It only happened last month, but footage of Justin Timberlake and his Palmer co-star Alisha Wainwright being publicly affectionate is one of the biggest celebrity news stories of the year.
To the outside they seemed like the perfect couple. Biel even dressed up as Justin, circa the*NYSC era, for Halloween. If that's not couple goals, then we don't know what is. But, lo and behold, JT was pictured looking very cosy with his co-star.
After the subsequent media frenzy, Justin responded, apologising to his wife - like most celebs do - through the Notes app and posting a screenshot to Instagram.
The post read: 'A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgement,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Let me be clear, nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behaviour. I should have known better. This is not the example I want to set for my son,' he continued. 'I apologise 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,’ he concluded.
Now, it has been widely reported in the US that Biel had a major role in the apology, as she felt so ‘embarrassed’ by the footage. A source told US Magazine that Jessica ‘encouraged Justin to put out his statement on Instagram because she felt embarrassed by his actions and wanted him to take accountability.’ Another source also told People that Biel is 'standing by' the singer.
An onlooker told The Sun, who published the footage of the co-stars getting close, said, ‘At one stage he grabbed her hand and rested it on his knee. She then gently started stroking his leg. Then he clutched her hand with both of his and was playing with her hands.’ Eagle-eyed onlookers pointed out that Timberlake also looked like he wasn't wearing a wedding ring (Biel and Timberlake tied the knot back in 2012).
At the time, Wainwright’s representative immediately denied that anything is going on, releasing a statement which said, ‘There is no validity to this speculation. They are currently working on a project together. Members of the cast and crew were all together.’
READ MORE: Jessica Biel Dresses Up As *NSYNC Era Justin Timberlake, Wins Halloween