Ever-mindful of his words, and a noted hater of celebrity gossip, Justin Timberlake is not one to say all that much about his romantic life.
But he bent that rule just a little bit to tell the Big O (Oprah Winfrey) about girlfriends past and present yesterday on her talk show.
“I’m dating someone,” said the “SexyBack” singer, who has spent most of the year linked to Jessica Biel in the tabloids, on Wednesday.
While he never got around to naming his squeeze, Justin Timberlake was quoted as saying, “But all I can tell you is that she smells lovely.”
Justin also admits, “I get pretty romantic around her,” and says he sings to her – and, when he is on tour, communicates via an iChat webcam.
“Technology is a wonderful thing sometimes,” Timberlake says. “I find that to be really cool, when you can actually see someone’s face. I do it with my friends, as well, just to have a conversation back and forth. It makes you feel closer.”
Timberlake and Biel were first linked at a Golden Globe afterparty in January, and in May. Last week, after his jam-packed Sunday night, the multiple MTV Video Music Award winner skipped the after-parties and opted for a laid-back dinner with his two favorite ladies: his mom and Biel.
At the outset of his career, in the mid-1990s, Timberlake was dating his Mickey Mouse Club costar, Britney Spears, though they split in 2002.
Since then, as we all know, Britney Spears’ life, both personally and professionally, has been rocky and very well documented.
“What do you think is going on with Britney?” Winfrey asked Timberlake.
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” he responded. “I haven’t spoken to her in years. I mean, there’s no ill will … I have nothing but love for her. It’s funny because we dated each other at a time … wow, I haven’t talked about this in a long time. It’s interesting.”
Pressed by Winfrey to get what he has to say off his chest, Justin Timberlake went on to say, “We were teenagers, you know?”
“Yes,” Winfrey affirms, “famous teenagers.”
“I think that’s basically the best way to describe what happened to us,” Justin said. “I think she’s a great person, and I don’t know her as well as I did. What I do know about her is she has a huge heart, and she is a great person.”