Welcome to The Scoop — the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. to Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here.
(NewsNation) — Pity poor Justin Timberlake.
He started the year on a sour note, being slammed by Britney Spears fans after she revealed in her memoir “The Woman in Me” that during the couple’s 1999-2002 relationship, Timberlake cheated on her multiple times, urged her to get an abortion and used their break up to launch his solo career. Britney later apologized, but later recanted the apology after Timberlake told a New York City audience he wanted to “apologize to absolutely [expletive] nobody.”
Timberlake, 43, seemed especially annoyed as he needed attention – not for his previous behavior – but for his upcoming movie, “Trolls 3” and his new album.
The singer teased an *NSYNC reunion at the Video Music Awards – and in February kept that rumor going… all to get press for his first album in six years, “Everything I Thought it Was,” which debuted March 15.
But while fans seemed to be interested in an *NSYNC reunion … they aren’t much interested in Timberlake.
His album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 but dropped off the Billboard Hot 200 completely after just four weeks.
Meanwhile, Timberlake’s “The Forget Tomorrow” tour is far from selling out. Tickets in all sections are available in almost every city and the highest price for the best seats can be found for under $900.
On Friday, Timberlake announced he was canceling his June concert in Columbia, South Carolina. While no reason was given, insiders point to slow ticket sales. Jennifer Lopez also faces the same reckoning earlier this year when tickets for her “This Is Me… Now” tour were so sluggish in selling, she had to cancel seven cities and rename her tour “This Is Me… Live”.
“A six-year break from your mid-thirties to your early forties is a really long time (for an artist),” famed music journalist Touré of TheGrio told me. “Most of (Timberlake’s) fans have aged out of caring about him. It’s like the old saying goes, ‘You don’t retire – the audience retires you.’”
A rep for Timberlake didn’t return emails.