.A.”
6. Jessica Biel remains chill
If Jessica has any doubts about what her husband is up to while he's out of town, she isn't letting them show. Hollywood Life spotted her out and about in L.A., looking casually gorgeous in a tweed blazer and flats and carrying a large pillow and a Transformers toy. We're going to assume those belong to Silas and it wasn't that she was carrying them around like a security blanket. Timberlake, meanwhile, was back on set the following morning, filming scenes in a prison uniform, according to US Weekly.
7. Justin's apology
Justin issued an apology statement on Instagram, amid speculation that his wife is embarrassed by the entire fiasco and rumors she wants him to submit to a lie detector test. “She’s gone from being in total shock to being livid and demanding to know what the hell is going on here,” a source told Radar. Read the full public apology below:
Maybe we just love the Jessica-Justin romance too much to admit it could be less than perfect but for the moment it appears that Wainwright and Timberlake are just friends.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.