Justin Timberlake denies cheating on Jessica Biel, says holding hands with co-star Alisha Wainwright was a 'lapse in judgment'
After rumors of a possible extramarital affair started plaguing Justin Timberlake's marriage after he was spotted getting cozy with his costar Alisha Wainwright last month and refused to die down, the singer-songwriter finally addressed the matter on Instagram Wednesday, December 4, apologizing to his "amazing wife" Jessica Biel for his regrettable behavior.
"I stay away from gossip as much as I can, but for my family, I feel it is important to address recent rumors that are hurting the people I love," he wrote in an extensive statement. “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.”
Photos and videos which were was taken on November 21, were originally posted by the Sun and quickly viral, sparking speculations of the 'Mirrors' singer, 38, cheating on his wife, 37. They showed Justin and Alisha taking a break from shooting their upcoming movie 'Palmer' and going for a midnight trip to a bar where they enjoyed some drinks on a balcony.
During their hangout, the 30-year-old actress was spotted stroking the 'Mirrors' singer’s knee before he grabbed her hand. Justin was spotted without his wedding ring during the outing in question and appeared to be unsteady on his feet as he put his arm around Alisha's waist.
“This is not the example I want to set for my son,” Justin added in his social media post. “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. This was not that. I am incredibly proud to be working on Palmer. Looking forward to continuing to make this movie and excited for people to see it."
Following the sighting, sources with direct knowledge of the hangout told multiple outlets that the pair's interactions that night was “completely innocent.”
“It’s a balcony with a group of people and it was definitely nothing happening,” one such source told People Magazine. “He’s down there shooting [his film] Palmer, they’re starring in the movie together and they’re cool and everybody was just hanging out.”
The insider added: “The video may look a way, but literally it was nothing. It was some friends, members of the team, crew and people like that. They all know each other and were hanging. Like come on, they’re on an open balcony in New Orleans and he’s famous. It was nothing.”
A representative for Alisha told the outlet: “There is no validity to this speculation. They are currently working on a project together. Members of the cast and crew were all together.”