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A Timeline of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s Relationship
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are one of the few celebrity couples that have seemingly remained unaffected by the pressures that come with being in the public eye. Even amid revelations rolling out from Timberlake’s ex Britney Spears‘s “The Woman in Me” memoir (out Oct. 24), the two haven’t publicly responded to the fan discourse.
Timberlake and Biel were first linked in 2007 when they met at a party. “There was nothing starry about the way we got together. It was very un-Hollywood-esque, in fact,” Timberlake said in 2012, per Us Weekly. “We met and got talking. Afterwards, I asked my friend if I could call her and ask her out. My friend called Jessica and Jessica said, ‘Yes.’ So, I called her.”
Following their 2012 wedding, the former NSYNC singer and “7th Heaven” actor started a family and they’re now parents to their two children, Silas (born in 2015) and Phineas (born in 2020). Despite having a few hiccups in their relationship – like their brief split in 2011 and Timberlake’s hand-holding incident with his “Palmer” costar Alisha Wainwright – Timberlake and Biel appear to still be going strong. Touching on their relationship, the “Candy” star explained to Access in April 2022, “We’ve had our ups and down like everybody and I’m just really proud of it, and I’m still the happiest and loving my life.”
In 2022, the couple celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary and passed the 11-year mark on Oct. 19. Here are some more highlights from their relationship over the years, from their early beginnings to now.
Related: Jessica Biel Shows Off Her “Abs of Steel” With Help From Justin Timberlake
Early 2007: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Meet
It is unknown exactly when Timberlake and Biel met, but according to Us Weekly, the two crossed paths sometime in early 2007, shortly after Timberlake broke up with Cameron Diaz. After linking up at a party, Timberlake followed up with a mutual friend who helped to set them up.
“I did it the old fashioned way – by telephone,” he explained in a 2012 press conference. “That’s something I learned from both my stepdad and my grandfather – that there is a thing called chivalry and it doesn’t have to die with the birth of the internet. The way I see it, if you’re asking a girl out on a date, it’s only right to do it in a way that she can hear your voice. I had to be pretty persistent in order to get her to say yes. But I have a fair amount of tenacity and if I want something I stick to it. And in the end she agreed.”
May 2007: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Go Public With Their Relationship
While on tour in the UK in May 2007, Timberlake and Biel went public with their relationship. Per The Daily Mail, the pair were spotted having dinner and kissing, which immediately garnered the attention of the media. “They’re both doing everything they can to keep their relationship low-profile but when they’re among friends they can hardly keep their hands off each other,” a source told the outlet at the time.
March 2011: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Split Up
Four years into their relationship, the pair broke up in March 2011. Despite appearing close just months prior, the couple made the mutual decision to call it quits, as reported by People. A rep for the couple addressed their breakup and released a statement, which read, “Addressing the media speculation regarding Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake‘s relationship, we are confirming that they mutually have decided to part ways. The two remain friends and continue to hold the highest level of love and respect for each other.”
December 2011: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Get Engaged
However, their split was only temporary, as not only did they get back together months later, but they also got engaged. The “Say Something” singer proposed to his longtime girlfriend in Montana, which would later serve as inspiration for the single “Montana” off of his 2018 “Man in the Woods” album.
During a visit to the state and amongst the beautiful scenery of the mountains, Timberlake popped the big question. “I had the ring on my pinkie and I was like, ‘Look at the shadows over there on the mountains,’ and she was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s beautiful,’ and I was like, ‘Do you see it?'” he previously explained to Amazon Music (via The Knot).
Biel called the whole thing “wonderful,” though she did reveal to the Associated Press at the time that marriage was not in the cards for her. “It’s actually not anything I ever really thought was going to happen to me or that I really wanted. And when it happened it just seemed . . . it just was right,” she said (via Access).
October 2012: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Say “I Do”
Less than a year after getting engaged, Timberlake and Biel wed on Oct. 19, 2012 in the presence of family and loved ones, including celebrity friends like Jimmy Fallon, Andy Samberg, and Timberlake’s frequent music collaborator, Timbaland, as reported by People. The pair said “I do” at the Italian Borgo Egnazia resort with the music accompaniment of none other than Timberlake himself as Biel made her way down the aisle. “It was an original piece I wrote specifically for the evening and for her,” he told the outlet.
December 2019: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Address Cheating Rumors
Outside of their brief split in 2011, Timberlake and Biel’s relationship was smooth sailing up until Timberlake was caught getting close with a movie costar.
According to The Sun, production for Timberlake’s film “Palmer” started in October 2019, and during this time, he grew close with actor Alisha Wainwright. In November 2019, photos surfaced of the singer holding hands with Wainwright during an outing in New Orleans, which immediately stirred a frenzy in the media. A source close to Timberlake immediately shut down any speculation, explaining to E! News, “They are just working together. No validity to any other rumor other than that they are filming together.”
Timberlake later addressed his actions on Instagram, writing in part, “A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment – but let me be clear – nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better . . . 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.”
April 2022: Jessica Biel Opens Up About Her Wedding Anniversary with Justin Timberlake
The couple have been married for over 10 years, and ahead of their wedding anniversary, Biel talked about how special the milestone was for them in an April 2022 interview with Access. “I sometimes feel like 10 years has just flown by in the blink of an eye and other times I feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, 10 years, that’s a really substantial amount of someone’s life . . . I just feel really proud of it,” the actor shared.
On Oct. 19, 2022, Biel reposted a photo from their vow renewal ceremony on her Instagram Stories and captioned it, “From our vow renewal this summer – in Italy where it all went down (and in @giambattistavalliparis again!).”
The following month, Biel dished more about the ceremony during a “Today” appearance telling hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager that while the milestone “sounds big-deal,” “it was not.” “It was very intimate,” she shared. “It was very small, a couple of our friends, and we literally barely put this thing together.” She said the couple “almost canceled it,” also adding, “We thought, ‘This is silly, are we going to feel goofy doing this?’ And actually it was so moving. I felt like, ‘Wow, we’re going to keep doing this. Look at us!’ It felt really nice.”