Timberlake rose to fame as the most prominent member of the group
'N Sync. When the group broke up in 2002, he started a solo career that became very successful, but it took a while before journalists stopped asking questions about getting back together with 'N Sync. Timberlake says it wasn't until his song "
SexyBack" that he was widely accepted as a solo artist.
Despite being a constant presence in the media, he released just two albums in the '00s: Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds. He says he only makes music when inspiration strikes, and refuses to create music on a deadline.
He is a huge hit on Saturday Night Live, where he is a frequent host. He earned Emmy Awards for his work on the show for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series and for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics for his song/skits "Dick In A Box" and "Motherlover."
A huge sports fan, he hosted the 2008 ESPY Awards on ESPN, winning yet another Emmy for the song "I Love Sports," which he performed at the event.
He was in the movies Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan and The Social Network. In The Social Network, he played Sean Parker in a coveted role. Working with director David Fincher, Timberlake had to to take after take, but had no problem doing it. He told Fincher, "I'm a linebacker, dude. You tell me to hit somebody, I'll hit 'em a thousand times."
He was a victim on Ashton Kutcher's show Punk'd on the very first episode, where they convinced Timberlake that his house had been repossessed by the IRS. Timberlake believed it and got very scared and a little weepy. He was a good sport about it, and later referred to himself as "The Punk'd Bitch."
He was part of the famous "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl, when he ripped off part of Janet Jackson's costume during the halftime show, revealing her right breast on live TV. Jackson took most of the heat, and Timberlake remained mostly silent regarding the incident.
In 2003, Timberlake performed at a SARS benefit concert in Toronto where he did not fit in. On a bill with Rush, AC/DC, The Guess Who and The Rolling Stones, the crowd wasn't buying what he had to offer and they booed him and threw muffins (yes, muffins). After his set, Justin said, "If I came to see AC/DC, I probably wouldn't want to see me, either."
Justin Timberlake never writes down lyrics, coming up with verses, bridges and choruses in the vocal booth when inspiration strikes. He completed Justified without touching a pen or paper.
Justin Timberlake suffers from arachnophobia - a fear of spiders. He also avoids snakes at all costs.
'N Sync reunions tend to be centered around Timberlake. They stopped performing together in 2004 but reunited for the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, where Justin was honored with the Video Vanguard Award. He sang bits of 12 songs in his set, with his bandmates joining him for two.
In 2023, Timberlake pulled 'N Sync into the
Trolls universe when they released "
Better Place," their first new music since 2002, for
Trolls Band Together (Timberlake had been voicing the character Branch since the first film in 2016).
In 2024, they performed for the first time since the 2013 VMAs when Timberlake brought them onstage during his concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Near the end of his 2024-2025 Forget Tomorrow World Tour, Timberlake seemed off, with a lot less energy than usual. The day after the tour ended, we found out why. "I've been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease," he posted. "I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness."
Timberlake said he thought about canceling the tour but decided to keep going.
On June 18, 2024, Timberlake ran a stop sign after a night out in the upscale village of Sag Harbor, New York, and was arrested for drunken driving. He ended up pleading guilty to a non-criminal charge of driving while impaired, but he wasn't able to suppress the
bodycam footage, which shows the interaction. The arresting officer was just 23 and had no idea who Timberlake was, even after Justin told him. Timberlake remained compliant and relatively humble throughout, never pulling a "don't you know who I am!" or getting belligerent.
