Photo: Getty
We're always going to love JT and JB.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Dec 05, 2019
There are a lot of cute celebrity couples in Hollywood, and Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are undeniably one of the cutest.
While some assumed Timberlake, 38, was on the rebound when he first started dating Biel, 37, in 2007, they've been (seemingly) happily married for over seven years now, and are even proud parents of an adorable 4-year old son, Silas.
Yesterday, December 4, JT took to Instagram to clear up the rumors circling about a potential affair with Alisha Wainwright, his costar in the upcoming film Palmer, which the two have been filming on location in New Orleans while Biel is at home in L.A.
"A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgement," he wrote, "but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar."
As tough as it can be to maintain a marriage in the glare of Hollywood's bright lights, we're holding out hope for these two.
Here's an in-depth look at the full timeline of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's relationship.
December 2006 through early January 2007: How Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel meet?
While Biel's former "7th Heaven" co-star Beverly Mitchell has told Access Hollywood that the now-married couple first met at the Golden Globes in , video footage of her statement has since been deleted from the Access YouTube channel, as well as from the original article.
In a recent episode of "Actually Me" for GQ's YouTube channel, Biel said, "We really technically met and had a conversation when I was invited to a birthday party that Justin was throwing for a friend of his and met him at that birthday party."
In an excerpt from Timberlake's 2018 memoir "Hindsight: & All the Things I Can't See in Front of Me," he recalls being struck by her "undeniable" beauty right from the start, but there was more to it than her looks.
“We were at a surprise party in Hollywood at a speakeasy kind of a bar, a private club, and we were standing around in a group of people ... I made some sort of sarcastic comment, really dry,” he explains. “Nobody got it except her. She laughed, and I noticed, all of a sudden, and in the way where you wonder if a person’s like you, if they have a very dry, dark sense of humor, too.”
When he couldn’t get her out of his head after that first meeting, he finally asked her out on an official date, but only after she attended the kick off show for his FutureSex/LoveShow world tour, which took place in San Diego, CA on January 8, 2007.
“Then the Golden Globes came up, and that’s when we planned on seeing each other,” Timberlake continues in his memoir. “We were both still seeing other people, keeping ourselves safe from getting hurt, from really putting ourselves out there. It took a bit for both of us to admit to ourselves that we were really, really into each other.”
But first, we rewind slightly to explain their exes: Chris Evans and Cameron Diaz
Given the timing of both Timberlake concert and the Golden Globes, which were held on January 15, 2007, it's fairly safe to assume the surprise party which they met must have taken place some time around December of 2006.
At the time, Timberlake had been dating actress Cameron Diaz for nearly four years.
The two issued a joint statement announcing their breakup on January 11, 2007 — just three days after he'd hosted Biel backstage after his big show, and four days before they met up again the Golden Globes.
And for her part, Biel and future Captain America Chris Evans dated for approximately five years, beginning in 2001 and ending at an unknown point in 2006. That year, they were first believe to have broken up in February, then were spotted kissing again April, then were said to have ended things for good (again) at the very end of June.
But lest you think Timberlake may have been her rebound, never fear. Biel first spent time dating Derek Jeter in November and December of that same year.
Late January through December 2007: Getting to know each other in a long-distance relationship
Thanks to the aforementioned world tour, which ran through December 2007, Biel and Timberlake spent months chatting on the phone as they got to know one another.
During a visit to "The Late Late Show With James Corden" in January 2017, Biel reminisced about that initial phase of their relationship and how slow they had to take the physical side of things due to distance.
"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. We were just chatting on the phone for hours. So, we never really kissed for a very long time."
That said, she also noted that she still has an email she sent to her producing partner in which she said, "I know I'm going to marry this man. You can't tell anybody but your husband."
The two did meet up several times throughout the year. They were spotted together at the Sundance Festival in January, and then later hanging out together in Manchester, England in May.
2008 through 2010: The singer and actress continue what's referred to as an on-again off-again relationship
After nearly a year, the couple finally managed to spend serious time together after Justin’s tour ended. But even then, the relationship was far from an automatic slam dunk.
When a reporter profiling her for Vogue in January 2010 attempted to inquire about Timberlake, Biel's response was polite, but firm.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said. "I don't feel the need to clear anything up. It's the most precious thing that I have in my life, and I care about it so much that I don't care about what anyone says or thinks. I have just not addressed it in any real way, and I'm not going to. It's mine. And I really like that about it.”
March 2011: Timberlake and Biel temporarily break up
In early March 2011, representatives for the couple announced that the two had officially split up after four years together.
Those years were spent dogged by rumors of Timberlake's cheating. But despite all of the media speculation about what may have split them up, Timberlake was adamant about not saying anything negative about Biel or their relationship.
"She is the single-handedly most significant person in my life," he told Vanity Fair at the time. "In my 30 years, she is the most special person, O.K.? I don’t want to say much more, because I have to protect things that are dear to me — for instance, her.”
Notably, whereas some had speculated the rift was due to conflicting wishes for the future, i.e., Biel wanting to get married and Timberlake not wanting to commit, he told VF that “as little as six months ago I wouldn’t have even thought about [getting married and having a family], but now it feels like a closer planet orbiting around.”
Summer of 2011: The two date other people ... and each other
Biel clearly was the most special person in the singer’s life because, despite each being linked briefly with other famous names (including Rihanna, Olivia Munn and Olivia Wilde for him and Gerard Butler for her), within a few months they're spotted hanging out once again.
This time, it sticks.
December 2011: Timberlake and Biel get engaged
The couple made their engagement upon returning from the trip to Montana during which he popped the question.
Speaking with Amazon Music in February 2012, he shared how his proposal became the inspiration for his song, "Montana."
"When I did propose, I was saying to her, I was like, 'Oh look at the shadows on the mountains,' and I had the ring on my pinkie — I guess I will just tell the story. I had the ring on my pinkie and I was like, ‘Look at the shadows over there on the mountains,’ and she was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s beautiful,’ and I was like, ‘Do you see it?’ So it was something that inspired the lyrics for the bridge.”
October 2012: Timberlake and Biel get married in Italy
The couple were married on October 19, 2012 in Puglia, Italy.
The bride slayed in a petal-pink, custom-made Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown, while the groom played it cool as ever in a Tom Ford tux as he serenaded her during her walk down the aisle.
Timberlake wrote a special song for the moment, aptly titled "A Song For You," which he shared in a sweet Facebook message dedicated to his wife on their fifth anniversary.
April 2015: Biel gives birth to their son, Silas Randall Timberlake
In January 2015, Timberlake posted a photo of himself kissing Biel’s baby bump on his Instagram account.
The couple's first child, son Silas Randall Timberlake, arrived on April 11, 2015. Randall is Timberlake's middle name as well.
In his memoir, he shares the story of how Biel let him know he would soon be a father.
"I was on the 20/20 Experience Tour when my life changed forever," he wrote. "I had just finished a show, and I go into my car and took my phone out. There was a text from Jess, in all capital letters. It read 'Call Me Now.' I FaceTimed her back immediately ...
"She answered with this look on her face, and I knew exactly what she was going to say. Instead, she just held up the pregnancy test, and we both started bawling. I ended the tour early so I could be at home and take care of my family."
Little did they any of us know the three would soon also be a viral family Halloween costume sensation!
February 2018: Timberlake releases the official video for his latest single, featuring Biel!
In a thrilling move for fans of the generally tight-lipped, ultra-private couple, when Timberlake dropped the official video for his single, "Man of the Woods," it featured his very own wife as his leading lady.
She's not too shabby a dancer, and the two are as adorable as ever.
November 2019: Rumors surface that Timberlake has been cheating with actress Alisha Wainwright
Timberlake has been the unfortunate subject of recent tabloid headlines while filming his latest movie, Palmer, in New Orleans.
Biel stayed behind in L.A. with their now-four-year-old son while working on her own current project, "Limetown," on Facebook Watch.
Timberlake, it seems, was spotted out with fellow cast and crew members, and was caught by paparazzi in what some believe may have been a too cozy situation with co-star Alisha Wainwright.
Wainwright was spotted holding JT’s hand and putting her hand on his knee as they sat next to each other on the balcony of a Bourbon Street restaurant.
Insiders insist nothing is going on between the co-stars, and while The Daily Mail published additional paparazzi shots attempting to insinuate the presence of two cast members in the same trailer on the same set somehow implies they must be having an affair, Biel has also been spotted — happily going about her life with her stunning diamond wedding ring firmly on hand.
December 2019: Timberlake denied having an affair in a public apology to Biel on Instagram
The full text of his statement reads as follows:
"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 judgement — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better. This is not the example I was 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."
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.