LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a bold and unapologetic move, Justin Timberlake recently decided to give a live performance of his controversial 2002 hit song, 'Cry Me a River'.

A resurfaced video of his performance at Dave Chappelle’s sold-out Madison Square Garden show in August has been making waves on social media.

The song, allegedly about his breakup with ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, has been a source of ongoing controversy and speculation.

An unexpected resurfacing of 'Cry Me a River'

During his live performance, Timberlake addressed the audience, revealing that he had been urged not to perform 'Cry Me a River' any longer. “They said not to do this song no more,” he declared, as seen in a clip circulating on Twitter. In a fiery response, he added, “F–k that!”

The performance stirred curiosity and rekindled discussions around the contentious history between Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.

The video resurfaced just days before the release of Britney Spears' highly anticipated memoir, 'The Woman in Me', scheduled for October 24. In the lead-up to the book launch, Timberlake's past comments and the rocky history of their relationship have resurfaced.

The 42-year-old singer and actor previously made headlines when he threatened to expose "every dirty thing" about the Princess of Pop, whom he dated from 1999 to 2002.

In a 2006 profile interview with journalist Robert Haskell, Timberlake shared his thoughts on their past relationship, stating, “I dated Britney half my life but I don’t know that person anymore. I’m not sure I knew her before.” Screenshots from this interview were shared on Twitter, reigniting interest in their complicated history.

Spears' personal struggle amid high expectations

In Britney Spears' forthcoming memoir, she reveals some deeply personal and contentious details of their past. The 41-year-old pop sensation disclosed that she had an abortion during her three-year relationship with Timberlake.

While she expressed immense love for Justin and an expectation of starting a family together, she noted that he was opposed to the pregnancy due to their young age.

Spears wrote in her book, “I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”

Furthermore, the 'Baby One More Time”' singer candidly disclosed that Timberlake cheated on her with "another celebrity" during their relationship.

These revelations have added fuel to the long-standing curiosity surrounding the breakup of these two pop icons.

In response to the public interest generated by her memoir, Britney Spears took to social media, expressing that her intention was not to "harp on my past experiences" and that she had moved on since then. Spears said the media's focus on her past was "dumb and silly" and that she didn't want to "offend anyone by any means."

Fans slam Justin Timberlake

Fans expressed their displeasure with Justin Timberlake's recent performance with strong words.

One wrote, "Such a nasty little man."

Another said, "I never liked Timberlake. He just seemed to be a less than talented white guy trying to pull off the Michael Jackson feel. He always just, idk, made me feel like I needed to take a shower."

Someone else commented, "Disgusting."

"Hasn’t learnt anything. @jtimberlake absolutely abhorrent person. Retire and go away with immediate effect," a tweet read.