Justin Timberlake Finally Responded to the Hand-Holding Controversy
Just a few days before Thanksgiving, photos of Justin Timberlake holding hands with his Palmer co-star, Alisha Wainwright, made headlines. The two were seen on a roof during a party attended by the movie's cast and crew. Wainwright swiftly issued a statement denying romantic involvement, but Timberlake has been silent — until now. In a lengthy note posted to his Instagram, he let his fans know that he did, in fact, hold hands with Wainwright, but that nothing happened beyond that.
The note also includes an apology to his wife, Jessica Biel, and mentions that he wants to set a good example for his son, Silas. He acknowledged that he had too much to drink, which had been stated in much of the coverage of the story, and that the alcohol, combined with a lapse in judgment made for a situation that he regrets. His note also mentions that he wants to clear any rumors and issue an official statement, so that speculation can stop and everyone, including his family and the cast and crew of the film, can move on.
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"There is no validity to this speculation. They are currently working on a project together," a representative for Wainwright told People after the photos were released. "Members of the cast and crew were all together."
A source close to Timberlake and Biel told E! News that the couple was working to just brush off the incident. The same source also confirmed that Timberlake had too much to drink.
"They are downplaying everything and trying to laugh it off as nothing. But it was definitely inappropriate and something that would make any wife uncomfortable," they said. "He had too much to drink and got carried away."
Timberlake ended his note by saying how excited he was to be working on Palmer and hopes that fans will see it despite the controversy.
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Read Timberlake's full note, below:
"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 people I love. A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgement [sic] — let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and regret my behavior. I should have known better. 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. I am incredibly proud to be working on Palmer. Looking forward to continuing to make this movie and excited for people to see it."