Who is Justin Timberlake? Everything You Need to Know

Justin Timberlake is an American superstar. His initial claim to fame was as one of the lead singers in the boy band NSYNC. Since entering the public eye in the 90s, Justin has proved to be a talented singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and producer. He has sold over 32 million albums since going solo and has won 10 Grammy Awards, 7 American Music Awards, 11 MTV Awards, and more.

Let’s look at who Justin Timberlake is, what he’s been up to, and how his career has unfolded over the past few decades.

When is Justin Timberlake’s birthday? 

Justin Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, making him an Aquarius. 

Where is Justin Timberlake from? 

Justin Timberlake was born in Memphis, Tennessee.  

Justin grew up singing in his church’s choir. Justin’s mom knew he was destined to be a star at a young age. Justin would dance along to the radio and sing in perfect harmony at two years old.  

How tall is Justin Timberlake? 

Justin Timberlake’s height is 6 feet tall, or 183 cm.  

Justin Timberlake’s parents and siblings 

JT was born to mom Janet Lynn and dad Charles Randall “Randy.” The couple split up in 1985. 

His father went on to have two more sons: Jonathan, born September 12, 1993, and Stephen, born August 14, 1998. Justin also had a half-sister who sadly passed away shortly after being born, Laura Katherine, born May 12, 1997. 

Justin Timberlake’s childhood

Justin Timberlake attended E.E. Jeter Elementary School in Millington, Tennessee. 

Justin opened up during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter about what growing up in the spotlight was like for him. He says he doesn’t remember a childhood outside of being famous, having memories of being chased by screaming fans at 15 years old.

He also spoke about his time in the New Mickey Mouse Club. Child actors on the show were put through rigorous training. The young star took acting classes, dance classes, and music classes, in addition to learning about cinematography work and editing as a child while in the Mickey Mouse Club. He compared the variety show to be an SNL for kids.  

Where does Justin Timberlake live? 

The happily married Justin Timberlake, his wife Jessica Biel, and their children live in Nashville, Tennessee. Justin Timberlake’s house is on a 126-acres that cost them $4 million. 

The house on the property has six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. It includes an outdoor swimming pool, a basketball court, a gym, and a recording studio.

The couple sold their Los Angeles mansion for $35 million to live a simpler, country life. The couple was drawn to the sense of community they find in Tennessee. Timberlake has also stated that he spends a lot of time in Tennessee. 

Who is Justin Timberlake married to? 

As mentioned, Justin Timberlake is married to actress Jessica Biel. They met in 2007 at the Golden Globe Awards. 

They had a brief split in the early months of 2011 but were back together and engaged by the end of the year.  

Justin proposed to Jessica in Wyoming in December of that year, and they exchanged vows on October 12, 2012, in Puglia, Italy.  

Justin Timberlake’s kids 

Justin Timberlake and his wife welcomed their first child, Silas, in April 2015 and their second, Phineas, in January 2021. 

Justin Timberlake’s Affair? 

There were rumors in 2019 that Justin was having an affair with his co-star Alisha Wainwright. They were spotted out on the town, drinking, holding hands, and looking a little too cozy.  

Justin Timberlake’s wife did not make a statement about this, but people scrutinized Justin for being disrespectful to her.  

 

Why is Justin Timberlake Apologizing? 

Justin did publicly address the rumors of the alleged affair. 

Justin Timberlake apologized to his wife. He stated that nothing happened between him and Alisha Wainwright and that he had a lapse in judgment. 

Justin Timberlake’s musical roots 

Justin Timberlake has an impressive family history of musicians. Most notable is his grandfather, who taught young Justin how to play guitar and introduced him to musicians like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. He also sang in his church choir growing up. 

Justin Timberlake’s early start in his career 

At age 11, Justin appeared on the popular show Star Search, where he wowed the audience with “Love’s Got a Hold on You” by Alan Jackson.  

He joined the variety show The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993 and 1994. He was in good company, performing alongside other young stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russel, and future bandmate JC Chasez.  

What group was Justin Timberlake in? 

Justin Timberlake was one of the five members that made up the boy band NSYNC. NSYNC was formed in 1995. The pop boy band began their career in Europe in 1996, with Justin being one of the two lead singers.  

Two years later, in 1998, the boy band struck it big in the USA. Their first album sold eleven million copies, and their second album sold 2.4 million copies in the first week alone.  

The group released four studio albums together:

• NSYNC, released May 26, 1997 
• Home for Christmas, released November 10, 1998 
• No strings attached, released March 21, 2000 
• Celebrity, released July 24, 2001 

Some of the band’s hit songs found on these albums are: 

• “I Want You Back”
• “Tearin’ Up My Heart”
• “Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)”
• “It’s Gonna be Me”
• “This I Promise You” 
• “Pop” 
• “Gone” 
• “Girlfriend” 

The boy band sold over 70 million records worldwide, placing them in the top five best-selling boy bands in history.  

In 2002 the members of NSYNC decided to take a break from boy band fame to pursue careers individually.  

 

Justin Timberlake’s solo career 

In 2002 Justin Timberlake introduced himself to the world as a solo artist. He performed his hit “Like I Love You” at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, which peaked on the Billboard charts at number 11. 

The albums he released on his own are: 

• Justified, released 2002 
• Future Sex/Love Sounds, released 2006 
• The 20/20 Experience, released 2013 
• The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, released 2013 
• Man of the Woods, released 2018 

Justin Timberlake songs 

Some of Justin Timberlake’s songs that he has released during his solo career are: 

• “Can’t Stop This Feeling”
• “Mirrors” 
• “Rock Your Body” 
• “Cry Me a River” 
• “SexyBack” 
• “Like I Love You” 

Justin Timberlake tours 

After the breakup of NSYNC, Justin set out to make a career for himself. This led to several tours, including: 

• Justified and Stripped Tour with Christina Aguilera, 2003 
• The Justified World Tour, 2003-2004 
• FutureSex/ Love Show, 2007 
• Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour featuring Jay-Z, 2013 
• The 20/20 Experience World Tour, 2013- 2015 
• The Man of the Woods Tour, 2018 – 2019 

Justin Timberlake movies 

Justin Timberlake has proven himself as a true entertainer. It doesn’t matter if it is in a boy band, a solo singing career, spots on SNL, or acting in a wide range of movies. He truly is a superstar.  

The movies that he has appeared in are: 

• Model Behaviour, 2000 
• Edison, 2005 
• Alpha Dog, 2006 
• Black Snake Moan, 2006 
• Southland Tales, 2007 
• Shrek The Third, 2007 
• The Love Guru, 2008 
• The Open Road, 2009 
• The Social Network, 2010 
• Yogi Bear, 2010 
• Bad Teacher, 2011 
• Friends with Benefits, 2011 
• In Time, 2011 
• Trouble with Curve, 2012 
• Runner Runner, 2013 
• Inside Llewyn Davis, 2013 
• Justin Timberlake and The Tennessee Kids, 2016 
• Trolls, 2016 
• Wonder Wheel, 2017 
• Trolls World Tour, 2020 
• Palmer, 2021 

How much has Justin Timberlake made acting?

The multi-faceted star has made over $100 million in his various acting roles.

Endorsements  

During the 2000s, Justin Timberlake endorsed the fast food giant McDonald’s. He did an ad campaign for the company that included his version of their famous phrase, “I’m Loving it.” This partnership made Justin Timberlake $6 million richer.  

Over the years, Justin has partnered with some big names to endorse their products. They include Air Jordan, Givenchy’s men’s cologne “Play,” various electronics, and Callaway Golf Company Products.  

While the actual number of what he has earned in endorsements isn’t easily found, it is estimated to be in the ballpark of $42 million. 

Justin Timberlake’s other business ventures 

After all the tours, movies, and hugely successful albums, you would think Justin would want to take a break.

Yet he has also had a multitude of other business ventures over the years. For example, he and his wife own a portion of the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. JT has also ventured into the hospitality business, owning the now-closed restaurant Southern Hospitality in New York and Chi in Los Angeles.  

On the fashion design front, Justin Timberlake co-founded William Rast clothing and has his own collection for Levi’s.  

Justin has also partnered with Sauza, the liquor company, to create his very own line of tequila, Sauza 901, and has an ownership share in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.  

On August 10, 2018, Justin even ventured into writing, releasing his autobiography, Hindsight and All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me.

Charities 

Justin has been involved in many charities over the years. He started his journey as a philanthropist in NSYNC with the band effort Challenge for the Children, a charity that helps children.

In 2001, he started his own charity, the Justin Timberlake Foundation, which funds music programs in schools. 

Over the years, Justin has donated to or used his celebrity status to help raise money for various charities, including causes like the Steve Irwin Wildlife Warriors, The Shriners Hospital, MusiCares, and Hope for Haiti.

Why did Justin Timberlake apologize to Janet Jackson? 

If you have not heard of the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Superbowl, you are either very young or living an extremely sheltered life. 

To recap, the duo was performing at the Superbowl halftime show, and a costume reveal was planned at the end of the song.  

Justin was supposed to tear away the top layer of Janet’s bodice but accidentally took the whole thing off, revealing the performer’s breast on live tv with over 100 million viewers.  

The outrage was real, and Janet suffered the most out of the two. The industry blacklisted her, TV and radio stations would not play her music, and she was uninvited to the Grammy awards.  

It was an accident, but Janet took the brunt of the blame. Years later, after fans expressed outrage that Janet was penalized for the wardrobe malfunction, but Justin was not.  

He did issue an apology to Janet, saying that he should have spoken up instead of letting her take all of the blame and get canceled in an industry so eager to place blame wherever they can.  

After the incident with Janet Jackson at the 2004 Super Bowl, JT decided to take a step back from music to focus on other areas of interest. 

Why is Justin Timberlake apologizing to Britney Spears? 

Pop music icons Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake first met on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Variety Show in 1993. The two became friends and performed side by side for two years before going their separate ways.  

In 1998 the pop stars reconnected and began a romantic relationship. They were teen idols at that point, and they were both enjoying hugely successful careers and were treated like royalty.  

As far as the public could see, they were America’s sweethearts. They went on tours together, professed their love for each other publicly, and even wore matching outfits, the most talked-about being the matching denim look in January 2001 at the American Music Awards.  

In March 2002, the couple split up in a very public and abrupt fashion. Later that year, Justin released the music video “Cry Me a River” that included a Britney look-a-like and a not-so-subtle message that she had cheated on him and caused the split.  

However, in a documentary about Britney Spears, details surfaced that Justin was not the knight in shining armor everyone thought him to be. 

The documentary details how he treated Britney during and after their relationship. Justin has apologized publicly to her, saying that he was “deeply sorry” and would “take accountability” for his actions.  

 

Justin Timberlake’s tattoos 

Getting tattoos is an excellent way to express yourself, and Justin Timberlake is no exception. He has gotten some tattoos over the years. Here are a few of his tattoos and their meaning. 

• Chinese symbol The symbol, which is on his right angle, translates to music and song, which fits a musician like Justin. 
• Cross The cross, which is on the upper part of Timberlake’s right arm, symbolizes his unwavering faith.  
• Astral band Wrapped around his right calf, the Astral band represents the sign of Aquarius, showing that Justin is an astrology fan.  
• NSYNC logo All the pop sensation NSYNC members have the same tattoo to remind them of their days together and what they accomplished as a group.  
• Marionette A reference to the NSYNC album No Strings Attached and the video for the hit single from it, “Bye Bye Bye.” 
• Guardian angel Justin’s biggest tattoo spans his upper back and shoulder blades. It depicts a guardian angel with a heavenly background and the word “guardian.” This is a tribute to his sister, who passed away shortly after being born, and who he now considers his guardian angel.  

How much is Justin Timberlake worth? 

Justin Timberlake’s net worth is in the region of $260 million, making him the wealthiest singer in the world.