Photo: Getty
He called it a "lapse in judgment."
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Dec 06, 2019
The past few weeks have been turbulent for Jessica Biel and husband Justin Timberlake. Timberlake has been in Louisiana filming a movie, leaving his wife home with their four-year-old son. She's busy promoting her project "Limetown" as well as trying to solo parent while her husband is away. The last thing she needs is rumors that her husband is cheating on her.
But that's just what's happening in the Timberlake/Biel household. Justin was caught holding hands with his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright in November. They were out with a group of cast and crew from the movie and so far, those are the only people who have been defending them against allegations that something romantic was going down. Neither Alisha nor Justin have addressed the situation directly, until this week.
Since then, fans of Justin and Jessica have been speculating that this might be the end of their marriage. Are Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel divorcing? Read on for the latest details on the scandal.
1. The cutest celebrity couple
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are without a doubt one of the most adorable couples in Hollywood. They started dating 2007 and while everyone knew they were together, they were both incredibly private about the details. We all knew they had a brief split in 2011 — their publicists announced it — but they got back together a few months later and got engaged in December of that year. They got married in 2012 and had their son Silas in 2015.
2. What does Justin have to apologize for?
Justin is currently on location filming Palmer, a new movie he's starring in opposite Alisha Wainwright. The two of them, along with other members of the cast and crew, headed out to Bourbon Street a couple of weeks ago to have some drinks after work. No big deal, right? Then the Sun published photos of the Hollywood crowd as they hung out on a restaurant balcony. Timberlake and Wainwright were sitting near each other and at times they appeared to be holding hands and Alisha had her hand on JT's knee at one point. Justin didn't appear to have his wedding ring on. As soon as the photos hit, people started to wonder if Justin Timberlake was cheating on Jessica Biel with his costar.
3. Is their marriage already on the rocks?
Insiders say that the hand-holding incident was just a symptom of bigger problems between the famous couple. One source told InTouch that they have been having trouble for a while now. “Justin and Jessica have been arguing for months,” the source said. “They’ve been fighting to save the marriage for the sake of [their son] Silas, but the photos of him wasted and being all handsy with Alisha is the final nail in the coffin.”
This isn't the first time Justin has faced cheating rumors, either. InTouch notes that he has been caught flirting with other women in the past and he even reportedly had a fling with actress Olivia Munn in 2011. Holding hands with yet another woman could be seen as part of a pattern of bad behavior on Justin's part.
4. Everyone on the movie set says nothing is happening
Right after the story about Justin Timberlake and Alisha Wainwright broke, their colleagues on the film's cast and crew rushed to defend them against rumors. People who were there that night said that nothing inappropriate happened between the two stars. It was just a night out and everyone was drinking and having fun. One insider even mentioned that Alisha has a boyfriend back in L.A., though she hasn't said anything to confirm that detail, so far. InTouch quoted a rep for Alisha who insisted nothing was going on between her and the "SexyBack" singer, saying “There is no validity to the speculation.”
5. Jessica isn't saying a word about any other this
Jessica Biel hasn't deigned to comment on any of the rumors about her hubby and his activities in New Orleans. The mom to 4-year-old Silas has kept quiet about the whole situation. Hollywood Life reports that she's been out and about in LA and she doesn't look particularly stressed. Paparazzi snapped her in jeans, drinking a smoothie the other day, just as if nothing was going on in her marriage.
6. Justin issued a serious apology
While Jessica is drinking her smoothie like nothing is bothering her, Justin clearly knows he was wrong. He even said so in a post on Instagram yesterday. The star wrote, "A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar."
He explained that he drank too much that night and denied that there was any more to the situation than what fans could see in the paparazzi pics. He continued on to say how he feels like he disappointed his family. "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."
Jessica still hasn't commented on the situation, not even to like or comment on the Inst-apology. Justin is still at work on Palmer and says he's excited for audiences to see it when it comes out.
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 FeminXer about being a GenX feminist and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.